“Having a food stand in Colombia hasn’t been simple.

I started this business 22 years ago. I lived in an area where good quality corn was easy to source, and there was a nearby touristic lagoon, so I thought it was perfect. But after a couple of years, the guerrilla showed up asking me for a percent of my sales. It was not profitable anymore!

Then I got closer to Bogota and set up my stand next to an amusement park alongside other street food vendors. The first five years were great until the government decided to “clean out the street”, essentially driving away all the street vendors. I was able to survive because I partnered with a grocery store that allowed me to stand next to it, but it’s been a continuous struggle.

Something I’ve learned about all of this is that before you quit something, look at it from a different perspective. Sometimes, passion can make you blind. Try to approach the problems with different eyes and find alternatives.”