Today we’d like to introduce you to Julio Trejo.
Julio, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my career a month after graduating from UCLA (Go Bruins!) in 1997. Specifically, I put myself through college by working full time at the student union. I worked over 40 hours a week (a lot of evenings and weekends) setting up for events like film screenings, conferences, speaking programs and concerts. The people there were really cool. I was surrounded by folks who also had an interest in going into the entertainment industry. One day, one of these co-workers told me about a class called Communications 101. It was a class where students could receive school credit for interning 20 hours a week (for free) for a company in their field of interest. I thought to myself, “You mean I can get credit for working at a place I’d like to work at anyway? I’m in!” Through that class, I was able to intern at various cool places. The first one was with international PR agency, Rogers & Cowan. I was lucky just to be around some really talented people. Their roster read like a ‘”Who’s Who” in Hollywood. They handled PR for actors (including Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Denzel Washington, etc.), films (they worked many of the ‘90’s Miramax films), music (Rolling Stones, Quincy Jones, Elton John, etc.), and TV. I ended up in the TV department where we worked on the X-Files, Red Shoe Diaries and a bunch of shows for Showtime and HBO. These guys were and continue to be big. I was just happy to be around to soak up as much game as possible and meet people who could possibly help me get my foot in the proverbial door.
TV PR didn’t really do it for me, so I decided to give music a try. I was always a fan of writing, so I took a stab at music journalism. I interned for Geoff Mayfield at Billboard. He is an iconic journalist who was in charge of writing about and keeping track of the Billboard charts. Occasionally, people from different record labels would come by with their artists to either meet the Billboard staff or perform for them in the conference room during lunch. It was a big deal back then to have an artist come by. I began to meet people from labels and really vibed well with them. By talking to them, my focus shifted to looking for a job at a record label.
I immediately looked into any internship at any record label. One day, I grabbed a few CDs I had in my dorm and flipped them over. I noticed I had a few albums from Interscope Records, so I decided to call to see if they had any internship openings. They did…and they were literally down the street from UCLA (Wilshire and Westwood Blvd)! I jumped in headfirst. I was so into the vibe. I would hang out there even after my shift was over. I couldn’t get enough of this life. I would see artists like No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, etc. come by the offices. It was a blast! Then one day, I heard a loud bumping from the other side of the floor. I could not help myself, I went over to see what the deal was. It turned out Dr. Dre had recently signed a label deal with Interscope. The label turned out to be Death Row Records. I made it a mission to get something going over on that side. I ended up doing an internship in the PR department there for a hot second. I then ended up working there after graduating from college. It was somewhat short-lived as things got a little scary down there after a while. Shortly after that, Tupac was murdered. It was time to go. Looking back on it now, I think it was a good move.
My first real-deal job was at Priority Records as National Director of PR. The label was best known for releasing N.W.A, Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Jay-Z (they released his classic “Reasonabe Doubt” album), Mack 10, Ice-T, etc. Both they and Death Row Records were the top gangsta rap label at the time with the hottest roster on the West Coast. Even Snoop Dogg came over after defecting from Death Row Records after Tupac’s death. They also distributed other record labels, including Death Row Records, Rawkus Records, Duck Down Records and Master P’s iconic No Limit Records. This was truly a golden age of hip-hop. I was fortunate to be around during the time when artists sold a ton of albums. It was incredible to be a part of this music history. I can still remember the celebrations we would have in the conference room when one of our artists would come by our offices after their album went gold or platinum. I sometimes think back to the times Master P came into Priority Records with his 10+ person entourage after any of albums went gold or platinum. He would order cases of Cristal champagne and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles for the entire company! He was very generous to say the least. Love him.
I decided to leave Priority Records after Capitol Records bought out the label in 2001. I hung tight for a short time, but I knew it was time for me to try to start my first business. I had quickly realized working at a record label was incredibly fun, but it did not give me any type of ownership. I started a small PR firm that I ran from my bedroom called Steelo: Media as a response, where I represented Ras Kass, Monster Energy drinks, Mistah F.A.B., Militia All-Stars, the Wu-Chronicles (Wu-Tang compilations), etc. It was a cool learning experience, but Napster and downloading struck a major blow to the music biz back in 2001-2002, so I decided I needed to try my hand at something else.
I ended up in the advertising industry from 2002-2006. Specifically, I was tapped to consult various campaigns for leading Latin ad agency, La Agencia de Orci. I started in the PR department and quickly moved over to account services with an eye to jump into the creative department. At this time, ad agencies were being acquired by larger media companies, which caused me to feel a little nervous about staying in advertising. I sensed the same feeling in my gut I had when the music industry was severely impacted by downloading. It was time again for me to make other moves.
