With only $200 to his name and an uncertain future, he arrived in a foreign land determined to start a new life for himself. There were obstacles aplenty, but giving up was not an option. With a true fighter’s spirit and unwavering confidence in his ability, he not only achieved the American dream, but also proved that with persistence and faith, anything is possible.
Carlos Pulido began his path in 2016 when he arrived to the United States with a dream and a mission — to create his future as an entrepreneur.
Pulido was a big fan of Venezuelan bread, and every time he visited the United States, the bread simply couldn’t compare. With each visit, his nostalgia for the taste of his homeland grew and inspired a dream of bringing that comfort to others.
Meanwhile, in Venezuela, Carlos went from bakery to bakery offering to work for free simply to observe the art of baking bread. The owners would smile and say, “Okay, then.”
When Pulido first arrived in the United States, he began selling the products he brought with him from Venezuela. He didn’t have a business plan, but he was sure of one thing: He wanted to build his empire. Little did he know that the road ahead would not be as easy as he thought
He worked hard and earned enough money to rent a production facility, and that’s when things started to go well. He began baking bread and selling it from a small cart at local malls. Finally, he ended up at Paseo de las Artes, a microtheater that gave him a space to open his first brick and mortar. With the help of the playhouse’s actors and their social media platforms, his brand slowly gained recognition.
When the microtheater closed, Carlos found himself in a difficult situation, but he didn’t give up. He invested the money he had saved to buy a car and sell his bread outside a local supermarket. He then grew a loyal following, with people lining up to buy his products soon after.
Carlos realized the power of social media and used it as a way to attract more people even without a store. He got creative with his posts, expanding his brand one follower at a time.
After raising enough capital, Carlos decided it was time to take the leap and open his first store, this time accompanied by a business partner. However, what was initially a new beginning turned out to be one of his most challenging moments. He made some financial mistakes and came close to bankruptcy due to unexpected expenses on renovations. Without the guidance of an attorney, he found himself making mistake after mistake, digging a deeper hole. The road ahead was much more difficult than he had anticipated, but he never gave up hope.
“When I came closest to giving up, it was here in the store… because it’s not the same when you have a debt of, I don’t know, $500 dollars or you owe $100 and say “Well, aha, I’m going to pay it, then,” as when you owe $100,000 or $200,000 dollars,” said Pulido. “There it was already complicated. Nothing turned out well for me in the store at the beginning. In other words, it was like anything I did went wrong.”
In the midst of all the chaos, Carlos found a ray of hope in his current mentor, who saw the potential in his dream and helped him make it a reality. When he opened his first store in 2019, it did well, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the mountain of expenses.
Then COVID-19 hit, and while it seemed like more trouble was coming, it turned out to be an opportunity for Pulido to hit the reset button. He hired a public relations representative who helped him reach more people through mass media and social networks, which is how +58Gourmet became the success it is today. Now, with a new store opening soon in Weston, Florida, Carlos’ dream continues to expand.
Like Carlos, there are thousands of Venezuelan entrepreneurs venturing to the U.S., full of ambition and vision and prepared to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. Time and time again, they have proven that their dedication to work not only helps them build a future for themselves, but also contributes to South Florida’s economy and positively impacts the community.
“A few months ago we met with the mayor of Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, and she was talking about the impact of the Venezuelan community on the economy of South Florida,” said the president of the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce.
