We recently connected with Melissa Guzman and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Growing up Dominican plantains have been my comfort food. When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness, plantains were the first to go. All my cultural favorites had to go. In a short time, I lost my ability to walk and lost a sense of self and I had no plantains to get me by.

Eventually, I began to study nutrition. I went raw vegan, learned to walk again, and restarted my life. I began remixing my cultural favorites into plant based ones to sustain my lifestyle. I discovered plantains are a superfood! The problem with accessing all of its benefits was the process of cooking. I tried different methods and learned by dehydrating them, you are able to retain the fiber and vitamins. I also was able to get this cool jerky texture and I fell in love. I had my cultural comfort food back and my plantain jerky was born.

Melissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey to entrepreneurship has been an interesting one. I began with a dog walking and boarding business in New York. I was thriving and happy. I was gearing up to actually open a store. Then life happened. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness and within 4 months I was hospitalized 7 times and ended up in a wheelchair.

I thought at the tender age of 28, my life was ending, bleak I know. Until one day, I decided enough was enough. I went raw vegan and I was eventually able to stand, wobble and walk. I kept my plant based diet, but missed my cultural food. It became my mission to take my island favorites and remix them to healthier alternatives. I wanted people to eat better while it was a choice and not an obligation like it was for me.

I left New York and moved to South Florida where I grew up. Through assistance from a minority based program here in Miami I was able to acquire a food truck. Her name was Big Bertha. Slapped Two Platanos and a Dream on her and opened my window to serve my community.

I am so proud of the work I did with Big Bertha. I was able to work with the James Beard Foundation, was the first and only vegan food truck at Formula One, and made so many connections through serving my community. In mid 2023, I decided to close Bertha’s window and meet people where they are, home. I am launching my amazing Plantain Jerky! It will come in 3 flavors, Tropical Punch ( think spicy pineapple), Churro Chocolate, & Garlic, They will be available on my website. www.thecaribevegan.com

I also host a weekly series on my socials called Todays Guest. I feature a recipe and highlight my imaginary friends such as artists, community activists, and some of your favorite celebs,.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think the biggest lesson I had to learn was you don’t have to suffer to succeed. when I first began. I felt like the only way I was going to remain stable was obsessing about my business 24/7. What is the next event, who can I pitch to? Whose DMs can I slide into for an opportunity. I was that guy. I completely ignored my social life, family, and really taking care of myself. my burnout came with vengeance. i wanted to do nothing and it showed.

I then started to regain my life and implement systems that help me manage my business and time better and I am so grateful I took the time to do it. I don’t have to be the every hat person. Maybe I can’t fully hire an assistant, but I can go to freelance sites to find people with one off projects. I learned balance. As I embark on my new journey from food truck to products, i know this lesson will be essential!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One thing I have noticed when it comes to food based entrepreneurs is reliability. We are always on the go, either shopping, prepping, answering emails, cleaning etc I mean the list is never ending! However, I would have companies book me on a consistent basis because the food was good and I was reliable. I didn’t cancel on them. I didn’t show up late, I didn’ t short them on deliverables and that’s how I earned their trust. They trusted me to show up on time and make them look good for choosing us. Customer service can be a wild ride. Sometimes you have to wonder the sanity of some people and their requests, but as an entrepreneur it is important to provide great customer experience and consistency.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thecaribevegan.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecaribevegan
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecaribevegan
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-guzman-385370201/