Very Short Interview No. 1

Today I'm going to talk about my grandma back in Venezuela who runs a tiny little supermarket attached to her house.

1. How did you come up with building a separate area outside the house to be used as a local supermarket?

" In my village, there are no supermarkets nearby. If you wanted to buy groceries, you would have to catch either a taxi or bus. Sometimes even both. Realizing what a hassle that was I thought why not just buy a few things and sell them to people around me. I think the only reason I had so much success was because everyone knew me. I started buying more groceries and even meals to sell. More and more people started buying ! The day I had a long line waiting for food to be cooked and groceries to be bought was when I realized I'll be okay. I'm making a living .

2. Do you regret not going to school and learn more about the world of entrepenuership ?

" Back in my day, women weren't really welcomed in school nor did we have the money to attend. I was young and fell in love with your grandfather. Back then it was appropriate to have children when you you were young. By the time I knew it, I had a couple of your aunts and uncles. So do I regret going to school? I don't regret having my little babies but I do wish I could have made their lives a little more easier ."

3. What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
" I don't really know how to define it .... but I guess it has something to do with taking a risk like how I just decided to use the little money I had and invest on a few groceries that I would sell. Those few groceries has changed my life,  it allowed me to give the money I earned to support my family of 12 . Find a way to make a living out of something that you love but also something that has meaning to you."

At the end of this interview I realized that my mother didn't have it easy when she was young but her mother did the best she could with the little she had. You don't have to have a lot of money to build a business. She made me realize that you can start somewhere even if you don't have a lot of money.