We were lucky to catch up with Keri Ramos recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Keri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

At the beginning, it was just Scott and I. We worked out of our home. We had inventory coming straight from the warehouse to our garage. We did this for 18 months straight. During this time, we got married and saved everything else we earned. After a year and a half, we opened up a training facility and were ready to recruit some people! We posted on Indeed, and before we knew it, had over 1000 people apply with us. One month later, we were on all the international sales standings. We went from hiding in the shadows to being #1 in the world! Don’t get me wrong, recruiting hasn’t exactly been easy. It seems like “work” is a scary word for a lot of people right now. We have had our ups and downs, but we are so much more ahead now. Fast forward to 2022 and we have 3 international title wins, 3 years straight!

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

For folks who have not read about me before…. Hmmm… Where do I begin? Well, I started this business in 2013. I was 20 years old. I was living in an all bills paid apartment with my daughter. The cops would knock on your door at all hours to see if you may have witnessed the crime that just happened in the parking lot. It wasn’t a good environment. I worked at Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings and Lowe’s previously. I answered an ad on Craigslist (Y’all remember that? Lol). It was for a Management Trainee Program and sounded to be a well paid job. It wasn’t until I came in that I found out it was a great opportunity. This company sold home cleaning systems like no other on the market. Long story short, the company became a lifestyle for me. I was always the first one in the door and the last one out. 87 days later, I received a promotion as Office Manager and was making profit sharing on each machine sold throughout the location. I have always had work ethic and discipline, so I think it came easy to me. People love what we sell, and we love helping them. We are always giving back to our customers! Whether it’s cash money for referrals, or free accessories for their equipment, there is always something to participate in. We, as a company, also participate in the Ritello Foundation each year. This program helps the elderly, disabled, and less fortunate around the world. We are always happy to give back. I have now been with this great company for 9 years. I went from the environment I told you about earlier to owning a home in a premium neighborhood. I won’t go into everything I now own. The thing that makes me most proud is that I am able to provide a life for my daughter that was better than mine. Shout out to my husband for making all of this happen!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Awe, such a sweet story. Well, he hired me back in 2013. He has actually owned the company since 1990. In 2014 I was opening my own store, and that’s when we started dating. I guess seeing each other and working with each other for 8-12 hours a day for over a year lead to something more. Lunch dates turned into romantic dinners, and you know the rest. We have always pushed each other to be our very best in every way. We always encourage each other. I now have 5 stores and he oversees the entire United States.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

So as I said earlier, I started as a sales rep. I was the person going into your home, selling you a product you didn’t know you needed. Back then we made $375.00 per sale. It was actually pretty good for a 20 year old; Especially when you would help 2 or 3 families per week. At first, I spent a lot of money! Too much money! But what do you expect from a young girl that can afford things she wants for the first time? One day it just clicked. In order for me to get to the next level, I needed capital. I started saving money. I never took out a loan. I don’t really believe in them. I remember putting away money from each pay check until I was able to afford space, furniture and inventory. It took me over a year, but I was able to make it happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ritellodistributionusa.com
• Facebook: Ritello Distribution USA