Meet Cristiano Azevedo | Hospitality Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristiano Azevedo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristiano, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Personally I was never great at balancing work vs personal life/time. As a passionate workaholic I kept thinking how could I better myself everyday and do better by aligning the skill set with daily challenges and new goals. As the years went by I’ve come to realize that despite being professionally successful, I’d still struggled to have a group of friends or even a healthy and constant social life. Finding the right partner has helped me to work on this balance on a daily basis, and trying (even if for a day or a couple hours a day), to get ‘of the clock’. As a new entrepreneur the worries multiplied and the concerns would follow us home, so we had to find a way in separating both worlds, which is crucial for the overall success for both company and oneself as an individual.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At What Soup Miami we focus on fresh and healthy homemade soups and what sets us apart from others is that aside from doing a fresh product that is delivered weekly, we also align creativity and worldwide recipes. Not only we do comforting recipes, but have a portfolio of ethnical soups that cater directly to the cultural heritage of a country, being the most popular our Ajiaco Bogotano which is a potato and chicken soup with corn and potato weed (Guasca). The beginning of our business started from home with friends and family that have supported, but it quickly grew thanks to word of mouth, and I think the key was consistency of the product. It has certainly not been a smooth road even though it has been a happy road, aside from the normal day to day operational challenges there is a lot of doubt and worry when you start your own business, and giving up our careers to do so came with many decisions on a regular basis. The most important lesson, or attribute, that we’ve taken from this young journey was that to thrive we needed to cultivate a positive mindset, and that was extremely helpful in the face of any challenge that would arise. The biggest legacy is our love for people, and the emotionally that goes on food for sure. Nothing makes us more happy than to receive a message with positive feedback, or when people go through their memories thanks to our soups.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Miami has certainly taken major steps in the area of tourism from food, drinks, places and overall city structure. Some of my favorite places to eat are Mandolin, Hometown Barbecue, Doma, KYU, Chica, or Garcias. One must definitely visit Vizcaya Gardens, the beach, South Point park, try to do a classic sunset boat tour around the islands and also kayaking on the sunset. Drinks will depend on the desired ambiance and dress code but there’s always the standard for a good afternoon drink, Wynwood bar hopping as well as seeing the walls, lagniappe for a laidback wine night, and Esotico for a tour of amazing tiki drinks. If shopping around for sure Mima Market is a place not to miss since it only sells Miami made products.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As I lived in NYC, London, and now Miami, there are so many people that have influenced my career, and taught me something – big or small. Safe to say that working with Indian Accent NYC and London shaped the way I saw Hospitality across cultures, and that I will never forget. From the uttermost respect for food and serving others, to the history of the food, to the whole energy and excitement of sharing a food experience in an elevated way completely changing the stigma of what people think about Indian food, but most importantly educating people about that food in an fun and educational way. My family, I couldn’t be here without them – as an immigrant their emotional support was crucial for my development as a better professional. Luisa, my girlfriend and partner “pushed” me to sell soups, to the foundation of What Soup Miami. The new friends I’ve met in Miami, which quickly converted into family – they were the first costumers and supporters of What Soup Miami and we couldn’t have done it without their excitement. Difficult to think about a solo book since I love reading but probably ‘Setting the Table’ or the ‘Goal’ where books that inspired me a lot.

Website: www.whatsoupmiami.com

Instagram: @whatsoupmiami

Facebook: What Soup Miami