Fortunately, I was able to get back into the music industry. I learned early on that it’s very tough to get back in after leaving the industry. There are people lining up around the block for these plum jobs. I ended up at D. Baron Media. They were known for being the ones who started the Latin crossover phenomenon into the general market. They were responsible for being the first to get artists like Ricky Martin to perform on the Grammy Awards. They also had big artists like Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Manu Chao, Ximena Sarinana, LeAnn Rimes, Alan Jackson, etc. I worked on cool campaigns for folks like Ozomatli, Los Lonely Boys, Colbie Caillat, Go Betty Go, Special Olympics, Sick Jacken & DJ Muggs, Draco Rosa, etc. Great times.
I was blessed to have worked at D. Baron Media. It showed me a few huge lessons on how to run your own business the right way. I decided it was time after four years there to continue my quest to own my own business again. I ended up taking two of my co-workers with me to start The 3 Collective. We quickly became a powerhouse PR firm. We had clients seeking us…even artists from our former company…and soon became a force to be reckoned with.
Everything was incredible until 2008 when the economy tanked! Luckily, we had learned what to do—and most importantly—what not to do in running a business from our time at D. Baron Media. We were able to do well, but I could see that there would be tougher times ahead with the economy taking a nose dive. At the time, I was feeling burned out and ready for a change. I decided to sell my part of the business to my partners and pursue something else.
In 2009, I started a beer blog at that time as a hobby, called InTheSuds, where I would review beer and cover the burgeoning craft beer scene that was starting in LA. Selling my company allowed me to have a little money in my pocket, but I was lost. Starting the blog allowed me to look deep into a hobby I enjoyed—beer—and to see that it was a viable business for me to enter. It was like someone threw me a career lifeline. The blog quickly took off and got me a cool following. My website was instrumental as it allowed me to interview some interesting people. It put me in contact with some folks who were heavy in the brewing game….and most importantly with people who produced beer without an actual brewery. They were contract brewers who would have licensed and bonded breweries brew beer for them to their recipe specifications. The best part is you can retain ownership of your brand and other intellectual property this way. A light bulb quickly came on when I realized I did not need major infrastructure to brew beer. At the time, I was starting to get the bug to start a brewery. This was 2010 and craft beer was starting to boom. I wanted in but did not have the large capital required to start a brewery, so I researched obtaining the licenses necessary to produce my own brews.
After a long and arduous process, I was finally able to get the necessary permits to start my own “gypsy brewing” company (they call it “gypsy brewing” because my licenses allow me not be beholden to just one brewery. I can jump around and use different breweries).
It was important to me to create a beer that would represent the culture of East LA. I’m born and raised…and still live on the border of East LA and Boyle Heights. I named it Cerverceria Mundial. It was paramount to me for the look and feel of the beer to be bilingual and bicultural—Mexican-American with an East LA/West Coast sensibility. The first release was a 100% Centennial hop Pale Ale I called “La Codorniz (Spanish for quail),” and also known as the “Quail Pale Ale” or simply the “QPA” in honor of the California state bird, the California Valley Quail. It quickly took off and sold out!
I decided to take the beer venture to the next level in 2020 when I was approached about a partnership by two of the top influencers/producers in the craft beer game, BeerThugLife (Edgar Preciado), and HipHopCraft (Daniel Phoenix). The goal of the partnership is to bring authentic Mexican-American culture and hip- hop music into craft beer. In mid-June, we released our first collaborative beer together. It is a recipe by Edgar for a double dry-hopped hazy IPA with Mosaic hops called “Nuestra Ciudad.” The beer was brewed by our friends at Indie Brewing Company in Boyle Heights. It’s culture in a can—Compton meets East LA. The positive response has been overwhelming and humbling at the same time. It quickly sold out thanks to our friends, fans and retail supporters. We have a few more major releases on the horizon. Overall, it is our goal to fuse culture, music and craft beer in a unique way. We plan to work closely with various music artists and other heavies in the culture to produce dope beer with great concepts.
