We were lucky to catch up with Edwin Reyes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Edwin, appreciate you 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

One of the things I find fascinating from past experiences. It is that when mistakes are made, you learn more from them than by word of mouth or from watching someone else.

This was a common occurrence with me when I started building my hotel in Iquitos, Peru back in 2019. I wish I had used more technology to reduce costs and to plan my next steps.

I even felt that learning a few skills and learning more about construction at the time would have helped speed things up more.

Yet the biggest mistake I made, and regret, but learned the hard way. It always starts with a strong plan, even if it takes longer than expected. It’s not a waste of time, if anything, it will save you time and money.

Fast-forward to the present, and I built a network of people that help me with their expertise.

What I don’t know I ask, and connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs helps me get an insight into more techniques and possibilities I didn’t see before.

For example, I recently started a laundromat service called Crazymyworld Lavanderia in Iquitos, Peru.

I managed to cut costs by 30% and speed the business launch by 4 months because of my connections and experience in the past.

All in all, I would say build a network, learn a few skills, especially in the technology field, and take your time with making a solid plan, but most of all have patience.

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.

My work life is a bit all over the place. I started as a dishwasher in a restaurant called Fuddruckers. It was my first job, so I can’t complain. It was a small restaurant in Saugus, Massachusetts. I needed to get my feet wet, and this was my start.

When I started my second job at Target Corporation as an Electronics team member, I picked up customer service experience and technological knowledge.

I’ve spent years there. It’s these skills that have helped me to cater to my customers on Crazymyworld.

My third job was delivering Amazon packages as an Amazon driver. What I learned was how to get out of your comfort zone and venture out to new places (and be a better driver).

I have said this before, but I love traveling and the industry itself as a whole. I wanted to be in it in every possible way, from traveling to helping travelers myself.

I wasn’t trying to solve a particular issue at first but add to the industry by creating my small hotel in Iquitos, Peru, called Mapachohouse.

Afterward, I added my Laundromat that caters to travelers and locals alike to address an issue in the travel space that was lacking in Iquitos.

My proudest moment was when we hit that first 5-star review on Google. It was a boost and a reward for my efforts. Recently I found another issue with the laundry space in Iquitos that I am currently addressing and that is delivery.

Crazymyworld Lavanderia will soon launch a laundry delivery service that’s unmatched in Iquitos, Peru.

As for the hotel, MapachoHouse is an all-in-one experience for people of all income levels to enjoy. Meaning room and board for all types of people with a mix of nature and technology in the jungle city of Iquitos.

With this strong start, I feel that I can make a meaningful difference and do what I love at the same time.

How’d you meet your business partner?

This one is a very interesting story. I actually met my Argentinean business partner in Ecuador, in a city called Manta, back in early February 2019 when covid-19 was spreading in just China and Italy at the time.

South America was the last continent to get hit. I was backpacking in Ecuador, starting from Quito, the capital, to travel to a city called Guayaquil.

Yet the most interesting thing happened. I took an Uber to make it to my meeting spot for a tour I reserved, and I made small talk with the driver, and he mentioned Manta.

After hearing about it, I fell in love with the city and quickly booked a random hostel reservation.

I didn’t know I would get along with the owner and form a partnership after a couple of beers.

Unfortunately, covid came, and we closed but moved everything to Iquitos, Peru. My partner’s wife is from there, which opened a new opportunity. When I look back now, I feel it was fate that made this happen.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

This one was a lot of trial and error, especially from someone who didn’t know a lot about marketing.

I found out that the best way to grow your client base is to first understand your market, your area and tackle the sections of your industry that frustrate people the most.

For instance, laundry delivery is practically nonexistent in Iquitos. So, I said let me set myself apart and offer this service and just advertise it all over social media wherever I can.

I told friends and family, I passed out flyers, I offered discounts and promotions just to get people through the door. I knew that this takes time because patience is your real weapon at the beginning.

I have noticed that this has worked because week by week we received regulars and new customers and the list just kept growing. Having patience and having an effective marking strategy and sticking with it can help you go a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crazymyworld.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazymyworldz/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazymyworldz
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crazymyworld?trk=public_post_feed-actor-image
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crazymyworlds
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazymyworld