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| Immigrant entrepreneur: | Angelica Rivera |
| Company: | Colmex Construction LLC |
| Place of birth: | Columbia |
| Employees: | 15 |
| Age started her business: | 24 |
Show notes
When Angelica came to the United States, she was only supposed to be here for 6 months to finish high school. Through some rough struggles she was able to stay here past her visa expiration date.
At one point she was undocumented and had many limitations that she had to live in. But with her persistence and determination she was able to create not one, but two companies. Her second company was founded with her husband when she was only 29 years old. That company, Colmex Construction, had lots of difficult beginnings. She mentioned that she would work 18 hour days, pay her and her husband $250 per week just to survive.
She now only works roughly 40 hours a week and you normally don’t see a female Latino dominating the construction field. Their business is now generating millions in revenue!
Quotes by Angelica
Failures are lessons learned and opportunities also to grow.
Thereâs always a solution to any problem.
If there are no problems, I donât think thereâs challenge for you to go out of the box.
My mom always told me, donât ask why itâs happening to me, ask for what reason and what can I get from this?
We, as Latinos, came here to grow, we came to this country following a dream.
I think if you have all the desire to do it, itâs more powerful than having all the tools around you.
Thereâs always a plan behind a goal.
The American dream is to find that balance between work and family.
We (immigrants) have an advantage, when we came to this country, we came here with a purpose and with a goal in mind and we cannot let anyone tell us that it cannot be done.
Listen to your heart, listen what you came here for and get it done.
Go towards your goal.
Continuous education is the key.
With the internet, there is endless ways of looking for continuous education opportunities to keep growing as a person, as a business person, and as an entrepreneur.
Work on yourself, work on the business, not in the business all the time.
Where to find Angelica
Colmex Construction LLC | LinkedIn
Mentioned on this episode
- The Womenâs Business Resource Center (WBRC) supports minority and women-owned businesses as a pathway to secure economic parity for African Americans and other underserved populations.
- Good Network serves women and minorities who have an entrepreneurial mindset, a developed concept, and aspire to grow.
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Godman Sachs Angelicaâs story
[read more] Alina Warrick (1s):
Welcome to the Immigrant Entrepreneurs podcast, Episode 32. My name is Alina Warrick and I’m super thrilled to bring on Angelica Rivera to the show. Angelica came from Colombia all by herself when she was 16 years old. For a period of time, she was undocumented, didn’t know any English, and eventually dropped out of college. She now lives in New Orleans and has a construction company called Colmex Construction with her husband. Their business has won so many awards. One of them was the best place to work in New Orleans, but it was not all that easy for Angelica in the beginning stages.
Alina Warrick (48s):
Let’s dive right in and see how this Latino female creates millions in revenue in the construction business. Let’s go. Angelica, thank you so much for coming to the Immigrant Entrepreneurs podcast. I truly appreciate your time. I’m really interested and excited to talk about your immigrant journey. How are you doing today?
Angelica Rivera (1m 12s):
Iâm doing great. Thank you. Now, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you so much for the invitation.
Alina Warrick (1m 18s):
Let’s talk about your immigrant journey. Tell us where you’re from and when did you come to the United States.
Angelica Rivera (1m 24s):
Iâm from a small town in Colombia called CajicĂĄ, which is about an hour from Bogota, the capital. I came to the United States back in 1995.
Alina Warrick (1m 39s):
How old were you?
Angelica Rivera (1m 40s):
I was 16 years old when I got here. Yes, a teenager.
Alina Warrick (1m 45s):
Yes. Did you come with your family?
Angelica Rivera (1m 48s):
No. Actually, I came by myself. I came to live with my uncle to finish high school with him.
Alina Warrick (1m 55s):
Oh my goodness. Tell me more. Sixteen years old, all by yourself, as a young lady. Let’s hear more about that story. Why did you decide to leave and come to the States?
Angelica Rivera (2m 8s):
Well, actually, it’s funny because the reason why I came, well, the main reason is I did have a boyfriend there, and I found out that he was with someone else. At 16 years old, I talked to my dad, and I was doing pretty good at school. I told him that I wanted to come. My uncle, he already talked to me a couple of times that I finish high school here, more opportunities. I talked to my dad and he decided to let me come and finish high school here. That was the plan, to stay here for six months while I finish high school.
Alina Warrick (2m 40s):
You left your family all in Colombia. You got on a plane all by yourself to meet your uncle and to finish high school.
Angelica Rivera (2m 48s):
Exactly, yes. That was the plan, but things didn’t work out. I ended up moving with a roommate three months after I got here. That’s where the real journey started.
Alina Warrick (2m 60s):
No. Did you want to go back to Colombia after you were done with high school? Was that the original plan?