With Covid-19 impacting businesses in a major way, I decided also in early 2020 that it was time to diversify a little by looking into other beverages, like coffee. A year after launching the beer and a couple of months before solidifying my partnership with Edgar and Daniel, I jumped into the coffee game by founding my own coffee roasting company, Cafes Mundial. We released our first coffee in May–medium dark, single-origin coffee beans–in collaboration with Sara’s Market in East LA. It thankfully also sold out quickly. We are currently working on a new collaboration coffee with the James Beard Award-winning local news outlet, LA Taco. It will be a medium roast, single origin coffee from Veracruz, Mexico. After having released both a beer and coffee, I was inspired to create an umbrella beverage company out of East LA/Boyle Heights that I named Mundial Beverages. Now I have a place for our beer and coffee releases.
Our next move is to dive deep into wine with my new company, Vinos Mundial. Eventually, we would like to release our own line of teas and cocktail mixes. All in all, we want to try our hands at everything—-in this case—-beer, coffee, wine and tea—all under the umbrella of Mundial Beverages. Salud!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has by no means been smooth. This journey has me taken me through many peaks and valleys. I’ve been scared and at times felt almost paralyzed by fear of the unknown and judgment from others—especially peers. Unfortunately, I’ve even doubted my decisions many times when I knew I was right in my heart of hearts. Sometimes you feel you are up…next thing you know you are being sideswipe by something unexpected.
I was raised in East LA in the late 70s-80s before living on the Eastside was “cool” or trendy. I’ve seen and experienced many things growing up that the average kid most likely didn’t have to. My parents are originally from Zacatecas, Mexico. They came to this country with little resources, but with big dreams for a better life. My father left the priesthood after growing discontent with the church before making his way to the US. He lived a full life (17 years as a Catholic priest) before meeting my mother, who later followed him to Los Angeles in 1971. This served as an example that you have to be brave and push through that fear and doubt in order to live the life you want to live. It was tough for them not speaking English back in the day, so I had to grow up fast—and sometimes had to serve as a protector to my parents who couldn’t always defend themselves from racism or predatory businesses looking to take advantage of them. I learned to get comfortable with being uncomfortable—which has been an invaluable lesson in business and a great way to take defeats in stride.
Being first generation has been a challenge. My brother and I had to figure out things for ourselves. We built everything with our own hands. My parents had unconditional love and support for us…just not that much money or connections they could offer us. But watching them be courageous and provide a great life for us has served as an incredible inspiration for me to keep going for it.
Early educational hurdles consisted of simultaneously work full time, interning at various places and taking on a full load of courses in college. Paying my own way through school was tough, especially when you would see your well-to-do friends simply going to school, partying on the weekends and taking vacations during breaks. But I wouldn’t change that for anything. Being self-sufficient taught me how to self-motivate and most importantly, prevented me from feeling entitlement.
Career challenges have included switching careers from time to time. I feel I’ve lived multiple work lives. Every time I switched paths, I felt as if I had my sandcastle was wiped away by the sea. Did the previous work I did mean anything? In hindsight, having prospered in various new industries has proved to me that starting over doesn’t mean going back to nothing. I’ve learned that you build from the last place you were at. It’s up to you to navigate the direction the ship goes next. Being the only person who looked like me in the boardroom was somewhat of a challenge, but there were many cool people who have took me under their wing. I thank them for proving that there are people who are down to connect with you and help you along the way, even if you are not from the same place.
Starting and maintaining my company, Mundial Beverages, has been a major struggle. Obtaining my licenses for the beer side was a mission. It took me about 2 ½ years to finally get them. I knew nothing about the beer production game…and even less of the retail side of it. I thank Sara and Steven Valdes from Sara’s Market and the Ramirez Family of Ramirez Liquor and Beverage Center for their guidance on the retail/distribution side. They were more than cool with teaching me the retail game.
Learning and procuring dope ass coffee was also tough, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic. I had to learn the ins and out of the coffee game on my own. But just getting into the game puts you in a place where people you need will present themselves when you need them. I experienced this recently on the coffee side when I met Yancey Quinones from Antigua Roasters. He peeped me to so much game on the coffee tip. Again…this is where faith comes in. You have to have to believe that things and people will be presented to you when God, the Universe, or whatever force you may believe in feels the time is right. It’s not up to you…no matter how badly you want it to be. I have to thank my incredible wife and business partner, Janie Fainsan, for teaching me about having faith in the process. She has been instrumental in helping me build this business. There would be no me or Mundial Beverages without her. Learn this faith lesson early and you will not have to suffer as much in this scary, yet wildly satisfying thing we call entrepreneurship.
Lastly, I think I’m now at the point in my life where I look forward to jumping into new things, like my new partnership with BeerThugLife, HipHopCraft and Indie Brewing. Ditto for my coffee partnership with Antigua Roasters. My previous wins and losses have helped me to develop a thick skin to push through. Now I’m ready to jump into wine, tea and anything else that may cross my path.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mundial Beverages story. Tell us more about the business.
