The real reason some people win while others give up

When I started El Mejor Coffee, I was clueless.

I’m not talking “didn’t know how to make a latte” clueless — I mean real clueless.

I didn’t know what TAM (Total Addressable Market) was.

I thought “valuation” was just a fancy word for guessing how much my business was worth. So when someone approached me to buy the company, I sat there nodding like I knew what they were talking about… while mentally calculating how many coffees I’d need to sell to hit that number.

Spoiler: That’s not how valuation works.

But I didn’t let that stop me. I figured things out as I went.

Because if I waited until I felt ready, I’d still be waiting.

And honestly?

That’s why most people fail.

They think success is about having the right idea or knowing all the answers.

It’s not.

It’s about becoming the kind of person who keeps going, even when they feel completely out of their depth.

Here’s what really matters:

Resilience

The people who make it aren't the ones who avoid failure. They're the ones who treat failure like a speed bump instead of a dead end.

I didn't know what I was doing half the time with El Mejor. But every time I messed up, and I messed up a lot, I kept going.

That's what matters.

Vision

At first, I thought selling good coffee was enough.

It wasn’t.

What made people stick around was the feeling they got from the brand — the idea that they were part of something bigger than just a morning caffeine fix.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up chasing every shiny new thing.

And you’ll still feel lost.

Branding

People didn’t remember El Mejor Coffee because of the beans (even though they were great).

They remembered what the company stood for: direct farm-to-cup coffee without any middlemen.

We were basically starting a movement to empower tribal farmers.

Now you know, branding isn’t about logos or fonts. It’s about giving people a reason to care.

Resourcefulness

Money helps, sure. But creativity keeps you alive.

I didn’t have the budget for fancy ads. So I relied on moment marketing and begging my influencer friends to share about the company on their stories.

That cost me nothing. But it brought in loyal customers who stuck around.

Execution

Everyone has ideas. Very few people actually act on them.

I wasn’t the first person to think, “Hey, people love good coffee.” But I got up at 4 AM every day to make it happen or slept at 4 AM.

You get the idea.

The people who win aren’t the ones with the best ideas. They’re the ones who do something.

What Separates Winners from Everyone Else

I wasn’t smart enough or experienced enough to succeed when I started El Mejor Coffee.

But I didn’t quit. And sure as hell didn’t succeed.

And that’s the difference.

Success isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about figuring things out as you go.

So stop waiting to feel ready.

You won’t.

Start now — and keep going.