Angelica Rivera (3m 6s):
Yes. Actually, when I got my visa, I got a permit to be here for six months. That was the plan, to be here for six months, learn English, and to stay here and finish high school here, but then I met someone and I decided to stay. My dad got really upset with me. He was like, âNo, you need me to come back now.â I’m like, âWell, I’m here already.â
Alina Warrick (3m 30s):
Too late, dad. I’m already here. I love it. Where did you pick up English? Did you pick it up in Colombia before you came?
Angelica Rivera (3m 45s):
No, not at all. Actually, when I got here, I came to New York. When I came, there was no one that was speaking Spanish, even in the school. I remember that I was in this ESL class. I thought that everybody is speaking English except for me but no, they speak different languages. Since I didnât understand, I thought that everybody was speaking in English. I thought that it was really difficult. I think that’s one of the more difficult things that I went through. Again, being a teenager, going to school that didn’t understand anyone. I got to a class sometimes and people are taking paper, ready to do the tests. I didn’t know what they were doing.
Angelica Rivera (4m 25s):
The next day, they can with this project. I was like, âWhat?â It was hard in the beginning because again, as the school that I used to go to back then, they donât know how to speak Spanish, not the teachers, not the students, not one.
Alina Warrick (4m 39s):
Oh my goodness. When you left Colombia, you landed in New York?
Angelica Rivera (4m 44s):
Yes. That’s exactly where I started but then about six months later, I went down to Orlando, Florida. That’s where everything has started. I met someone and we moved in together. My parents came to visit, and they ended up staying, too. It was funny because my mom, after she got here, she told my dad, âNo, I want to stay with Angelica.â He was like, âAre you serious?â He went back by himself. He came back like a month later and was like, âNo, you need to come back.â I said, âNo, Iâm staying here.â They understand altogether so that was good.
Alina Warrick (5m 19s):
That’s awesome. All right. Tell me what was it like growing up in Colombia?
Angelica Rivera (5m 24s):
Well, it was pretty nice. Actually, I grew up in a really small town. There were no phones, no TVs so we play outside all the time with my friends. If there was homework, we needed to go to the library to do the homework there because there was no internet. There was basically no technology. Itâs funny because my kids, I have four boys, they asked me, how are you not going nuts without technology? I told them, âWell, because technology is the one that judges you now. I feel blessed because I think within the last generation, they grew up without technology, but we have the pleasure to enjoy it now.
Angelica Rivera (6m 4s):
I think that is a blessing.
Alina Warrick (6m 7s):
Was it prominent for everyone in Colombia, from the town that you lived in, to get a higher education, to go to college? What was that like?
Angelica Rivera (6m 18s):
Not really. I always was pretty good at school. I did really good in school. I got into pretty good schools because my score was really high. That’s why my uncle, when he went and visited us a couple of times, he’s like, âAngelica, when you graduate from high school, it would be really difficult for us to go to college or university in Colombia.â It’s not like in here, you have a lot of opportunities. There, it’s really difficult, but I didn’t realize that it was the same as difficult here without documents.
Alina Warrick (6m 51s):
Yes. Wow. Letâs go back to the struggles that you mentioned when you first moved. You were in New York. You were 16 years old. You had no English. Tell me a little bit more about the struggles that you went through.
Angelica Rivera (7m 6s):
Yes, the beginning was really difficult. Not only that but again, the fact that I didn’t have documents with my visa expired. Even before that, that didnât allow me to go to a university without paying the full tuition. It was pretty difficult. Now, keep in mind, undocumented is not the same as illegal. I always get upset. I remember I have a couple of issues back then because people are saying, âSo you are illegal?â No, I’m not illegal. Iâm undocumented. I havenât done anything illegal. Nothing is illegal about wanting a better life.
Alina Warrick (7m 41s):
Yes.
Angelica Rivera (7m 43s):
I think initially, those were the two first things that I went through when I started. It was the fact that I didn’t speak English, and also the fact that there were no documents. I didn’t have the financial capacity for a university.
Alina Warrick (8m 0s):
Did you end up going to college here?
Angelica Rivera (8m 3s):
I did a year in college in Orlando, but that was years after I started working and was able to pay for it.
Alina Warrick (8m 12s):
Okay, so one full year, and then you were done with college. You were like, âThis is not for me.â
Angelica Rivera (8m 18s):
Well, actually I started working when I was about 18 years old. I started out as a housekeeper, cleaning units in Orlando, in a resort for a national housekeeper company. Working there gave me the opportunity because two years later, I was a district manager running six hotels with the housekeeping department. It helped me a lot. By that time, I got married to my older sonsâ dad. He was an American citizen, so that’s how I got my citizen. At that time, I started working again with this company. I got to a district manager. Thatâs when I travel around the country. I went to Las Vegas with them, to New York, Georgia, opened new resources, and helped me with that.
