Antigua Miami: "Anything could happen in Bolivia"

“Bolivia is a fun place to start something in. You never know what is going to happen. Anything could happen here,” says Sukko Stach, Founder of Antigua Miami, a café in the heart of La Paz’s bustling tourist district.

Sukko grew up in the Bolivian restaurant industry. When he studied at a Canadian University, he worked for and helped open several restaurants and bars in the area. “It was a lot of work and I put in a lot of energy for something that wasn’t my own.” So, Sukko decided to pack his bags and return to Bolivia to start his own venture.

“One of the great things about opening a business here in Bolivia compared to Canada is that the initial investment is A LOT lower,” explains Sukko.

Sukko discussing coffee with a customer from Germany.

“I decided to open a coffee shop as opposed to a bar or restaurant because a coffee shop is manageable by a single person and involves less energy,” says Sukko. Sukko sees Antigua Miami as an incubating space for future ideas. “It’s a way to test and better understand the Bolivian market in La Paz,” explains Sukko. In the future, he plans to open other businesses, starting with a micro brewery.

Despite the fact that Sukko opened the coffee shop only 10 weeks prior to our interview, Antigua Miami was already listed as the #1 restaurant /café to visit in La Paz on Trip Advisor. So far, about 80% of Sukko’s customer base are tourists. That’s because tourists tend to be more in tune with the coffee culture than do Bolivians.

The coffee shop itself is an accumulation of Sukko’s travels. “I was super inspired by traveling through Europe. I’ve been taking ideas from other places and have finally been able to put them all together and to manifest Antigua Miami’s identity.”

When it comes to entrepreneurship, “It is about taking a risk and really following through with your ideas. A lot of people have great ideas. Having a good idea is just 5% of success. The rest is when you make those ideas a reality.” For Sukko, making his dreams a reality starts with putting his ideas on paper. “I carry around a moleskin journal and write down all of my dreams and ideas. You never know when one of those ideas will come in handy a few years down the road.”

Silvana Cosulich: Design that tells a story

We walked up the stairs of an apartment building in La Paz, Bolivia and entered designer, Silvana Cosulich’s studio which doubled as her home. A manikin was dressed in an almost lacy looking alpaca sweater and on the coffee table beside her “look book” were beautifully crafted stained glass necklaces. Over the last eight years, Silvana has dedicated her life to style and to giving back to alpaca crafters in the La Paz region through her design workshops. While she has typically sells to boutiques in the La Paz area, her designs are also available in Colombia and Mexico.

How did you get started?

I’ve always loved drawing and painting. I studied art and design in Mexico and Colombia. I learned early on that selling art is difficult but when you can couple a piece of art or design with a product, you can make a living while creating something beautiful. That is why I started getting into alpaca fashion and jewelry. I have been creating my own designs since 2007.

Where does the inspiration for your designs come from?

At the end of the day, people want a unique product that tells a story. Through my designs, I am truly telling the story of La Paz and passing that story along to people outside of Bolivia.

Almost all of the materials I use are made and produced in Bolivia (the stained glass in her jewelry is from France) and much of the inspiration comes from Bolivian folklore and the colorful culture we have here.

How do you give back to alpaca artisans in Bolivia?

I teach workshops to alpaca artisans. I show them how to create a prototype that tells a story and then I teach them how to sell. I show them that their work is highly valued and to not sell their products for less than they are worth - which is a problem here in Bolivia. I am very proud of Bolivian artisans. They are doing incredible things!

What is a key piece of advice that you would give a fellow entrepreneur?

No matter your product or service, design is key. It has to tell your company’s story… or whatever other story you are trying to tell. Also, you must have a vision and a lot of perseverance to see it through.

Masterline Logistics: "If you die with your boots on, at least you can say you tried!"

Entrepreneurial Trek: How did this business get started?

Jean Dessenoix: I grew up with a French diplomat for a father and a Mexican mother. We traveled the world and I fell in love with international relationships.

That childhood, primed me for international opportunities in business (politics just weren’t my thing). After a sting in the “Real World”, my wife and I teamed up to start Masterline Logistics in 2003. At the time, we were located in Mexico but after a couple years, we decided to move the business to Bolivia. It is important to us that we invest money in Bolivia and make sure that the money we did invest, stays in Bolivia.

