Andres De Oliveira is teaching the world to cook

Name: Andres De Oliveira

Location: Miami, FL

Business: AndresCooking

Describe yourself in three words: 

Direct, improvised, fun

Why did you decide to start your own business? How did you get started? 

We were stuck at home during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and needed to generate income. We bought some equipment and started producing and posting cooking videos online.

What is the biggest lesson you learned in the first year? 

Without the right team, it is very difficult to grow.

What was the most surprising thing about becoming a business owner? 

You work longer hours than a regular job—but you don’t mind doing it.

How does running your own business make you feel? 

Happy, it just doesn't feel like work.

What are some of the challenges you’ve overcome or are working to overcome? 

It’s hard to make the time to expand into new platforms. With new platforms comes creating even more new content.

What challenges do you feel are unique to Latino or Latina small business owners?

Transitioning into the general U.S. market can be tough.

What do you like the most about the small business community you’re a part of? 

Networking with the people in my business community is a great way to learn from shared experiences… and also a great place to vent my frustrations.

How do you engage with the community/how do they engage with or help your business? 

We meet in person or over the phone at least once a week to talk about how things are going.

What are your proudest moments? 

When we reached 1 million followers on Instagram. (Now we have over 2 million!)

What are the next big plans you have for your business? 

We just finished remodeling our new kitchen studio, which we plan to use to create even more food-related content.

When you’re having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going? 

My wife, she is my business partner and the one who keeps me focused.

What advice would you give to other business owners just starting out? 

Just jump in! It is very easy to be scared about the unknown and think about all the roadblocks you will encounter. But don’t think; just do. Things will work out as you go along. 

What’s your “power song” and why? 

Fireball by Pitbull. The energy in that song makes me want to get up and go!