Angelica Rivera (9m 5s):
It was pretty good. I stayed with them for almost six years. During that time, I also went to college, but I didn’t get to finish it. When I got divorced from him, I got my older kid, whoâs 24 years old. I was with him and I was working. I was going to college so then it becomes difficult. I had to drop from college.
Alina Warrick (9m 28s):
Got it. Well, you know what? College is not for everyone so hang on to that.
Angelica Rivera (9m 34s):
I know that now.
Alina Warrick (9m 36s):
Yes. Tell me a little bit more about being undocumented. What types of limitations does that bring in? What kind of circumstances did that allow you to live in?
Angelica Rivera (9m 49s):
Well, it is sad because even if you have all of the willingness to do things, when you go in to apply for a job and you don’t have a social security number, you don’t have the opportunities to grow. It’s really difficult. You cannot go to a college or university unless you have the money to pay for it. There were a lot of doors that are closed for you when you don’t have documents, again, it is that. Sometimes, I see a lot of people, they actually open companies, and they have their own business, and theyâre still undocumented. I’m so proud of seeing our people doing the American dream.
Alina Warrick (10m 28s):
Yes, I love it. This podcast shows so many stories of immigrants just coming here, like you said, with a huge American dream of opening up businesses and transforming lives. Yes, I truly believe in immigrants. Angelica, before you tell our listeners about your company, tell me a little bit more about the path that you took. I really want to know if you went into any other fields before starting your business, hearing that you initially did not start in the construction business. You worked at the hotels. Tell me a little bit more about the path.
Angelica Rivera (11m 7s):
Yes. In fact, Colmex was not my first company. As I mentioned, I started working for this company when I was 18, 19 years old. I stayed with them for almost six years, and then I got this crazy dream of becoming my own boss. That’s when I decided I have more to give. I found more potential. I was giving it to someone else instead of putting it on my own so I got my license, my mortgage broker license. I opened a company. Initially, I was working with a mortgage broker company, doing loans to buy houses. After about six months, I was able to open my own company.
Angelica Rivera (11m 49s):
That was back in 2013 when I opened my mortgage company. It was doing pretty good. We did really good until 2007 that we have a collapse in the economy in Florida. I really felt that collapsed. It was pretty bad. In the mortgage industry, it was bad. That’s when my husband, he used to be a handyman. He was in the construction business, but he did small jobs, like kitchen renovations while I got my company. He decided to come to New Orleans to help there with hurricane Katrina. One of his friends was here doing the framing.
Angelica Rivera (12m 31s):
He called him. That’s how he moved here, two months before I did, just to see how everything was. Then, I decided to move here. The first few months, I stayed with the kids. At that time, I only have two kids: Nicholas, who is about 12 years old; and Julian, who was a year old. A couple of months after that, he asked me to help him. He’s really good at and what he does. He’s really good at doing this but as far as the back office, accounting and management, heâs not really good. He realized that so he asked for help. That’s how we started working together in Colmex.
Alina Warrick (13m 13s):
Got it. A few follow up questions. How old were you when you opened that first mortgage business?
Angelica Rivera (13m 21s):
I was around 24 years old, 25 years old.
Alina Warrick (13m 25s):
Wow. That’s really young.
Angelica Rivera (13m 27s):
Yes.
Alina Warrick (13m 29s):
Good job, girl. How old were you when you have the Colmex Construction company with your husband?
Angelica Rivera (13m 36s):
When we opened Colmex, I was about 29 years old? Yes, 28, 29 years old. No, I was going to say that when we start, minus zero because everything went so bad with the economic collapse in the mortgage industry. I used to have a couple of properties under my name that ain’t going in foreclosure. It was pretty rough when we started Colmex.
Alina Warrick (13m 60s):
Wow. Did it really start with your husband doing handyman, and then you just joined in and said, âWe’re going to do this huge construction company,â and started picking up bigger projects?
Angelica Rivera (14m 14s):
Well, initially, he was working with someone else doing framing. He was doing small renovations and things like that in Orlando, but when he came here, they were doing just framing. Then his partner went back to Orlando. That’s when he asked me. Again, they have a couple of jobs here and there, but he was really disorganized with the accounting, and office, and payments. That was the first time that we work together. Before, I had my own company. He has his own company. We were totally separate as far as business, but then when he asked me, I told him, âWell, you realized that we are going to get everything organized and that you need to follow directions.â Heâs like, âYes, letâs do it.â It’s been working.
Angelica Rivera (14m 59s):
Itâs been really good. I think that’s one of the biggest challenges that we have, the fight that we are a couple and that we go home every day. We work all day, but in the end, right now, it’s a blessing. We handle it pretty good. We learned together how to do it so it’s been pretty good.
Alina Warrick (15m 17s):
I love it. I love to hear that. Really good synergy going on.