Masterline has a very artistic and human approach to business that makes us different from competitors. That is my wife’s influence. She is a painter and the business has become the perfect joint collaboration between business and art. We are less focused on numbers and more focused on the relationships.

Being an innovative entrepreneur is a lonely journey (modestly speaking...I am still looking for the good formula and I may not find it at the end of this journey...). We are trying to build and prove our own business theory.

Jean Dessenoix Left, Kaity Ersek Right

Entrepreneurial Trek: Why did you decide to start your business in Bolivia?

Jean Dessenoix: You don’t need to be in New York City to make money. Don’t get me wrong, the volume of business is larger in The States and Europe, but the rules in Bolivian aren’t so strict that it won’t let your imagination flow.

Look at it this way, when building a company in Europe you have to first consider the rules of the system and taxes and all that other crap. It is not only difficult, you just don’t want to invest the time into figuring it out. The system keeps creative people from launching new companies.

Entrepreneurial Trek: What makes Bolivia special?

Jean Dessenoix: I believe there are more opportunities and freedom in Bolivia. Everything is so new here and there are just so many needs for an entrepreneur to respond to. If you want to open a company in Bolivia, You will find an idea and, chances are you won't find a ton of competition. Plus, it is the only country in South America growing at 5%. Unlike the rest of the world, we really aren't feeling the economic crisis. 

The Bolivians are a very special group. Something like 50% of the people here are entrepreneurs. Everyone is buying and selling. They are constantly doing business.

Entrepreneurial Trek: What was your initial investment when launching the company?

Jean Dessenoix: About $13,000 USD

Entrepreneurial Trek: What is a mistake people make when starting a business? 

Jean Dessenoix: Some people make the mistake of starting businesses with their eyes only on the numbers. It is a very cold vision. I believe, you need passion and a goal. Running a business is more than just money.

Entrepreneurial Trek: What advice would you give another entrepreneur?

Jean Dessenoix: Forget about what you already know, open your mind to new things, new experiences, and new knowledge. Also, you have to invest more than 100% your effort. It is not just a business, it’s your life. If you die with your boots on, at least you can say you tried.

Entrepreneurial Trek: Do you have to go to University to be successful? 

Jean Dessenoix: I didn’t finish my university career. All those books just weren’t for me. I found that learning to sell was a more worthy education than what they were pandering at school. Your experience is your knowledge.

Forget all the years you spent in University. When you leave University, you know all the same things as all the other graduates. Instead of spending time there, try to understand the way the world works. Go travel and open your mind. Burn your passport and start fresh. Life isn’t always about numbers; it is about sounds, images and emotions too.

Start Up Chile: Can we create an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Chile?

“Five years ago, Start-Up Chile was born. Its mission – to literally transform the Chilean entrepreneurial ecosystem. It all began with a single question. What would happen if we could bring the best and brightest entrepreneurs from all around the world and insert them into the local ecosystem?” Would it create an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Chile?

While hanging out at El Centro De Emprendimiento Telefonica Open Future – one of Start-Up Chile’s co-working spaces in the trendy part of Santiago, and looking out at the multitude of entrepreneurs from all around the world, there is no question about it: Start-Up Chile is making a difference for these companies and the local economy.

Today, Start-Up Chile has accelerated 1,100 startups (about 300 per year) from 70 different countries, with about 35% of those entrepreneurs originating from Chile. 79% of those startups are still alive today, 1% have been sold and 20% have died. In addition to providing grants worth 30,000 USD to each team, a six-month mentoring period to jump start their businesses, and a kick-ass academic program, the best startups are also offered a spot on Demo Day where they have the opportunity to connect with investors in Latin America and the rest of the world.  

According to recent data released by Start-Up Chile, their startups are having a big impact on Chile’s economy. 32% of startups in Chile have been funded (outside of Start-Up Chile’s grant), amounting to 41,559,000 USD, and their top 5 most successful startups have valuations from 10,000,000 to 75,000,000 USD. These startups are also responsible for job creation in both Chile and abroad; 485 foreign jobs and 974 Chilean jobs have been created thanks to Start-Up generations 1 through 12. The community has also seen an increase in incubators and accelerators. And the Start-Up concept has spread to Brazil, Peru and elsewhere in Latin America.

