When Raul Tapia came to America in 1969 from Barreras, a small town in Mexico, he was 18 years old, and the original plan was to work for six months and then go back. Luckily, he didn't follow his initial plan, and today, over fifty years later, he is one of the owners of a successful food service and distribution company, Tapia Brothers Co. 

After proving himself as an excellent salesman, Raul joined forces with his brothers, and they started selling products from the Los Angeles Produce Market door to door. Their operation grew, and one year later, Tapia Brothers went from selling from a truck to acquiring a 7000 square foot warehouse. Today, Tapia Brothers Co has four distribution centers and operates in eight states. 

In this special episode, I interview Raul Tapia, my father. He kindly shared the story of him and his family coming to the States chasing a dream of progress and a better life, which they largely achieved. We talk about the meteoric growth of his company, how tough it was for him to move to America at such a young age, what kept him moving forward, and how the pandemic affected the business. We also talk about creating their own USDA processing plant called Kitchen Cuts and much more. 

Tune in to Episode 56 of Amiga, Handle Your Shit, and get a closer look at my life's first man, Raul Tapia. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• Dad, where were you born? And when were you born? (5:13)
• You started working as a salesman, and you were pretty good at it, right? (10:35)
• The three brothers decide about going to different locations and expanding the business. How does it come about? (18:21)
• You're talking about what's going on today. There aren't any workers. What do you think is happening? (21:08)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• God and business. Why Raul's family decided to come to the States (6:33)
• From dishwasher to a truck driver, to salesman, to a business owner (8:12)
• Raul's spirit of being in constant evolution (20:05)
• How are they dealing with the post-pandemic staff shortage (24:27)

Resources:

• Tapia Brothers Co website
• Tapia Brothers Co Instagram
• Tapia Brothers Co Facebook
• Tapia Brothers Co email: [email protected] 

Let's Connect!

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Jackie Tapia Arbonne website

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