Angelica Rivera (15m 20s):
Yes, it was good.
Alina Warrick (15m 22s):
That was awesome. Tell me a little bit more about Colmex Construction What types of projects do you guys normally do? What have you guys done in the past? Tell me a little bit more about that.
Angelica Rivera (15m 32s):
Colmex started, again, as a framing company. In fact, we started with two other guys that started helping my husband. They were from Mexico. That’s how we came up with the name Colmex. That’s Colombia Mexico. We started doing framing, and that’s when we realized that they needed to have a general contractor to complete houses. We start getting everything together with that, our residential contractor license. We started doing more residential, and then we got our commercial license. We started working with non-profit organizations doing affordable housing. Now, with the times, we deal with private ownersâ renovations and new constructions.
Angelica Rivera (16m 17s):
Now, we are doing more commercial, like school renovations, museums were done. There is more on the commercial side, but we keep doing residential work.
Alina Warrick (16m 29s):
Wow, amazing. Museums, and commercial, and residential. That pretty much covers a large industry right there.
Angelica Rivera (16m 38s):
Yes. Initially, again, it was only the construction part, but that I think our focus since the beginning was to create a pretty stable and strong organizational culture. That helped us to get a really good team of people. Our team members are great. They really help us to grow. Initially, that was one of my weaknesses, let’s say, to delegate. I wanted to do everything. If I don’t do it, it didn’t get done correctly, but then I learned how to delegate there. We start getting people. Everyone in my office knows more than me. I say that all the time, but they know that.
Angelica Rivera (17m 18s):
Itâs their specialty on how to do it. I know how to do a little bit of everything, which helps me to make sure that I worked on my business better in my business all the time. I think that is the key. That is one of the keys to growth, to focus on that organizational culture.
Alina Warrick (17m 34s):
Thank you so much for sharing that. I love it. Angelica, how long did it take you guys to start seeing real traction in the beginning stages?
Angelica Rivera (17m 44s):
I think it was a couple of years actually. In the beginning, it was hard because we didn’t even know, what do we need? What do we want? How to do it? It was at that stage that you don’t know. Then you start knowing. When you know what you don’t know, this is when you start looking for help. I think it took us a couple of years, I would say, about three to four years until we actually realized that we have a good foundation and that’s where everything starts.
Alina Warrick (18m 13s):
Basically, what I’m hearing is you really don’t need to know everything to start a business.
Angelica Rivera (18m 19s):
Yes, definitely. Now, I look back 13 years ago when we started Colmex. So many times, I’m like, âOh my God, we were really crazy to start doing that.â We have been, so we were just like, âYes, letâs do it.â We did it. We talked a lot, which is good. Now, I’m thankful that I didn’t analyze all those things that I’m analyzing now.
Alina Warrick (18m 42s):
Yes, and it seems like the more passion and the more drive you have, the more it propels you to move forward with your business, but to see the end goal or to have a complete business plan right in front of you is not really that necessary.
Angelica Rivera (18m 60s):
Exactly.
Alina Warrick (19m 2s):
I love it, awesome. Did you have to raise any capital to start Colmex Construction?
Angelica Rivera (19m 9s):
Well actually, we didnât and it was funny because like I mentioned before, we would even in the zero, we were on there because we came with a lot of debts from Florida. My credit wasn’t the best. His credit wasn’t the best because we lost a couple of properties. We didn’t have the chance to even think about getting a loan or getting money. In the beginning, I used to go with him and install a baseboard in a house, painting the house so we can collect some money. Thatâs how we started. We didn’t get a loan initially, or any financial help. We try to save as much as we can to smash those boards as fast as we can so we can get the money in.
Angelica Rivera (19m 56s):
Actually, one of those things that we did since the beginning that I was clear is we treat Colmex as an entity, not as my business, like âWe made this job and we made $10,000, so letâs go and have fun. Letâs buy a new car.â No. That’s something that we have clear since the beginning. We start paying ourselves a salary. I remember it was $250 a week to cover our rent, our food. Just the minimum that we needed. We did a budget and we were like, âThis is what we need to survive.â Everything else, we can keep that in the company. I used to do these payroll checks just for him and me every week. Even if there was no money in the bank, I keep doing the check.
Angelica Rivera (20m 37s):
Whenever there was a big job or something, I just cash those checks, but I didn’t take any more money out of the company. I think that’s how the company grew, and has this foundation, and got the capital that we were able to raise within a year.
Alina Warrick (20m 51s):
Did you say $250 a week in the beginning stages?