“There’s still a lot of ground to cover,” says newly promoted, Director Rocio Fonseca. “The future looks awesome and we are continuing to improve Start-Up Chile.” Already, Start-Up Chile has offered new programs ranging in time frames to meet the needs of different types of startups and industries. “We are also working on improving our academic program and building an investor club to help catalyze an investor ecosystem within Chile. As we continue to improve our services for startups we are hoping to retain more and more foreign startups in Chile” (About 10% of foreign startups are choosing to stay in Chile).

According to Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, “It’s the greatest program I’ve seen of this type in the world! I’m gonna recommend it to my own kids.”

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5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Start-Up Chile

1.   It goes without saying that the 30,000 USD grant provided by the Chilean government is a tempting treat for any startup looking to make a name for itself.

2.   You are surrounded by some of the most creative, and brightest entrepreneurs in the world. Companies have come from 70 different countries to be part of the program with about 35% of entrepreneurs originating from Chile. As my great-grandfather used to say, “A wise man learns from his experiences, but a super wise man learns from the experiences of others.” By being part of a huge and extremely diverse community of entrepreneurs, you can further your entrepreneurial learning by hanging out with and learning from other startup founders.

3.   They are serious about educating entrepreneurs. Not only do you get access to mentors, but they bring in tons of workshops and events so you can get your learn on. For example, each week they have a intensive pitch training workshop that’s popular with the program’s current entrepreneurs.

4.     El Centro De Emprendimiento Telefonica Open Future Co Working Space is a fun place to work and network. We had the opportunity to sneak in (shhh don’t tell anyone) and hang out with some of the entrepreneurs at Start-Up Chile’s headquarters in Santiago.

5.   Santiago is just plain awesome! Chile’s capital is nestled in a valley of mountains, only a couple of hours from amazing surf, hiking, wine and skiing. The city itself is a fun mixture of cute cafes, businesses and a fun bar scene. Santiago, Chile has been one of our favorite cities (we do play favorites) in South America! What are you waiting for?

UNITEC: "Each moment in your life adds up. It makes you who you are."

When BP – the owner of Castrol Products decided to pivot and change their Chilean business model to incorporate distributors, Carlos Herrera decided to take advantage of the opportunity and open his own Castrol Distribution. That’s when UNITEC was born. “Ultimately, it’s been a win-win for both BP/Castrol and UNITEC,” says Carlos. “We’ve been named one of Castrol’s top distributors worldwide for the past the past two years in a row.”

UNITEC focuses on selling Castrol products to engineers, with most of their clients in the mining (they hold an exclusive in the national mines), pulp and paper, steel, metal industry, and class industries among others. 

“A big reason why we are so successful is because we are super transparent when dealing with clients and we don’t stuff the pipeline. We focus on building long-term relationships instead of short term gains. It can be difficult sometimes but overall, I believe it is one of the reasons why we have been so successful at UNITEC.”

At the end of the day however, to lead and win in your industry Carlos reminds entrepreneurs to stay focused and to push, push, push. “Find your idea and follow it,” urges Carlos. “Select your top priority or two for the year and stick to it.” Once you have chosen your focus, Carlos says, “keep moving and don’t stop. If you stop… even for a moment, the competition will catch up.”

And, when things go wrong? "Everything happens for a reason. Every moment in your life and every learning opportunity you come across, adds up. It makes you who you are. It's connecting the dots," states Carlos, echoing a quote from Steve Job's Stanford Commencement Speech. 

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”  -Steve Jobs.

Equilab: The two greatest gifts an entrepreneur can have...

“When I first entered the family business, I was known as being a witch,” admits Angela Diaz of Equilab – A medical supplier based in Santiago, Chile. “I was horrible. I was afraid of the responsibility that I had and not having the strength to live up to my father’s expectations in running the company. I used to think that my only job was to have the most intelligent ideas for the company. And, when I didn’t always have ideas or when someone else had better ideas than mine, it affected me greatly.”

After leaving the company for a short time, Angela realized that, “it wasn’t my job to have the most intelligent ideas but to give space for intelligent people to have intelligent ideas. This shift in thinking completely altered things for me and the company.”

