Meet Marisol Jimenez of Marina Del Rey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisol Jimenez.

Hi Marisol, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Since a young girl I have always wanted to own a storefront that sold all sorts of items. That was rooted from my father selling all sorts of things in a flee market. Thankfully a few years ago I worked a corporate job and learned so much about business and finances. I left my job to work for myself in busness consulting while investing in crypto and stocks. My husband was also self employed as a personal trainer. He did all the homework behind the stocks and crypto. Soon after we built enough capital to buy a storefront business. We learned during COVID that it was important to own a business that was considered “essenital.” One day as I was getting ready for bed & I told my husand it was time to look for a business. So thats what I did, I ran into this market being sold in Venice Beach. I showed my husband but he thought it was a scam. I called the number scheduled an appointment and went to visit the store, Shortly after we found ourselves in escrow buying the business. Close to four years later and we have added a deli and cafe to our operation. We have had the opportunity to build rapport with the community and our annual tourist. Our journey has been amazing and full of hardships. I wouldn’t change it for any amount of gold. Aside from business, I am a mother of 4. They are 17, 11, 9 & 1 years old. They are part of my motivation and hard work. Besides my personal ambitions, the love and support they give me makes me unstoppable.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It;s definitely not a smooth ride. Building a business comes with many hurdles. It took us almost two yeasr to build and start pur deli/cafe. We funded everything. We put all of our saving and any extra income that came from the business went straight back. We sacrificed everything to finish the project. Countless hours and so much sweat/ tears were put in. We struggled to pay everything. There were so many fees/ permits that we needed to pay so we could even start the project. Before we knew it we were running out of money. We were so close to opening the deli/cafe. However with meeting all the requirements from the city we were on pause until we paid for additional fees and upgardes they required. Our store was all red for almost two years. He had heavy rains all of 2023 and we laso had bad news come out of Venice due to voilence and homelessness. We desperately needed a change and to open so we could make more money and start paying off all the debt we had accumulated during the buildout.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an excellent sales person and provide excellent customer satisfcation. I make it my goal to bring the best prdoucts from around the world to my shelves. I ask for customer feedback and if I’m able to meet thier request I do. I take care of inventory, payroll and schedules. My role is any role taht is needed. I honestly do a little bit of everything. I enoy every position in the store. I love to be the cashier because I meet all the customers that walk into my store. I love to stock products because I proudly face and position them were they belong. I love to clean my store and organize it so customers feel happy to shop in a store that cares for cleanliness. I love to make the sandwiches becasue it is all a work of art to properly essemble and make it looks delicious. Everything I do, I do it with love and pride. I am also a homeschool mom. My three older children spend most their day at my hip learning all subjects required from school and what I know they need to be successful individual. I most importantly teach them about integrity and morals. My children are what I thrive for. I want to be an example for them. They need to see what hard work and ethic looks like.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Yes I listen to Ed Mylett podcasts for business and life advice. I listen Andre Rieu and other classical music to sooth me in difficult/stressful times. I enjoy reading my Bible for wisdom and understanding, it helps me with being kind and compassionate to others. Also on how to walk with grace and love throughout my day. Other then that I spend my days busy with my work and kids.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: iammarisoljimenez