Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddy and Miriam Martinez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eddy and Miriam. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hello, my name is Miriam Martinez and Eddy & are junior high sweethearts – we met in the 9th grade at the ages of 14 (me) and 16, and we have been together ever since – 28 years together now and counting. We have been married for 18 years and we have three children – identical twin boys and a daughter.
Eddy and I graduated high school together in 1994. He went onto college and earned some college credits and I went on to the University, graduating with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in social work, and then graduating in 2002 with my Master’s degree in Social Work specializing in geriatrics.
I worked my Social Work career focusing in mental health field with the psychiatric population and then in medical social work. Eddy went on to become a real estate appraiser and we both did very well for ourselves. When we had our babies, it was at the time when the real estate market crashed and Eddy’s real estate appraisal work took a head-first downward dive for the worse – regulations changed as the industry drastically changed and it affected us very negatively. That was a lesson for us that it was not smart to rely only on one stream of income.
We were both a product of immigrant families. Eddy learned to be a hard worker as he saw his father work days, nights and weekends to provide for the family as his mom was able to do odd jobs and earn some income as well while raising the family. My parents were self-employed; however, they instilled in me to study hard – to get that “little piece of paper”, that would show and prove that I was an expert and specialized in something. That is what we did – Eddy always held a job whether it was a hard labor job or later his appraisal job and I was an excellent student, graduating at the top of my class however, it was Eddy who always had a desire to do his own thing and not work for anybody else.
It was Eddy who was always pursuing what we could do and build on our own. Our first business together was a home health agency that we built from the bottom up for six years. It was the business that allowed me to resign from my administrative job at a large nursing home and come home to my then five and four-year-old babies. However, it was an industry that we decided was not for us as we got to see a lot of the ugly side of the medical industry – the side where patients were just a number and it we knew this was not something we wanted to continue to do. We made the difficult decision to get out of that business – difficult not because of the business itself but because we had no idea what was next for us. The time freedom and flexibility we had gained was something that was non-negotiable.
For this reason, we opened up what was an easy start-up and something that Eddy already had some experience in which was auto and marine detailing. We started that business with a vision to grow it to another level, however, in just a few short years, we realized this was not a business that we had a vision for any longer and something we didn’t want to continue to pursue. In between this transition, in 2014, we became wellness coaches with Beachbody, a multi-level marketing company, infamous for their P90X, T25 and Insanity infomercials.
Since we had always been very active and into fitness, and with me having my social work background, coaching others in their health and fitness journeys was something that came naturally. In the summer of 2018, we went off on a completely new business venture – Marine Foam flooring. Eddy learned this business from the bottom up. Everything from machinery, cutting, designing was learned and practiced for six months before we officially opened the doors to accept customer jobs.
Having looked into foam flooring personally for the boat of a friend, Eddy saw a need for this service in our local area. It was very difficult to find someone who was providing this service from start to finish who was not outsourcing some area of it. Eddy wanted to handle every part of the process so that we could have control over every aspect and also shorten the production time that it was taking by doing it all in house. As in anything that we do, we wanted to be able to offer a quality service with outstanding customer service. We wanted to bring a highly professional service to an area that is sometimes known for shortcuts. We see many businesses who just don’t care about the client – if it is a job they do not want to do, they do not return calls or worse, they start a job and then disappear and never come back to finish it.
We are completely hands-on with every job. Customers will always be able to speak to one of us and something that we can promise is that we will always work with the customer. If something is not to their liking or if we could make something better, they will be able to talk to us about it. Whether we can help them or not, they will always hear back from us. Everything we do has to have a meaning and a purpose for us. In our home, we are a tight-knit family and we do everything together with our kids. We have always involved them in everything that we do and they have gone on many jobs with us.
Eddy and I have always been known for doing everything together for 28 years, and we are the same way with our kids. This is definitely US. In our business, it is the same idea. We want to build a feeling of community. A feeling of belonging. We want to build this to be more than just foam flooring – we want our customers to somehow feel connected. So we feel like we are just getting started but we are here to continue to build both of our businesses – together.
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh my no it has not been a smooth road. Entrepreneurship is not easy. It can actually be a very lonely road. In our wellness business, there has been a lot of learning on how to talk to your audience via social media. It is very important for us to show people that they can trust us. That we will be here for them through a journey as personal as their health and overall wellness.
Our coaching business is mostly run on social media and all we had ever known was being hands-on with people and having a traditional brick and mortar business so there was a big learning curve in running this business on social media. And with social media being ever-changing, the learning never stops. Just when we get comfortable doing it a certain way, something evolves and that doesn’t work anymore so you have to learn the latest trends. We are still learning!