Equilab was founded 34 years ago by Angela’s father. Her father's story is truly a rags to riches tale. At age eight, he ran away from his aunt’s home where he was treated as a servant, and ended up living on the streets. “In the past, a lot of kids were living on the streets. It was a tough period in our country’s history.”

At age eighteen he decided it was time for a change and he joined the Chilean military. “It transformed his life and he studied at night while working during the day. After seven or eight years, he applied to university where he studied chemical engineering,” says Angela. After working in the science lab supplies industry for a few years in Venezuela, her father returned to Chile to start his own business.

“Equilab went from one employee to 150, and in 2013, we were bringing in 8,000 Million Chilean Pesos.” Today, things aren’t quite so rosy for Angela who took over the family business after her father passed away. Between 2013 and 2015, sales dropped 50%, the Chilean economy grew tumultuous under the current president (who took office in 2014), and to make matters worse Angela discovered that her CIO was lying to her regarding the company’s financials.

“In turned out that my CIO was only showing me the numbers I wanted to see and I trusted him completely and didn’t dig into the numbers myself.” After several months of running the company under false numbers, the situation grew out of hand, and in February of 2015, the CIO stepped forward and explained the real situation.

“It turned out we were going bankrupt and I had no idea.” After taking a second mortgage out on her home, cutting the staff down to 30 (from 90) and selling some of the lab facilities, things are looking a little bit more manageable. It’s been a really hard learning experience, but one Angela has clearly taken to heart.

When we asked her what the number one lesson she had learned over the years of adversity, Angela said: “at the end of the day we aren’t in the science lab equipment business, we are in the listening business. Our number one goal is to help solve our clients’ problems and to continually add value to their businesses. We have become listening machines! The two greatest gifts you can have as a person, entrepreneur and organization is:

1. The capability to always learn, learn, learn

2. The capability to continually listen, listen, listen

Angela repeated her top lesson several times throughout the interview, affirming to us that above everything, these were the two nuggets of wisdom we had to leave the interview with.

“Customers buy for their own reasons and they may not be the reasons you expect. As an entrepreneur, your job is to discover why they buy what they buy, and to continually listen to your clients and the market at large.”

Accion Emprendedora: Entrepreneurship and democracy are linked?

“When you promote entrepreneurship as a public policy in the developing world, you aren’t just promoting poverty elimination, you are promoting three core values fundamental to democracy,” explains Anibal Pinto, the founder of Accion Emprendedora, a nonprofit based in Santiago, Chile. “You promote freedom, individual responsibility and a space for creativity. There is no country where entrepreneurship spreads that democracy doesn’t also spread. They are LINKED. No question about it.”

Accion Emprendedora is a non-profit organization focused on improving Chilean society by supporting low-income entrepreneurs, specifically smaller enterprises. How does Accion Emprendedora accomplish their mission? By providing education, money and mentorship programs for low-income entrepreneurs and wanna-be entrepreneurs, they help build sustainable, small enterprises in Chile and ultimately work to alleviate poverty. So far Anibal states they’ve helped 4,000+ entrepreneurs in Chile, and with each entrepreneur employing about 1.7 people, Anibal is assured that they are making a difference in Chile’s local economy and society.

Accion Emprendedora started after Anibal volunteered and provided a class to low income entrepreneurs. “I was originally a lawyer and then spent several years in the financial services program. I was making a lot of money but wasn’t adding value to my life. I needed something new,” That’s when one of his friends recommended teaching a business class to low income entrepreneurs. “I realized that the hour I spent with these entrepreneurs was more valued here than my work as a lawyer.”

After four years of “marvelous loneliness” during the initial start up phase, Anibal received a 1 million USD grant in 2006. Since then, Anibal is proud to say that they are a self-sustaining organization, which brings in income through their consulting programs with larger companies.

“I don’t have a favorite entrepreneur,” admits Anibal when we asked. “But the first five entrepreneurs that joined our program are extremely special to me.” Three of those early entrepreneurs were bakers, one was a plumber and the last created children’s toys.  

“80% of the entrepreneurs that come to us already have a business and also, about 80% are women. They are typically entrepreneurs out of necessity – because there are few to no other options available to them.”

Perrot Logistics: "If you take care of the company, it will take care of you."