Angelica Rivera (20m 56s):
Yes, that was 30 years ago. Our expenses, with food and rent and all of that, it was like
Alina Warrick (21m 32s):
Wow, amazing. The stories that I hear of what people did in the very beginning stages. It’s just astonishing so thank you so much for sharing that. I wanted to ask you about it because I actually found you on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses. I wanted to ask you a little bit about the program. When did you guys join the program and what kind of benefits did you see from it? Tell me a little bit more about that.
Angelica Rivera (21m 59s):
The Goldman Sachs program was one of the best things that we’ve ever done. I always recommend it to everyone because they helped you to do, not have a business plan, but a âbroke planâ based on your needs. I remember, I said before that delegating was one of my main issues. Actually, the program taught me and helped me how to manage that and how to delegate. One of my goals was to take a vacation with my husband with the company running while we weren’t there. It took me 12 years to do it. Last year, I took a six-week vacation in Europe and not even a phone call. When I got back, everything was running normal, like they never needed me.
Angelica Rivera (22m 42s):
That was a dream come true. There is a lot of non-profit organizations in New Orleans that helps small business. I think we are blessed with that because, again, I used to have a company in Orlando and I didn’t get even half of the help that I got here from the nonprofits. When I say help, I mean they do a lot of classes, a lot of seminars to help a small business. That has been really helpful.
Alina Warrick (23m 10s):
Does Goldman Sachs provide you guys with any capital or was it just kind of like a business school that helps you to do with the growth plan?
Angelica Rivera (23m 19s):
Actually, they do have a partnership with some local entities to provide the capital we apply for. Itâs funny because back then, we have this opportunity to do this project and we are signed contracts, relying on getting that capital, and in the end, it didnât come through, but again, everything happens for a reason. I’m glad everything happens that way. The program has that. They actually connect with local entities and they help with capital for your business as well, but we didnât qualify for it.
Alina Warrick (23m 56s):
You guys didn’t raise any capital at all?
Angelica Rivera (23m 58s):
No. Well, with the years, I applied for a line of credit with a nonprofit organization that to help small businesses here and we got it. We have a $20,000 line of credit. Then we got another project so they increased it to $50,000, then a hundred. Now, we have a $350,000 line of credit with them. We have a loan with the bank too on the line of credit.
Alina Warrick (24m 23s):
Got it. Angelica, I wanted to know if you had any mentors that helped you out to start your business.
Angelica Rivera (24m 31s):
Well, I canât think of someone special right now, but again, here in New Orleans, there are a lot of non-profit organizations that helped me. If I think about it financially, I have someone in mind, like a new course. They did a great job and they do training on that. As far as a technical, we have
Alina Warrick (25m 7s):
Reaching out to non-profits or different types of organizations really helped you guys out in the beginning stages.
Angelica Rivera (25m 14s):
Yes, definitely. Yes, I think that was the key to our success.
Alina Warrick (25m 18s):
Oh, good, good, awesome. Get to hear it. So I’m really interested to know, how do you look at your failures and how do you overcome them?
Angelica Rivera (25m 26s):
Well, I think failures are more like lessons learned and opportunities to grow. There is always a solution to any problem. If there is no solution, so there’s not a problem that is worth worrying about. Again, every time something happens here in the office, the first word that comes, not only from me, but anyone in the office is what is the lesson to learn so we don’t commit those in the future. I think, again, those are opportunities to grow. If there is no problem, I don’t think there is a challenge for you to go out to the boss or to look at the next level at how to grow. Again, in Colombia, my mom always says, âDon’t ask why it’s happening to me.
Angelica Rivera (26m 7s):
Ask for what reason and what can I get from this?â I think that’s the key to look at failures.
Alina Warrick (26m 15s):
Powerful. Thank you. Letâs switch gears and talk about successes. Are there any successes that you would like to outline from your immigrant entrepreneur journey?
Angelica Rivera (26m 26s):
Wow, yes.
Alina Warrick (26m 29s):
I’m going to touch on something that I’m reading from Goldman Sachs that once you’re done.
Angelica Rivera (26m 34s):
Actually, being a woman in the construction business and Spanish, initially, it was really difficult. Overcoming that makes me proud, not only as a woman but also as a Spanish. I used to go to this seminar. When I got here, I told you I got to New York in six months. After that, I went back to Orlando, Florida. In Orlando, everybody speaks Spanish. If you go to a restaurant in Colombia, Venezuela, everyone there speaks Spanish. Even when I went to college, in some of the classes, the teacher was from Puerto Rico. Everybody was Spanish or they only speak Spanish. It wasn’t until I got here to New Orleans that I realized my English was that bad.
Angelica Rivera (27m 25s):
I’m like, âOh my god,â because all those years, I was in within the Spanish community. When I first got to the country, that’s how I feel when I got here to New Orleans. I’m like, âOh my god.â Not only that, I didn’t understand the way they were talking. It was really difficult. I used to go to this meeting, where there were like 20 men and me, a Spanish girl, my English was not good. It was really difficult. Now, we have ourselves to be one of the best companies in New Orleans. In fact, last month, we got one of the best places to work in New Orleans.
