We were lucky to catch up with Adolfo Jimenez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adolfo, thanks for joining us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today

If I knew then what I know now… That’s a tougher question than it seems. I would have said, “screw it” and done the things I was afraid to do. I have learned, at this point in my life, that the worst that can happen if you fail is that you get to begin again, but this time, with more experience. I would have taken the plunge. I would be less cautious but more thoughtful in my actions. In other words, I would have been less of a wimp.

As a younger, fearful business owner, I worked myself half to death working a full time job while building a business. I did this over again and in one case I even kept my corporate job after the business had proven viable. Long story short, I worked for someone else, ignored my own business, and got laid off when the economy tanked in 2009. My business was now in shambles and I ended up liquidating it. I nearly lost everything.

So, as Richard Branson says: Screw it! Let’s do it!

Adolfo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My latest venture, Bubba’s Hangover Diner, which happens to be a food truck, came about because for the last three years, my wife and I have been running The Cafeteria Company, a cafeteria outsourcing business. We have three schools we service, but the bulk of our income was coming from one particular client. Although we had a long-term contract, I never felt comfortable having all my eggs in someone else’s basket. So, we decided to start other, unrelated businesses.

First, we restarted HoneyBee Party Rental, the business I liquidated back in 2009. I had kept the name, logo and website and now it’s a small, but growing business.

I also became certified in the cleaning and maintenance of commercial kitchen hoods and started TCC Maintenance, which serves restaurants throughout South Florida.

Bubba’s Hangover Diner came along because we simply loved the idea of food trucks and my wife and I are both fans of good old American Diners. We decided to create a fun experience with great food and exceptional service.

Abby and I met when we worked in the hotel industry, We are both customer service oriented people who take pride in our work. We bring that energy to everything we do. As much as we love food trucks, we found that too many operators simply don’t try. Their trucks aren’t clean. They don’t smile or even stand up to greet a customer and take an order. Sometimes we had very expensive meals that seemed to have been put together with little effort. We knew we could do better and now we do!

I’m proud that we are providing exceptional service and experiences and I’m proud to be working with my family, Both of our daughters work with us and it’s fun… though I have to admit I get nervous sometimes since the women outnumber me 3-1. Did I mention my mother works with me, too? I can’t win! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner (and my boss) is my wife Abdaliz. We’ve been married 23 years and we’re still in love and we have a great time working together. We’re together nearly 24/7 and somehow she hasn’t killed me yet!

We both worked in the hotel business. I was a roomie and she was a foodie. This means I was a revenue manager and dealt with nightly rates. She was on the catering and convention side of the business. Our paths crossed on occasion but we didn’t have much interaction on a personal level.

One night, I was about to leave my office. It was late, about 9:00 PM. I thought I was alone. I switched off the light and heard a voice call out “hey!” from another part of the offices. I switched the light back on and looked for the voice. I found Abby sitting there at her desk. It turned out she was also working late. We got to talking and before long, we went on our first date and we got married really soon after. If wise men say only fools rush in, then they’re not so wise!

Abby is a great wife and a great business partner. She is supportive but not blindly so. She will ask the questions that need to be asked. She will support me, but hold me accountable. And she defends me with all her might. I hope it goes without saying that I do the same for her.

Pardon me if this sounds rude, but I’ve heard people say that a partnership is marriage without the sex. I guess some of us have it all!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

If I could be anything in this world, I would be an author, professionally speaking. I have actually written 17 books, dozens of screenplays, short stories, poems, essays and all that stuff. I love books and I love learning, so this is a great question for a nerd like me.

I like reading everything. I think reading about people you admire is always fun, particularly historical figures. I’ve read about presidents and generals and writers and business tycoons. I’ve read quite a bit about Ernest Hemingway. I love books by Michael Lewis who wrote “The Big Short and “Moneyball.” He isn’t necessarily a fan of the people he writes about, but his honest assessments make his work educational.

I watch “Shark Tank” occasionally and I read news online. I like movies and documentaries and I think you can find lessons in almost anything if you approach with the right attitude.

I am a huge fan of Audio Books. I get through about a book per week listening to books while driving, exercising, cooking, ironing my clothes (I like to iron my clothes… it helps me relax.)

I suggest everyone download the Libby app, which will give you digital access to your local library.

So the short answer is you should read everything you can. Don’t tell me you don’t have time to read. If you have time to know who leads the NFL in rushing yards or who The Bachelor is going on a date with next week, you have time to read a book that will make your life better.

I recommend:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Anything by Gary Vaynerchuck
Anything by John Maxwell
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

And tons more!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bubbashangoverdiner.com
• Instagram: bubbashangoverdiner
• Facebook: facebook.com/bubbashangoverdiner
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adolfo/
• Twitter: bubbashangover
• Yelp: Bubba’s Hangover Diner