Mundial Beverages is our umbrella company for Cerveceria Mundial (AKA Chelas Mundial), which is our beer production arm and Cafes Mundial–our coffee roasting operation. Both brands are known for their East LA sensibility. We are known for fusing Eastside music, art, food and fashion with beer in a bilingual/bicultural way.
Our first release on the beer front was “La Cordorniz,” (also known as the “Quail Pale Ale” or simply the “QPA.”). The name and quail iconography is a nod to the California state bird—the California Valley Quail. We are proud to say it was the first Mexican-American Pale Ale in the US. It was brewed with 100% Centennial hops. The recipe came from my brewing partner, Tim McDonnell, who recently won a gold and a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival. We tapped the popular ska band from East LA/Boyle Heights, The Delirians, to serve as the face of the release. Their multicultural sensibility was perfect representation of our brand—and our city to boot. They were gracious enough to promote the beer wherever they performed around the country. In turn, we did all we could to support their efforts and launched a press campaign for our collaboration. The beer took off and sold out quickly. We even made a little beer history by being the first Latino event to be officially part of LA Beer Week last June. Our friends Corissa Hernandez-Paredes and Gabe Paredes were kind enough to host it at their Boyle Heights craft beer hot spot, Xelas. Super proud of that accomplishment! Our latest venture is a partnership with top craft beer influencers/producers, BeerThugLife (Edgar Preciado), HipHopCraft (Daniel Phoenix) and Indie Brewing Company. We recently released our first brew: a Double Dry Hopped Hazy IPA with Mosaic Hops affectionately called “Nuestra Ciudad.” There are a couple of other releases we are excited about releasing soon.
As for Cafes Mundial, we continued to show our pride of being from the Eastside by partnering with Yancey Quinones from Antigua Roasters in Cypress Park/Lincoln Heights to serve as our coffee bean supplier. He is best known for his super premium organic and single origin coffees. His café on Figueroa is an institution among coffee lovers. People come from all over the city to get their hands on his amazing coffee selections. He is also known for his community advocacy and for providing locals with jobs and producing art shows. Our first release was a collaborative coffee with Sara’s Market, who is best known for being a pioneer in bringing premium food, craft beer, coffee, wine, and locally produced items to the Eastside. Their killer reputation for supporting high-quality gourmet food via popular trucks and pop-ups in front of their store is well deserved. The coffee offering was a single origin medium-dark roast coffee from Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico. It was a hit as it quickly sold out in both the ½ and 1 pound bag options. The next coffee offering is collaboration between Cafes Mundial and James Beard Award-winning local news outlet, LA Taco. Part of the proceeds of sales will benefit their publication.
Overall, we are proud to add to the rich food and artistic tradition of the Eastside. We plan to continue to represent our neighborhood by offering high-quality beverages with bilingual/bicultural messaging and branding that reflects where we come from. We are one of the few Mexican-American-owned independent beverage companies. To us, this means everything.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is a funny thing. I’m not too sure I’m a big believer in it when it comes to business and life. My experience has been that the “lucky people” I know seem to be the most hardworking. I’ve found they are also usually the type who are brave enough to take the necessary calculated risks or leaps of faith in order put them where they want to be in life. “Luck” just seems to find those who are in motion, trust in the process and understand that the best things in life take time—so patience is the key. It’s like trying to find out a combination to a safe. You have to keep trying number sequences until you get to the right combo. There is more of a chance to open the safe if you keep at it. Stopping after a few failed attempts will guarantee that you will NEVER gain access. The more you try…the better the chances for success. It’s unfortunate that some people believe that luck trumps hard work. That’s a shame because that mentality usually keeps people as spectators in the stands when they should be suited up and playing on the field.
I think people have also misunderstood Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Attraction.” Books like “The Secret” have misinterpreted Hill’s theory by making people think that they will become successful by simply asking the Universe for it and hope that it bestows blessing onto them. They wish for luck. That’s BS. I’m more into the vibe in the book “The Alchemist,” where we learn that we need to identify what we want…and then make the moves we need to make to get closer to our goals—no matter the setbacks.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cerveceriamundial.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @chelasmundial, @mundialbeverages, @cafesmundial, @inthesuds
- Facebook: Cerveceria Mundial
Image Credit:
JULIO TREJO, STEVE ANDRADE, JESSE GALARZA
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