Notes from Chris

Episode 1081

It took Billy Flores a long time to discover his passion in life. All he knew was that he wasn’t finding it at his day job working in sales for a huge beverage company. Still, he believed it’s best to be grateful for what you have, so he never complained. He was a husband and father so, while the job wasn’t fulfilling, it provided a place to live and put food on the table.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t explore possibilities and look for fun outside that day job. And over the years, he spent a lot of time doing that through various hobbies and hustles.

The one that appealed to him the most was cooking. He loved it! It helped that he liked eating. Best of all, he could indulge in his favorite activity up to three times a day.

He put particular effort into his work lunches. Far from the standard sandwich, Billy often brought himself smoked brisket or ribs. His co-workers would salivate over his food and started requesting he bring in extra to share, which he was happy to do. He soon became a regular Gordon Ramsay at his workplace, their own celebrity chef.

He used the lunches as an opportunity to try new flavors, seasonings, herbs and spices. He’d debut new recipes and see what worked and what didn’t. After a while, he started receiving requests to prepare meals for personal parties and functions. And of course, they paid him for the privilege.

The real benefit, though, was that Billy felt his love for cooking bubbling over. So much so that he decided to take a second job working in a local restaurant, a BBQ joint! He says now that working there was a great experience.

Beyond learning more about cooking and preparing food, he was able to gain exposure to the restaurant industry. He realized you could do well by offering simple food, well made. He also saw first-hand the value of hard work. Success in the food biz came to those who hustled.

As the months went by, Billy kept learning more until eventually he had the opportunity to impress his extended family in his own home. They asked him to make some tacos with a new tortilla press he’d acquired.

They were dazzled by the flavors and encouraged him to have a red hot go at venturing out on his own… and he didn’t burrito around the bush. There and then he decided to start a taco side hustle.

To be clear, he didn’t want to take the risk of opening a restaurant or building out a food truck. No, Billy envisioned that he’d first offer a pop-up taco store. The kind you see out the front of bars and clubs late at night. He could try his idea with minimal risk and expense. But, he needed permission to set up outside someone’s business, so that was the next step.

Luckily, Billy frequented a local brewery and was friendly with the staff. He convinced them to let him set up his shop on the sidewalk by promising that every patron in the place would be well fed if they wanted to be.

From then on, multiple nights a month Billy would be outside the local brewery slinging tacos to hungry beer drinkers all night, and loving every minute of it. As word spread and he improved the recipes, he realized he was doing too much.

Billy’s pop-up taco shop has kept growing. He is now making more than enough to afford him and his family a humble but enjoyable lifestyle which he is totally comfortable with.

For now, he enjoys the pop-up life. A bigger operation means a bigger kitchen, more money and thus more risk. While he isn’t sure if he’ll go down that path yet, for now he is just seasoning the moment.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about Billy and his taco business at his website, BadSpanishTacos.com.

SEE ALSO:

• Nacho Average Tacos! Chef Puts Twist on Mexican Culinary Classics: A San Diego chef turns her weekend catering gig into a popular brick and mortar restaurant for visitors on both sides of the border.
• The $60,000 “Food Truck Empire” (No Cooking Required!): In his quest to understanding the economics of food trucks (also known as food carts), a man creates a blog and podcast that earns $60,000 in a year. He does this part-time—and without owning an actual food truck!
• Delicious Cookies Arrive at My Door in Portland, Oregon: A late night craving evolves into a cookie delivery service spreading chocolate chip goodness throughout the land.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,