Meet Samael Tejada | President & Founder

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

Hi Samael, how do you think about risk?
For you to progress in life, taking risk is something you have to do. Regardless of what it is, whether it’s participating in sports or business or education, there is some kind of risk that you’ll have to take to get to that end goal. When it comes to business, I think it’s very important to take calculated risks where you list the positives and potential negatives. From there, you decide to take the risk when you find you have more pros than cons. When you’re younger, you can afford to take more risks that will have a greater negative outcome. But, when you’re older, you have certain responsibilities that will make you think twice before taking that kind of risk. In business, you of course risk losing money, but you are also risking your time because once you lose it, you never get it back. I have taken a lot of risks career-wise.I first started the company while I was working as a firefighter paramedic in Broward County. I was stepping away from a secure job, salary and pension to fully embrace my passion. When I started Liquivida Lounge, my wife and I invested a lot of our own money and put a lot of time, sweat, and tears into it, unsure if it would come to fruition. We worked tirelessly to make sure it was a success and sacrificed a lot along the way, with our time especially. However, it has all been worth it, now selling franchises, we can see that our hard work, and investment of time and money has all paid off.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets Liquivida Lounge apart from others is that we have a very strong team of partners behind us. We are a diverse group of individuals and a minority-owned company: Our chief medical officer, Dr. Davis, is African American, our attorneys are Jewish Americans, our Cheif Marketing Officer is Puerto Rican, our VP and Director of Finance is a woman, and I myself am Dominican. My main partner is my wife, and having her involved in the business makes our personal life a lot easier to navigate because we are working toward the same goal. Otherwise, it could have put a strain on our relationship if I had to dedicate this much energy to something that didn’t involve her. This type of balance, partnership, dedication, and team diversity cultivates a positive culture and allows us to have more potential success. There definitely was a lot of falling down and getting back up in the beginning. It took many failed partnerships for us to figure out what not to do today. It was a matter of being very persistent and pushing toward our end goal which we still strive for every day. It’s always a growing effort and learning experience when owning a business. It’s important to know that failures can lead you to successes because every step you take can put you in a new direction This is especially true when going from job to job and working towards your ultimate career goal. Some people will get very down on themselves up about not being in the perfect career or job that they want but they should recognize that it’s just a stepping stone. This happened to me in my life where I started out as a lifeguard before becoming an aquatic supervisor and then became involved in fire rescue to then working in hospitals which led me to take that medical background and apply it to Liquivida. At age 33, everything led up to where I am today. I really believe that branding is everything and is what will invite someone into your “house” (business). I look at other popular brands that do so well, like Coca Cola, and they invested a lot into their branding, making it cool for consumers to want their product. We obviously have a bit of a different product and had to focus our branding on creating trust. It is important that people feel safe with our brand, being that it involves them injecting nutrients into their veins. So in that sense, I feel very accomplished that we have been able to create this type of brand and environment where people feel comfortable enough to come in and do that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had friends coming to town, we would be visiting all of South Florida – everywhere from Palm Beach County to Broward to Miami. I would say first, in Palm Beach County, I would take them out for a night out on Atlantic Ave in downtown Delray Beach to some of the great restaurants alongside enjoying the night life. During the day, I would take them out on a boat to experience the water life and take them out to the sandbar. I’d also show them the beach areas – where they would have fun is Fort Lauderdale Beach. Next, we’d go to Miami to enjoy some really good restaurants, there are so celebrity restaurants and just so many to choose from.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to the book “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.

Website: www.liquividalounge.com
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