By Martha Perez-Mendez
As you break apart the center of The Salty Donut, out oozes the success of two Miami entrepreneurs that filled a hole for gourmet donuts.
Co-founders Andy and Amanda Rodriguez saw a way to combine their love for food, beverage, and innovation to form what is now seen as a national success. Andy attributes a lot of that success to the knowledge he has gained in his years as a student and entrepreneur.
Graduating in 2010 with a bachelor of business administration and marketing from Florida International University, Andy Rodriguez carries with him a few lessons he learned in school.
“I would say aside from everything they teach you in class, looking back it was almost as much about learning how to problem solve and working in a team of people that were both great to work with and not so great to work with,” Andy said. “Secondly, it is about putting yourself in positions where you don’t know something and have to learn and critically think through them. Take a class you have no idea about and realize you have the brain capacity to tackle something you’ve never learned before or had no idea about.”
With the skills acquired at FIU under his belt, he was ready to take on real life but admits that being an entrepreneur is anything but reassuring. Rodriguez had to face the reality of his choice to build something rather than jump into something that already existed once he graduated from college. He points out that going from being a student to the real world is scary for everyone.
“For me, I think it was even scarier. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew I wasn’t just going to apply for a job somewhere and that’s kind of scary because, though it’s extremely hard to find a job, at least you have a plan,” said Rodriguez.
After trial and error, being part of other projects and learning along the way, Rodriguez joined his wife in creating something that has since taken over Miami in a very big way. The Salty Donut is now found praised by Forbes Travel Guide, Spoon University, and Food & Wine.
However, Andy didn’t see this coming. Though optimistic, he was always very realistic about this being a risky venture. It wasn’t until people started responding in big ways that he realized this was going to be a hit.
“I think with The Salty Donut, it was when people started to show up to the shop. It was when they are posting a thousand pictures to Instagram and posting a thousand reviews on your yelp. It’s when you get that traction and you can see it, feel and smell it. I think that was the ah-ha moment I knew this was working,” said Rodriguez.
As far as The Salty Donut has gotten and no matter the time which has passed since he graduated, Andy has gained a more solid realization of how important it is to stay in touch with your alma mater. The significance of sharing the experience and knowledge that got him to where he is has grown for him since talking at to FIU students about being an entrepreneur.
“When you’re in the grind every day you forget that there might be people out there that might take something positive from what you’ve done. There are things that I know and that I have been through that others can learn from. Sharing that with people that are either still in school or recently graduated is really positive because it helps them make better decisions,” said Rodriguez.
Seven years after graduation, Andy has concluded that the combination of an insane amount of hard work and doing what he truly feels passionate about has led him and his partner to create a hub of culture and taste in the middle of Miami’s art district. He says it took a tunnel vision drive to get there.
“Focus on what you’re going to do so no one can catch up to you. Look up every once in awhile, but just keep your eye on the prize and keep grinding towards your goal,” said Andy.
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