The Hustle Made Me Do It! Ep1

Entrepreneur - /äntrepre'ner/ noun - a person who organizes and operates a business or business, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. 

The Hustle Made Me Do It! - A Podcast dedicated to young entrepreneurs and hustlers from all walks of life! 

Please read that definition above very slowly... Now, ask yourself how many people you have met, or seen on social media labeling themselves with a word that only a select few are truly worthy of barring next to their names. I have met many true entrepreneurs that have put all of their money on the line in order to achieve something greater than themselves. Then I meet the person who has over 1k followers on social media, joins an MLM group, keeps their secure 9-5 and proudly labels themselves as an entrepreneur. Yes, this is true to a certain extent, but again go back and read the real definition! 

I am proud to be a true entrepreneur! Unlike many, I have risked ten's and thousands of dollars in different business ventures. I've won big and lost big, but every true entrepreneur knows the risks that come with the territory. An Entrepreneur understands the pains and rewards of the hustle, they have seen up's, but more downs. They know that if they don't get out and get it, someone else will! Being an Entrepreneur/Hustler is an art, it takes a thick skin, and a big heart. Hustling is not easy, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations is not pleasant, but many of us understand that with high risks come high rewards! 

I want to share a little bit of my first hustle and the real foundation to my career as an Entrepreneur/Hustler. This set the foundation for my professional career, and has motivated me to launch - The Hustle Made Me Do It! - A podcast dedicated to young entrepreneurs and hustlers from all walks of life. The goal is to inspire other young hustlers to continue following their dreams, and to show them that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible. 

When I was in high school, I saw a need! I noticed the lines in the vending machines were wrapped around the hallway, and about 70% of the customers were underserved, products were overpriced and these loyal customers were still paying for the product and most were still going to class with no snack! I was often one of these customers, and it was irritating to see my peers enjoy their snacks while my stomach was growling. I knew I had to do something about this! 

One evening I joined my mom for some grocery shopping at Kroger. My curious mind always wandered and thought of ideas to make a little extra cash, whether it was helping my dad on the weekends or collecting aluminum cans, or taking a part-time job in the summer at the local supermarket as a stock-boy. That night, my life changed! I saw a sale, four king-size candy bars for one dollar! Yes, the big ones! I had a couple bucks in my pocket and was going to buy some of them to snack on at school, and then it hit me! 

"There's a need, a need for a competitor at school," I thought.

So I asked my mother for a small loan, with her ten bucks, and her blessings I went on my first real hustling/entrepreneur venture. I bought $10 worth of candy bars and the next day, my business began. "The Candy Man" is what I became know as in school! 

I saw the line as usual, and casually approached a couple of "cool" kids and offered my products. Boom! my first two customers! The word spread like fire, and soon after I was the key supplier of snacks and candy! I was buying the candy bars for .25 and selling them for a $1.00. Needless to say, I quickly repaid my creditors, and then some. A few weeks in, my supply chain had grown, I would have my mother drive me around every Kroger in my area and I bought all the candy they had. Of course, I would cover my overhead such as gas and an occasional family dinner since I was taking up moms time. No biggie business was booming! I kept slanging candy bars and was making hundreds of dollars at a young age, until..... You guessed it. Uncle Sam came in and broke the monopoly. Of course, it was not the real Uncle Sam, but the school principal which is the same thing. My operation was closed, but I walked away with something way more valuable than any amount of money I would have made. I was officially bit with the entrepreneur bug, and my journey has not stopped since!

I invite you to listen to Episode 1 of - The Hustle Made Me Do It! As I share the rest of my story of how as a young dreamer I began positioning myself to win big in the world of Corporate America.

Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review... It helps a ton! I am excited to have you.

Cheers,
Luis Cortes