Today we’d like to introduce you to Yesenia Gomez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Yesenia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in New York City to Cuban immigrant parents. I am the youngest of four. I come from a single-parent home. My mom was my everything and a real superwoman. She came to Tampa, FL, from Cuba at the age of 19 fleeings from what was to become a communist country, determined to make a new life for herself in the U.S. She had that fight in her to make things happen, for herself and for her kids. At one point, my mom had four jobs. She did everything and anything to put food on the table. Never once did we go to bed hungry and always had a clean roof over our heads. She used to sew, clean homes, worked at a coin laundry and used to sell the real state. She did it all! I learned my work ethic from my mom. She taught me where there is a will there is away.
My first job was at age 13. I had to dress up as Big Bird to greet kids shopping for back to school at the mall. As a teen, I remember being angry, but we really needed the money to be able to afford new clothes for my first day of 8th grade. I wished I was the one shopping for new clothes instead of dressing up like a cartoon character but that is where my journey started.
From my first job, I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. The school was never my thing. I had so many interests and my jobs always reflected it. Sales were always my forte and so was communicating with people. My turning point came while working for what I thought was my dream job. I landed a job with Bijoux Terner and it was an amazing time for me. I got to travel for work and was always on the go. I devoted everything to this job because it was a great opportunity for me to continue to grow and provide for my three kids. Eventually, I was let go and my self-esteem took a huge hit. I went into a massive depression. Sometimes I was not able to get out of bed in the mornings. I had a hard time understanding that it wasn’t really about me or my performance but about the companies’ plan. It took me about two months to find myself again. I found my way back into the gym and completely changed my eating habits.
My now ex-husband was extremely supportive during these times. As a business owner himself, he encouraged me to find a business that I would like to pursue as an entrepreneur. For the next two years, I planned Raw South. My days would consist of juicing first thing in the morning, dropping my kids off at school, than hitting the gym. Afterwards, I would tour the aisles of Whole Foods reading through food labels and coming up with menu ideas. I started testing recipes in my kitchen and taking photos of my açai bowls for my Raw South Instagram page before we even had a location. I just started visualizing that my dream of opening up a juice bar would happen.
I began looking for potential locations but was constantly let down. There were hurdles every step of the way: if the establishment did not have a grease trap, there would be zoning issues, or my credit was not high enough. I was being told “no” constantly and slowly started losing faith. I visited my spiritual counselor, who told me I just needed to be patient, that my blessing was coming. After looking online for restaurant spaces for rent, I found my Kendall location. There was no phone number listed but I called the business next door to ask for more information and obtain the landlord’s contact. When I told the landlord that space would be used for a juice bar, he told me he would think about it and get back to me. Two days later, I was denied. The landlord explained a juice bar was not a good fit. I felt defeated. This time, I really felt like giving up. I let some time pass but I was still set on getting this location. It was everything I had envisioned. Two weeks later, I emailed the landlord once again and told him to give me a chance, I would not let him down and it worked! Raw South came to be mine in October 2014!
Today, we have two locations where we have a total of 11 employees. Most of my employees have been with me since the first year and now we are a true family. I feel so fortunate to also be able to share my day with my kids, who now work at the Raw South with me. I credit God because he always kept that fire in my heart. Second, my mom for showing me the way and my ex-husband for supporting me with my dream of opening my own business and never asking for anything in return.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Raw South Juice – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Raw South’s motto is “juicing your way to heath!” We pride ourselves on being a woman-owned, family operated business. We aim to make all our customers feel like they are at home!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Miami’s weather! Dislike the traffic!
Pricing:
- I am Raw South Juice – 20 oz. $9
- Almonds are Forever Smoothie – 20 oz. $8.75
- Monkey Açai Bowl – 16 oz. $ 10.50
- Daily Special – $13.75
- Soup of the Day – 12 oz. $5.25
Contact Info:
- Address: Raw South Kendall/Pinecrest
9804 SW 77th Ave
Miami, FL 33156
Raw South – SoMi 6102 S Dixie Hwy
South Miami FL 33143 - Website: http://rawsouthjuice.com
- Phone: SoMi: 786-558-5767 Kendall: 786-534-9263
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rawsouthjuice_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RawSouthJuice
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/raw-south-juice-miami-4
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
