So, there I was, young and full of big ideas, diving headfirst into business with a side of food because, well, who doesn't love eating? College was a blast, mostly because I was that nerdy-but-cool kid who always somehow ended up leading the projects (maybe it was my charm, or maybe everyone else just really liked coffee, which I conveniently had access to later on). Anyway, somewhere between studying menus and marketing plans, I realized that making people want the food was way more interesting than just cooking it. Go figure! This sudden epiphany led me to devour marketing books like they were the last empanadas on earth. My first "real-world" gig in a hostel's coffee shop was a wild ride, let me tell you – one minute you're serving a latte, the next you're diffusing a travel-induced meltdown from a hangry tourist. But hey, it's where I first dipped my toes into the magic of branding. Oh, and I started a food photography business, completely on my own. Let's just say my early clients were mostly very patient plates of food.

Then came the unexpected plot twist: a random encounter led to me becoming a freelance everything-digital for a home decor business. Social media? Check. Emails that hopefully didn't end up in spam folders? Double-check. Suddenly, I was designing graphics and running campaigns – talk about a learning curve steeper than the hills in Medellín! A year later, another crazy opportunity popped up: partnering to open a fancy cocktail bar. And when I say partner, I mean I became the ultimate "make-it-happen" person. Legal stuff that sounded like ancient Latin? Yep. Designing a swanky space that looked nothing like my tiny apartment? Absolutely. Basically, I learned enough about architecture to maybe build a decent doghouse. From brand design to hiring bartenders who hopefully knew more about mixing drinks than I did, it was a chaotic but amazing crash course in running a business from the ground up.

Looking back, it’s been a journey full of unexpected turns and more hats than a milliner's convention. I learned that being a leader means you're basically a professional plate-spinner, and that empathy can get you further than knowing all the answers. Despite all the hustling, my not-so-secret life goal is to help people find their own thing, that spark that makes work feel less like… well, work. So, if you’re reading this, maybe your "thing" involves connecting with me – who knows? Let's find out!

Avec plaisir, Luis L.