Alina Warrick (27m 53s):
Nice.
Angelica Rivera (27m 53s):
Yes, so things like that make you feel proud. With perseverance, we as Latinos came to this country following a dream. I think when you have all of the desire to do it, itâs more powerful than having all the tools around you. That and last year, actually, we were selected by the US Small Business Administration of Louisiana for the 2019 Entrepreneurship Award of the year. That was a big win. The governor, actually, was there. We got that award. That was one of the moments that I felt we were doing something good.
Alina Warrick (28m 35s):
Yes, awesome. What makes you guys stand out from all the other construction companies?
Angelica Rivera (28m 41s):
I think the fact that we try to create a joyful construction experience for our clients. Construction is not easy. There are a lot of issues, a lot of things happen during construction. We always try to solve the issues, keeping all of our clients informed on a daily basis. We have communication with them with the software on a daily basis, where do we do the job lots, and let them know how we’re doing, what we are doing. Externally, that helped us a lot again, because we want that enjoyable construction experience that is difficult to have. We reached that by doing things with passion. We did that by having a strong organizational culture.
Angelica Rivera (29m 24s):
Everyone in our office, they know that that’s our goal. Everyone in our company strives for a hundred percent client satisfaction. My job, my role, my main role in the company is to keep my employees happy so they get our clients happy. We focus a lot on that. We do a lot of things that other companies donât do with their employees. We have a vacation once a year that we pay for everything. Every Friday, we have meetings and we have tournaments with people, basketball. Half of the day, we were just playing every Friday. There are a lot of activities that we have with our company.
Angelica Rivera (30m 4s):
Even during the pandemic, we keep having those meetings virtually and it was pretty nice. I think that’s important and that every single person, from the girl that sweeps the floor to vice-president, they all have the same passion for the company. That’s what we want to create.
Alina Warrick (30m 21s):
I love it. Wow, amazing. Good job for creating that culture after 13 years. That’s amazing. I saw the video on Goldman Sachs, and I saw you as a woman with a Construction hat on. You were directing all of these men. You were doing a really good job. Let me tell you that. I’m like, âWow, I’m super excited to talk to her,â because like you said, as a woman in the construction field, that normally does not happen. What you’re doing now out there is absolutely phenomenal so thank you. Thank you so much. I was reading on the Goldman Sachs and it mentions in the articles is that âHer goal is to grow from a $3.5 million in revenue to $20 million within five years.
Alina Warrick (31m 12s):
She feels she’s on the right track.â First of all, I think itâs so powerful to have a clear goal like that and to put it out there. What you have done, either writing it out or having that really clear goal in mind, I think is so powerful. Can we talk a little bit about that?
Angelica Rivera (31m 36s):
Yes, of course. You’re totally right. Again, I learned that through the program that every time that you set a goal, for example. I wanted to go to Europe with my husband and have a nice vacation. Well, when are you going to do it? How long you are going to do it? Where are you getting the money to do it again? Those are the things that you need to sit down and answer it. Actually, I did that about, I don’t know, five or six years ago. I sit down and said, âBefore I turned 40, I’m going to go to Europe. I’m going to go to these countries. I’m going to spend six weeks and this is how I’m going to do it.â Then, when I was just about to turn 40, Iâm like, âOh my god.â We planned it and we made it happen.
Angelica Rivera (32m 20s):
That’s exactly the same as what we are doing with our income. When we started the company, before we got into the Goldman Sachs program, our first year was $250,000 in revenue. We got to that $7 million and kept growing. I think that that’s amazing. Even this year that it wasn’t a pretty good year for anyone. I think 2020 was a really difficult year but even with that, we have a really good pipeline coming up for 2021. We are really excited about everything that is coming out. We already signed a couple of contracts. We have over $7 million in contact.
Angelica Rivera (33m 1s):
That’s exciting because we’re like, âSometimes, things, you canât control them. How do we get to this point?â It’s not because we get phone calls or nothing like that. Itâs because we created a plan. During the pandemic, we were like, âWe are going to hire a lead estimator and we are going to put our estimating department. We are going to do stronger and we are going to start meeting on every project.â That’s what we did. In order to get these four projects that we are going to start working on, we bid on almost 50 projects. Bidding a project is very time-consuming. There is always applying behind a goal. I think we need to do that in every single aspect in our lives.
Angelica Rivera (33m 43s):
In fact, something that I’ve been doing for the last three years, on new years, is I had this list of goals that I have for the next year. For example, I have, âDo something special with my kids every month.â I put it there what I did in January, what I did in February, what I did in March. It’s not like, âI’m going to do that.â Then when itâs June, you’re like, âWhat I did?â If you have like that and specify the month, itâs measurable and itâs something that you can accomplish.
