We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Juan Diego Cubillo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Juan Diego, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

It’s my pleasure! I really appreciate you inviting me. Success, in my opinion, is defined as whether or not we are living authentically and fulfilling our life purpose. It’s beyond money, degrees, and job titles. To be successful, we must first discover our gift(s) and identify ways in which we can use them to make a living and to make an impact.

I remember making 6 figures for the first time and feeling empty as ever. I remember driving a luxury car for the first time and realizing that I was driving it just to impress the people around me. I took a step back and promised myself that I would never chase a paycheck. Instead, I will seek my life purpose until I’m in a position to help others find theirs.

I quit a great-paying job and embarked on a journey across the world. Despite having a toddler at the time, my primary objective was to discover who I am and my “why”. I didn’t just learn about the world. I learned about myself, who I am, and what I was born to do. That is the first and most important step in becoming successful.

Juan Diego, 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?

Well first and foremost, I’m a dedicated father and husband. I’m also an author and business owner, striving to inspire minority youth through my work. I was born in Costa Rica and raised in Florida. I have a Master’s degree in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.

I wrote my first book, Los Superamigos de Centroamerica, as motivational literature for Hispanic youth. I am a first-generation immigrant from Costa Rica who struggled with my cultural identity for several years throughout my youth. I know there are millions of kids just like me and I wrote this book to remind them that they’re capable of incredible things despite their skin color, their native language, or their country of origin.

In my book I speak about returning to our home countries to alleviate the challenges being faced by underprivileged communities. From lack of education to the lack of income and nutrition, there is so much we can do if we put our efforts into our home countries. So I decided to practice what I wrote about. I moved back to Costa Rica and opened a business to create jobs and opportunities. I started Big Bang Sweets in Costa Rica with my wife in 2022. We are a Sweets & Café restaurant with creative and innovative concepts. We have created several original products that we are now distributing across the country through movie theaters, grocery stores, and more.

I also have a speaking tour across Central America set up for September and October, which I am super excited about. I will visit schools, NGOS, and institutions jointly with government officials to continue motivating Central American youth to believe in themselves and the power they have to leave their mark in the world.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Growing clientele is a constant grind, especially when the goal is to build a loyal clientele who will keep coming back. My most effective way to grow clientele is to provide an experience, not just a product. We offer innovative products and train the staff to treat people as they would like to be treated.

People don’t always remember what they consumed. They remember how they felt when they consumed it.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Yes, that’s a topic I’m super passionate about! I come from a humble, immigrant family. No inheritance. Just grinding and hustling. I took out loans to get through grad school. And somehow I managed to raise capital and be debt-free. The answer is real estate, financial literacy, and hard work. All things they unfortunately don’t teach much in most school systems but accessible to all of us online.

The key to raising capital is to build a great credit score. Credit is better than cash, in my opinion. With credit, I sought out overlooked and underdeveloped areas in Arizona and Florida with high-growth rates in population and wages. I put the minimum-amount down and used the bank’s money to own each property while I lived in and/or rented out each property. Once I had enough equity, I sold them and made enough cash to invest elsewhere. And that’s how Big Bang Sweets & Café was born.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.juancubillo.com
• Instagram: diego_authorandspeaker
• Facebook: JD Cubillo
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/juan-d-cubillo-m-s-02461b6b