With the marine flooring business, it has been building something from ground zero that has been challenging. We had no previous experience with marine flooring, with design or with cutting. It is also all custom work so no two jobs are ever exactly the same so we are always on our feet making sure that we are giving the customer exactly what they expect. We hold ourselves to high standards and a lot of times; there aren’t a lot of people you can talk to about it. You have to be very resourceful and you have to grow thick skin and be ready to fall a lot of times, but then pick yourself back up to keep going. All the while trying to raise active kids and have a vibrant family life.
Underfoot Customs – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In our coaching business, we help pair clients with a workout program and meal plan that is specific to their needs and goals. Once they have done that, they are never left to go through it alone. We set up and host online groups where we have others who are going through similar journeys. It becomes one big fitness family where everybody shares the highs and the lows of trying to stick to a regimen and develop new habits. As their coach, we give them everything they need to succeed – we are there from prep to the finish line helping them meal plan, sending them weekly meal plans and holding them accountable to their goals. Not only do we help with all the work that needs to happen but, we make it fun too! Since it is fitness, nutrition and support, we leave no element out of the equation which is why our clients are so successful.
What sets us apart is that we are open, honest, and genuine. We work with customers meeting them where they are first and not where we want them to be. We are not cookie-cutter coaches where everyone fits into one big mold or we want everybody to start with one particular program or do it one way. We realize that everybody’s journey is different and that everyone starts at a different place on that journey and we are accepting of that. We help guide the customer to what the best fit is for THEM – not necessarily what was best for us or for our last customer. Maybe the client needs to begin with a 25-minute program and maybe somebody else needs to work on their mindset when it relates to nutrition to set them up for success. In a nutshell, we listen.
We are also very passionate and enthusiastic about what we want for everyone and that is for them to feel their absolute best for them to crush their goals. We are very big cheerleaders and we want to be able to cheer everybody on for whatever is their win. We also are very knowledgeable about every single product that our company offers, having graduated or tried practically every product, therefore, we are very good sources of information for them and we are usually able to fit them with something that is very realistic for them. We work for a solution that is sustainable meaning, we are in it for the long haul and not just some fast, short term fix. We are definitely committed.
In our marine flooring business, we provide foam flooring for boats. Foam flooring is decorative so it adds a very stylish look to any boat. On new boats, it adds a custom flair that will set that boat apart from the rest. In an older model boat, it will instantly upgrade that boat by covering up stains and imperfection. Foam flooring adds value. There is also a safety element as foam is the true non-skid on boats. We get many calls from people who have slipped on their boats and sustained injuries; they want to avoid that happening to them again or to their family. With foam flooring, not only can they now comfortably kneel, sit or lay on any area of their boat that has the foam, but they have peace of mind. Foam flooring also has a shock-absorbing quality to so it is very friendly on the feet.
At Underfoot Customs, we are hands-on in our business and involved in every aspect from start to finish. We not only provide this service but we provide it professionally and at the right price point. While we are in business for profit, we are very aware and considerate that our pricing is the right balance between providing a quality job done at a price that consumers can agree to. We do not cater to one particular population since there is a wide array of boaters and vessels out there. We are fair with everyone down the line. Honesty and integrity surely set us apart from most.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
The proudest moment for our coaching business has surely been reaching a certain rank in our company which basically just shows the hard work that we had put in and is a direct reflection of how many people we had been able to help. It is also a reflection of having built a team because you cannot reach that rank without having other coaches that you have led. There is something very special about mentoring others and seeing how their lives change as they reach financial rewards and hit personal milestones that they achieved themselves through their own coaching.
It is scary for many people to start their own business, and there surely is a lot of risk to that, but when you can offer them coaching that they can do on the side, online, that is so simple to start, and they do well, it opens up a whole new avenue of confidence in them. In turn, it helps their family and it is just all so positive. So yes, helping other coaches succeed and helping clients succeed with their fitness goals are definitely the proud moments.
In our marine foam flooring business, a proud moment has been being able to figure out a difficult design and getting passed obstacles of that type. Every time we have a new design or a new layout or different type of vessel that we have not done before, and initially getting worried if we will be able to do it, and then seeing the job to completion – that is a success each and every time! We have also done the flooring of golf carts, cooler tops, and we are even now working with a medical professional that recently contacted us for an idea they want to work on. There is always something new to keep us going!
Contact Info:
- Address: 7750 W 24 Avenue #19 Hialeah, FL 33016
- Phone: 3052189298
- Email: [email protected] AND [email protected]
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