Alina Warrick (34m 12s):
So powerful. Thank you so much for sharing that. What’s next for you guys? What are some business goals for the next couple of years? More commercial buildings?
Angelica Rivera (34m 23s):
Well, we’re still doing a lot of residential, but our focus is not commercial. Our goal within the next couple of years is to get our licenses in Florida and to start working in Louisiana and Florida as well. In fact, we sat down with our management team every quarter and review our goals. We did this a couple of years ago where we have our 10-year goal, our five-year, three-year, one-year, and then each quarter. We break out quarters. We break it into rocks and each one has a rock. We reviewed that every month and see where you are, what do you need?
Angelica Rivera (35m 3s):
Do you need any help? How we can accomplish that? Yes, one of the big goals that we have right now is going to the Florida market.
Alina Warrick (35m 10s):
That’s amazing. I hope you guys pick overall of the Florida markets out there. I know you’re going to be able to accomplish all of your goals. Angelica, I wanted to ask you. Looking back when you were 16 years old and you came to the United States, did you ever think you would become an entrepreneur?
Angelica Rivera (35m 29s):
Well, that’s something that I have in my blood. I always wanted to have my own business. I will say, yes, thatâs one of my goals since I was a little girl. My dad has always been an entrepreneur. He always worked for himself. He did here and there, sell things, got taxes. Heâs the one that actually put that on me. I remember he used to say, âYou have potential. You should not be working for somebody else. You should be making your own things.â He was always like that. In fact, when quit as manager in the housekeeping company that I was working with, he was the only one that was really happy.
Angelica Rivera (36m 9s):
Everybody was upset because I was making really good money. Back then, I was making $60,000. I’m talking about, I don’t know, 18 years ago. I have a car and they gave me credit cards. Everybody was like, âAre you crazy? Why are you quitting this?â My dad said, âThat is the best thing that you can do.â He’s been always the one that put that seed in my head.
Alina Warrick (36m 31s):
I love it. Shout out to your dad for all the motivation that he’s given you.
Angelica Rivera (36m 38s):
Yes.
Alina Warrick (36m 39s):
Angelica, what is the American dream mean to you?
Angelica Rivera (36m 42s):
The American dream, I think, is to find that balance between work and family. It’s not money. Itâs not being a millionaire. I think itâs been able to live comfortably and to learn how to have that balance between your family and the company. I spend a lot of time with my kids as much as I can. I pick them up from school when they were in school. It seems crazy, but I take them to classes. I spent all my weekends doing zero work. Saturdays and Sundays, there is no work at all for us. I think the fact is when you get to that point when you can do that because, in the beginning, it wasn’t like that, and not being like that all the time.
Angelica Rivera (37m 28s):
In the beginning, I used to work 18 hours a day. I get up at 4:00 AM. Go to the computer and do contact. Then at six, I am going to have breakfast and go back the computer. It was really hard at the beginning. If you ask me, âhave you reach the American dream?â I would say yes, not because I have millions of dollars in the bank, but because I had the opportunity to enjoy my kids, have that balance, have a nice relationship with my husband, and get a feeling of butterflies that I feel when I was a little with him. Yes, I think that’s the American dream.
Alina Warrick (38m 3s):
I love it. Way to go to put it all into perspective. Is giving back, either volunteering time or giving back to the community, something that is part of your business values?
Angelica Rivera (38m 16s):
Yes, definitely. That’s something that we love to do. In fact, right now, we are in partnership with some organizations collecting clothes, toys, and items for Honduras victims of the hurricane. Again, this is with nonprofit organizations that we have partnerships to do that. Last year, we did something really nice. At the end of the year, there was this family that didn’t have money to put a ramp, and their son was handicapped. That was the beauty of it that all from Colmex, there was no subcontractor, we went and did the ramp for the family. It took us two days and it was pretty nice. Things like that. Also, I love to serve the community.
Angelica Rivera (38m 57s):
I am the chair of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In that chamber, we helped the community to find job opportunities. We do resumes and we do digital literacy. On the other side, we also help small businesses. Again, we focused on Spanish owners and helped them to go to the next level. We do provide classes with the chamber. We do a lot of things for the community together. I was appointed by the governor to be part of the Louisiana Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. That was really nice to be able to collaborate with all of this amazing organization and people.
Angelica Rivera (39m 39s):
Now with the pandemic, I was also part of the resilience, Louisiana small task force. Itâs called the Resilience, Louisiana small task force. It was like
Alina Warrick (40m 5s):
I feel like everyone that I talked to on this show, all of the entrepreneurs are giving back in one way or another. I feel like they were helped in some ways, maybe small ways, in the beginning stages of the immigration process or within the business process. They are giving back 10-fold times. It’s awesome to see how all the entrepreneurs are giving back in so many ways, and you’re doing the same thing. I feel like we receive a blessing in that, something that is not explainable in words. Itâs just the gratitude of giving back. I feel like you’re doing that.
