Has your inner entrepreneur ever dreamt of starting a food venture? Perhaps you’re like recent graduate, Deandre Kemp, who’s considered running a food truck. Or maybe like business management junior, Cole Holland, you dig the concept of french fry vending machines.
On Tuesday at 4 p.m., about 30 college-aged entrepreneurs gathered in a small room in UCF’s Business Administration building for a chance to pick the brains of four local gurus in the food industry: John Rivers of 4 Rivers, John Rife of the East End Market, Lambrine Macejewski of Cocina 214 and David Manuchia of Restaurant Partners, Inc.
These food-biz experts discussed a myriad of topics, from leadership styles, to becoming a generalist, to the importance of enjoying your work — or at least growing from it.
“You’ve gotta love it,” Manuchia said, “And if you’re just focused on the money, you’re probably not gonna make it.”
The four agreed: if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it.
“If you’re really passionate about something, you’ll be amazed at the things you’re willing to do or not do — sleep less, work more, get paid less.” Macejewski said.
Kemp, an attendee who graduated from UCF in August with an anthropology degree, is starting a food venture to “spread cultural awareness through food.” Among the many topics broached in the hour-and-a-half-long panel, Kemp said the idea of personally being part of the process stuck with him the most. “People are buying a story about the people, rather than the commodity.”
This is a concept that Rife stressed from the beginning of the discussion: “Before there is a product, you are already the brand.”
Rife later added that the personal journey of building a business is more important than having it all figured out in the beginning. “People are so afraid to share their concept, but if you share the concept as you’re iterating, if you say ‘here are the struggles I’ve found,’ you’re including that human element.”
The subject of the human element in a business’ brand reemerged throughout the discussion. Rivers said that while the idea is fairly new to him, he strongly believes that “it’s less about the what, and it’s more about the why.”
“People will support you if they embrace and understand why you are doing this,” Rivers said. “People get behind causes and that’s where you grow loyalty and passion … Put the personal element behind it every time and that’s what they’ll support. That’s what they’ll follow.”
“I’m just trying to soak up all of this,” said civil engineering junior Norbert Swiatek, “It’s very character building and all about facing your fears.”
The event was hosted by UCF’s Blackstone LaunchPad. According to Shakirra Meghjee, coordinator at the LaunchPad, the organization opened a year ago in the Student Union to offer free, one-on-one coaching for students who want to launch their own businesses, non-profits or projects. Go to ucf.thelaunchpad.org to learn more.
