We recently connected with Pati Coelho and have shared our conversation below.

Pati, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I wouldn’t have been able to answer this question 5 years ago, or at least not in the same way. I might have said luck, money, a college degree. While those things certainly help, it’s been a different path for me. The secret to success for me comes down to new found courage, confidence, and tenacity. Took awhile to realize I possessed those traits, but I have learned and now believe that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and give it your all.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have worked in hospitality for most of my life in one way or another, ultimately landing in the Paso Robles wine industry. After 15 years working in different roles in the wine world, I found myself at a crossroads career-wise. In 2017, I took a risk, or leap of faith, and started Criú Hospitality Professionals. My eye was on wineries, but as we became known we quickly expanded to include support for event coordinators, weddings, fundraisers – any other hospitality events needing professional temporary staffing. We made the decision to set our business apart from other staffing agencies by understanding the critical needs of the event and wine industry and strive to exceed expectations, while providing vetted, qualified, insured staff who know how to smile and always remember to have fun! We employ college students, stay home parents, retirees, and anyone who loves hospitality.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After nine years as a hospitality manager at a reputable local winery, I was fired. 60 years old, recovering from breast cancer, and unemployed for the first time in 15 years. I was told that I hadn’t been doing my job well and hadn’t been happy. I was devastated. No amount of arguing, crying, or pleading my case was going to change their minds. This place was home, these people were my family, or so I thought. It was rough. I didn’t know what I was going to do.

And then the gifts started to show up. I slowly came to realize, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, they’d been right. I hadn’t been happy, merely on autopilot and safe within my comfort zone. My fellow employees reached out with love and support. Industry colleagues contacted me about potential job openings. My family reminded me of my worth and gave me the confidence to shake it off, make a change, see the value and opportunities in front of me.

I had noticed during my time in the tasting room that we were often shorthanded, especially on event weekends. The only option we had was to ask friends or family members to come in and lend a hand. This was not the best practice as, while we thankfully ended up with extra help, these volunteers lacked the knowledge and confidence in the brand to accurately tell our story. There were also legal ramifications for using volunteers for wine sales, insurance issues, and a whole myriad of reasons why this was not a great solution.

After my termination, I considered employment with a couple of other wineries, and to this day I am so grateful for those offers. But I had this idea I couldn’t let go of, and if not now, when? I started my hospitality staffing company 4 months after my termination from the winery, and Criú Hospitality staffing was born.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

We got off to a great start in 2018, slowly but surely. The Paso Robles Wine Alliance was our first client, which was a feather in our cap to have the support of the industry leader in our community. We were focusing mostly on winery staffing in those early days, but soon segued into event support; weddings, private parties, and fundraisers. It was so gratifying and exciting to see this little company build momentum and to gain the confidence of the community.

And then, Covid hit. Just wrapping up our second year of business, the hospitality industry, along with everything else, screeched to stop. Fortunately for us, we didn’t have a storefront or retail space to maintain. People are our product – part time, temporary staff. If they weren’t working, we didn’t have payroll, so we were able to stay afloat, if just barely.

There were a couple of loopholes that worked in our favor. While wineries all but closed down and weddings were mostly being postponed, we were able to serve outside, with food, for smaller groups of people. The best news came when the City of Paso Robles and Travel Paso hired us to staff a safe, outdoor dining area in the Downtown City Park, allowing restaurants to provide takeout meals and a Covid free zone in which to enjoy eating al fresco. It was a win/win. We were also covering for furloughed staff when wineries would hold a special, outdoor event that needed staffing. It was meager, but we managed to stay afloat, and even relevant during the pandemic.

Now, 2 years later, we are back in our Templeton office, enjoying steady growth throughout San Luis Obispo County, and have even expanded into Santa Barbara County.

During covid I made some positive personal changes as well. I decided to give up drinking, just to see how that felt after being so immersed in a wine-focused career and environment. I lost weight. I even got a puppy. My goal was to stop talking about change and to actually MAKE the changes I knew would benefit my life, business, and the people around me. And they have. I own a successful, thriving business that I love. I am healthy, and maybe the best news in all of this, I am 6 1/2 years cancer free.

My message to anyone who has ever had an idea, make it happen. Don’t take no for an answer, no matter your age, finances, or whatever roadblocks you think are in front of you. Be confident and fearless. Your best life is ahead of you, and there is no time like the present. Obstacles be damned, just go for it with all your heart!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.criuhospitality.com
• Instagram: @criuhospitality
• Facebook: Criu Hospitality Professionals
• Linkedin: pati-coelho
• Yelp: Criu Hospitality Professionals

Image Credits
Allyson Magda Corinne Samu Smith