Perrot Logistics was founded in 1940 by Oscar Perrot as an ice transportation business. Since 1940, the company has continued to grow and is now one of the pioneering logistics and shipping companies in super stacker containers. Today, one of Perrot’s biggest customers is Nestle Chile.

“We provide all foreign trade logistics for Nestle Chile, while also providing other solutions like transportation of oversized cargo, onsite and route surveys, supervision on ground and more,” says Efrain Rodriguez, CIO of Perrot Logistics. Efrain is a former U.S Air Force Communications Analyst and the son-in-law of Mauricio Perrot, current CEO of Perrot Logistics.

“One of the biggest challenges we face,” says Efrain, “is trying to bring a sense of common ground to family members and employees who work for the company. We have to bring the generation gap closer and bring the passion of Mauricio to every employee and family member of Perrot Logistics.”

Mauricio has kept the family company together through thick and thin. “I started trucking when I was 17. I was hooked in the transportation industry from then on. It is all I know.” For Mauricio the company is a manifestation of his father, and he makes sure to keep the company strong.

Today, Perrot Logistics stands by three values which were passed down from Oscar Perrot:

1.     Delight your clients

2.    Take care of your people

3.   Make sure the business is profitable.

“If we continuously ensure that we are living by these three values, the company will take care of itself,” explains Efrain. “And, if you take care of the company, it will take care of you.”

Silentium: "We are crazy, that's why we are in business."

“At Silentium, one of our key goals is to to improve the overall health and quality of life for people by offering noise and vibration control to Chilean companies,” says Hector Fuentes CEO of Silentium. The company manufactures vibration and noise reduction products which greatly reduces the problems faced with hearing loss, noise pollution, and excessive vibrations (think earthquakes).

So, where did the idea come from? “We are crazy, that’s why we are in this business,” laughs Hector of himself and his fellow cofounder, Christopher Rooke. “We both studied acoustic engineering in university, but we didn’t really understand what kind of impact we would make by studying such a strange subject.”

That all changed when Hector and Christopher attended a noise control conference in Brazil during their university studies. “That’s when we saw what kind of an impact we could make on health through noise control.” Noise is a health problem which not only affects hearing loss, but also affects how you sleep and concentrate throughout the day.

The business conference had Hector and Christopher daydreaming on acoustic engineering and how they could help alleviate health problems related to noise control. After college, they both went to work for a company that made acoustic solutions in an "artistic way" but soon decided to try to form their own business.

“It was REALLY difficult to get started,” explains Christopher. “We had to convince people to believe in our engineering and had to convince people of the need for the products.” But, once they reeled in their first customer, prospects gained faith in our business. “Today the thing that makes us different from the competition is our experience. We design the technologies, products and solutions and that makes us an expert and trusted advisor on the subject of noise and vibration control.”

Aliservice: Do you have the right people on your bus?

Luis Alberto Yapur Nicholls started his first business with $5,000 USD and a credit card. The former Marriott director built his corporate catering company from 1988 to 2001, before selling the business to a large international group. Shortly afterwards, Luis founded Aliservice, his second business in the corporate catering industry. After only 10 years of being in business, Luis has built 7 distribution centers throughout Chile, owns 120 transportation vehicles, employs 4,200 people and averages 350,000 services a day.

“We have two different core concepts we cater to,” explains Luis. “Traditional or classic line of service, or a complete restaurant set up.”

Their customer segments include: the mining industry (Chile’s largest industry), health clinics, public hospitals, private schools and private businesses.

How has he managed to maintain such a large network of operations? “Without good people, this business doesn’t work,” explains Luis. “Two of my core challenges is to constantly be looking for good team members, and to then align our team with a common vision.”

Luis’ attitude echoes long time Business Guru’s Jim Collins’ thoughts on what makes a good company great. “You are a bus driver,” states Collins. “The bus, your company, is at a standstill, and it’s your job to get it going. You have to decide where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and who is going with you.” However, “leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with ‘where’ but with ‘who’.” For both Jim Collins and Luis the thing that makes a good company great is to put the right people on the bus. 

What are some of the characteristics Luis looks for when adding employees to his bus? “Commitment, autonomy, capacity and independence,” says Luis. “We don’t need yes men, we need committed people that are empowered to make their own decisions.” Do you have the right people on your bus?