Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Teresa Vieira.
Maria teresa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I left Venezuela when I was 15 years old because of the dangerous situation in the country. I chose to study at a boarding school in Boca Raton, United States. It was extremely difficult, because I never truly had the chance to express what it felt like to leave my country while also feeling like it was leaving me behind. I didn’t have time to grieve — I only had time to adapt.
And that journey of adapting on my own, at such a young age, led me to question everything I had always wanted for my life.
I didn’t grow up as the typical person who had both parents at home and had to ask permission for everything. I grew up making my own decisions from a very young age, while hoping my parents would support me through the process from a distance.
I wanted to become a doctor, a journalist, and an actress. I pursued all of those careers, graduating only from the last one. Then, halfway through my final year studying acting, I decided to look for a job that would give me more financial freedom here in Miami.
I had the opportunity to work at one of the best corners of Brickell, in a restaurant that was also a club. Very naturally and organically, everything about restaurants and hospitality awakened an enormous passion inside of me.
I wasn’t just working for money — it became something much bigger. I wanted to learn everything, I wanted to do everything, and although I’ve always been a very curious person in my everyday life, this truly became my passion.
I became obsessed with hospitality: with people, with building teams, developing systems, and deeply understanding the psychology behind the hospitality business. I became the head of operations for one of the most important Latin concepts to arrive in the United States so far, called Sala de Despecho.
Later, I was given the opportunity to become part owner of my own venue in Doral called Atípico. We had to close for reasons beyond our control, but the goal is to reopen my own place independently of any partnership and become a 28-year-old woman with her own bar and concept.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I believe that being a woman in the hospitality industry can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on which side of the business you are working in.
In this country, most places expect women in service positions to be aesthetically attractive first, and only afterward educate them in service and sales. However, once I became an owner myself, even though my partners had specifically sought me out because of my operational knowledge and the reputation I had built for myself throughout the years in the industry, my voice still did not feel significant enough to be fully heard.
Even though I was the face of the brand, many of the decisions being made were extremely male-driven and often felt disconnected from the reality of operations and execution. They seemed superficial and lacked true understanding of what it takes to run the business successfully.
That experience is exactly why I decided to work even harder — so I would never have to depend on broken partnerships again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I manage a restaurant during the day called Bacon Bitch, and a bar at night that I am in the process of purchasing called Santé.
I believe my true gift is leadership. I have never tried to compete with anyone else. I have never cared if someone within the organization makes more money than I do — actually, the opposite. I see this business as a passion that allows me to generate income as a consequence, not the other way around.
I love helping places grow, not only financially, but also through stronger systems, better processes, and healthier teamwork. I strongly believe that if you do not understand human beings, it is impossible to truly understand the business. And to understand people, you must be open in both soul and mind to listening to the needs of those who work for you and those who consume your product. That is the only way to build teams that can truly grow over time.
I think what separates me from many people in this industry is that I am passionate about it in every sense. Most people work in hospitality in this country because it is one of the most common and accessible ways to make money. But nowadays, there are many smarter and easier ways to make money with far less effort, and hospitality will eventually become a space reserved only for people who genuinely love it — people like me.
I am very authentic in the way I lead and execute. I am transparent, honest, and I have an enormous ability — truly a gift from God — to make both clients and employees feel like family. I understand the responsibility that comes with having the power to change someone’s day for the better through the words you choose, the way you execute your work, and your ability to solve problems with empathy and care.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I consider myself someone who makes high-risk decisions all the time. I am not afraid of failure — I am far more afraid of living with the internal question of what would have happened if I had never tried.
I experience this constantly in business. Sometimes, for a company, it may seem easier to fire someone because they are not fully committed, rather than taking the time to guide them in the right direction and recognize that what is truly missing is leadership. I see it when clients have experiences they consider extremely disappointing and unworthy of their money, and I take the time to help them understand that it is not really about what you sell, but about why you sell it.
I have also faced much more extreme situations while being the face of a company, solving complex legal and operational problems with optimism and professionalism.
The truth is that my life would probably be much easier if I returned to my country and took over my parents’ businesses within the same industry. However, I am fascinated by the cultural diversity this country offers, the different styles of execution, the creative freedom, and the strong structure around legal and financial systems.
And I believe the greatest risk I have ever taken in my life was choosing to stay here, when leaving would have seemed like the much easier path for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Terevidentes