Angelica Rivera (40m 46s):
You hear that on me, that gratitude to give back. The fact that you made it and you’re living your dreams, to share that with other people, and help other people to do theirs. I love to give more than receive. I think thatâs a better feeling, so, yes, that’s true.
Alina Warrick (41m 4s):
What are some of the things you would advise the next aspiring immigrant that wants to start their own business listening to you right now?
Angelica Rivera (41m 13s):
I think that we have an advantage when we came to this country because we came here with a purpose and with a goal in mind. We cannot allow anyone to tell us that it cannot be done. Just listen to your heart, listen to what you came for, and get it done. Again, you’re going to encounter a lot of people telling you, âThis is a crazy idea. You’re not going to make it. You donât have the money to do that. You donât have the capacity to do that.â Don’t listen to them. Just go towards your goal. Continuous education, I think, that’s the key. Thereâs a lot of classes that are free, things that you can look up.
Angelica Rivera (41m 54s):
Now with the internet, there is an endless way of looking for continuous education and to keep growing as a person, as a business person, as an entrepreneur. I think that’s the key. Work on yourself or in your business instead of in the business all the time, because sometimes we get stuck up by the business. We just worked inside the business and not into a different perspective on how to grow the business. I think that continuous education is the key.
Alina Warrick (42m 25s):
Awesome. What do we do with our broken English accents, Angelica?
Angelica Rivera (42m 29s):
I donât know. Another thing, we have an advantage. Itâs that we already speak our language. This is our second language.
Alina Warrick (42m 37s):
That’s right. You are already a step ahead of everyone else.
Angelica Rivera (42m 44s):
That’s how I like to look at it, yes.
Alina Warrick (42m 47s):
Right, okay. I’m going to wrap up with these super fast questions if that’s okay with you.
Angelica Rivera (42m 53s):
Okay.
Alina Warrick (42m 54s):
What time do you normally start your day?
Angelica Rivera (42m 57s):
4:30 in the morning. I actually exercise every day with my husband. We get up early in order to be back at home around six.
Alina Warrick (43m 5s):
Oh my goodness, 4:30 in the morning. Wow, good job.
Angelica Rivera (43m 13s):
We have been doing this for the last three years. We actually exercise every morning. The beauty of it is that we do it together. Sometimes, I’m like, âNo, I don’t feel like exercising.â He was like, âNo, letâs go.â That’s good. Yes, my alarm is always 4:30 AM.
Alina Warrick (43m 30s):
Wow, that’s awesome. Do you go to sleep early then?
Angelica Rivera (43m 33s):
I sleep every day at 9:00 PM.
Alina Warrick (43m 38s):
Awesome. Wow, that’s amazing. How many employees do you guys have?
Angelica Rivera (43m 43s):
Right now, we currently have about 15 employees.
Alina Warrick (43m 46s):
Fifteen?
Angelica Rivera (43m 47s):
Yes.
Alina Warrick (43m 48s):
Okay, perfect. How often do you watch TV in a week?
Angelica Rivera (43m 52s):
Not that often. Sometimes, I go a whole week without looking at the TV.
Alina Warrick (43m 58s):
How many hours of work do you normally put it in, say on average in a week?
Angelica Rivera (44m 2s):
In a week, it’s an average of 40 to 45 hours.
Alina Warrick (44m 6s):
Okay. Not bad, but we have to keep in mind that in the beginning stages, you were doing like 12 hours a day, you mentioned.
Angelica Rivera (44m 35s):
Yes, initially, but right now, I got to a point. Again, thatâs the American dream that I was talking about earlier. I go to the office around 8:30 every day, and I leave, it depends, 5:30 to six.
Alina Warrick (44m 50s):
Well, Angelica, thank you so much for that coming on to the show. I truly appreciate all that you’re doing out there, rocking the construction world as a female and as an immigrant. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I know it’s going to inspire so many immigrants listening. Thank you again.
Angelica Rivera (45m 3s):
No, thank you so much for your invitation. It was a pleasure. Yes, I hope this helps a lot of people to get their dreams to come true here in America.
Alina Warrick (45m 36s):
All right, guys. Thank you so much for tuning in. If there are any links that were mentioned in this episode, make sure to check them out on my website under this episode to find all the links conveniently located in the show notes. I just wanted to ask for a quick favor. If you could please leave a review, wherever you’re at listening to this podcast. Also, if you’re an immigrant entrepreneur and would love to be on my podcast, please email me and we’ll get connected. I’ll see you guys all next time for another exciting and impactful episode. Take care.
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