This is a true career story as told to LatPro.com for its “What They Don’t Teach” series – a collection of interviews with Hispanic and bilingual professionals from a Professor to a Process Improvement Expert, and everything in between.
This Latina business owner wanted a calmer, slower paced life, but then realized she missed the city. She shares her experience with us, the ups and downs of owning a business, what it takes to make it, what you can expect to earn and more.
What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in this field? How would you describe yourself using only three adjectives?
I am the owner and manager of an organic grocery store in San Jose, CA. I’ve been in business for seven years, with 15 years of experience in organic and sustainable farming. If I had to describe myself in three words, I would choose “responsible,” “hard-working,” and “passionate.”
What’s your ethnicity and gender? How has it hurt or helped you? If you ever experienced discrimination, how have you responded and what worked best?
As a Latina — the smallest group of small business owners — I have definitely faced my share of challenges, but overall the Bay Area is a highly tolerant place to do business. I have only experienced discrimination on a handful of occasions, almost all of which were cases when someone presumed I was an illegal immigrant. (I’m a fifth-generation Californian.)
How would you describe what you do? What does your work entail? Are there any common misunderstandings you want to correct about what you do?
At my grocery I’m responsible for managing inventory, talking to distributors, doing payroll and bookkeeping, and supervising employees. My primary concern is always our customers, whose loyalty is crucial in the competitive Bay Area organic products market. Some people assume my job is just running the store, but I actually spend time in the Central Valley visiting organic producers and trying to find the highest quality products for my customers.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What might need to change about your job to unleash your full enthusiasm?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction a 9. I love providing great organic food to my customers, creating living wage jobs for my employees, and helping the disadvantaged in the Bay Area by donating a portion of our profits to local charities. Some days my job can be stressful, but I love what I do! It definitely affects me in an emotional way, because I am very passionate about organic food and the dangers posed by pesticides and genetically-modified produce. I feel like I’m serving my calling every day by bringing this good food to people in San Jose.
Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?
One unique thing about my situation is that I made a career change to do this. I got my MBA from the Haas School of Business at Berkeley and worked for 9 years as a consultant in San Francisco, but I was unhappy with the job stress and felt my life could be more meaningful. I decided to leave business and open an organic farm outside Salinas. In 2003 I started to miss living in the city and being in business, so I decided to open my organic grocery store in the South Bay to serve the booming high-tech sector there. If I could go back and do things differently, I don’t think I would — my life experiences have all fed together into what I currently do, which is fulfilling and rewarding.
What did you learn the hard way in this job and what happened specifically that led up to this lesson?
I learned many things the hard way. I had a lot of trouble managing relationships with suppliers, especially independent organic farms. Because they do not operate like commercial farms, there is wide variability in when crops will become available, which made it difficult to predictably stock my inventory. We solved it by having a “Recipe of the Week” event every Tuesday, where we find recipes for customers based on what we have in the store. If we have a surplus of squash, for instance, we will provide several different recipes to incorporate squash into meals.
What is the single most important thing you have learned outside of school about the working world?
The most important thing I’ve learned is how to build strong relationships, whether it is with customers, employees, or suppliers. I wasn’t taught that in business school, but it is crucial to my success as a business owner.
What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you in this job?
I’ve had several strange things happen to me, but the strangest was when a “flash mob” — this random group of people who come out of nowhere to meet up at once, usually to do something silly — had a shopping cart parade inside the store. I had no idea what was happening! It was pretty funny though to watch nearly 100 people parade around the aisles. It only lasted about five minutes, and at the end they all put the carts back and cleaned up any stray trash. It was very strange, but definitely a bright spot in my day.
Why do you get up and go to work each day? Can you give an example of something that really made you feel good or proud?
Every day I get up and go to work because I know I’m providing safe, sustainable, and delicious food, and I’m also creating jobs. I know some of our regular customers by name, and I always feel good seeing new customers inside the store.
What kind of challenges do you face and what makes you just want to quit?
I have never faced a challenge in this job that made me want to quit, because what I’m doing is a personal passion for me.
How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance? How?
This job is stressful, as is any business owner’s job, but I have the perspective of working in the high-stakes corporate world where stress is constantly high. This job has a manageable stress level and a great work-life balance.
How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?
I’m not able to vacation regularly, but at least once a week I take a drive to the Central Valley on business, which really helps me refresh and recharge.
What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough and/or happy living within your means?
Last year my store did $2.4 million in sales, and after expenses we netted about $300,000, of which 1/3 was reinvested in the store, the rest was my salary. So I made $200,000 last year.
What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?
If a friend were considering doing this, I would caution her that business wasn’t always so good. I actually lost money my first two years. It was tough to work for nothing, but it has finally paid off. I would also tell my friend that my MBA degree helped, although it wasn’t necessary.
What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?
Having a bachelor’s degree in business would probably be the minimum.
If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?
In five years I hope my grocery store is still here, and that I’m still passionate about running it! I don’t anticipate slowing down anytime soon. I’m very passionate about organic food and the way it enriches the lives of my customers.
About Caroline Ceniza-Levine
