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From earning $12/hour working in a call centre and then consulting for a $100,000,000,000 telecommunications company when I was 25-years old to building a $15,000,000 hospitality company in Toronto in two years and then starting over again with the motivation to build a fast casual restaurant brand.
Keep reading below if you’re interested in learning more. If so, thank you for your time and interest.Michel joins 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s corporate office as a call center agent earning $12/hour.
Discovers the power of company culture, customer experience and employee engagement as growth strategies.
Was promoted five times within five years while at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? His last role was within the customer experience operational team.
Falcon Consulting Group, is started from his parent's dining room table. Michel helps companies with their customer experience and employee engagement strategies.
Verizon Wireless calls & hires Michel to help with their strategies.
Other recognizable clients like BlueCross BlueShield, Electronic Arts and, Alfa Romeo continue to contact Michel.
Michel moves to Toronto to start a hospitality business with his partners. In two short years, they grow the business to $15,000,00 with 150+ employees.
McDonald's Canada selects Michel to be their National National Spokeperson for their Hiring Day Campaign.
Michel publishes his first book, People-First Culture: Build a Lasting Company By Shifting Your Focus From Profits to People.
Michel opens Brasa Peruvian Kitchen; a fast casual restaurant brand during the pandemic. The company opens three locations within the first 18 months.
Brasa Peruvian Kitchen opens their first USA based restaurant in New York City.
My upbringing was very humble. My father, mother, sister and I lived in a small duplex with one bathroom. I went to an elementary school where I was one of only a few people that had immigrant parents and I was definitely the only Peruvian. I’m ashamed to say that I was embarrassed to be Peruvian because I was bullied for a myriad of different reasons. Whether it was because of my different name or the food that I’d bring for lunch that looked and smelled different than the ham sandwiches others would have. Unbeknownst to me this would drive me to build a business 25 years later.
To learn more about my upbringing and how it’s helped shape me and my career, please consider listening to this podcast I recorded.
During my time with the company, I recognized that customer experience, employee engagement and company culture would grow to become my expertise. Back then, there weren’t as many people talking about these topics as they are now.
It was a humble little business that I started from my parents dining room table. As the years progressed, I was hired by companies like McDonald’s Canada, LUSH, Electronic Arts, Verizon Wireless, BlueCross BlueShield, Alfa Romeo and many others spanning dozens of industries and companies of all sizes. I would help them with their customer, employee and company culture strategies. Profits at my little company were high but I was lonely because I missed being a part of a team which led me to my next opportunity.
In only two years, we grew the company to $15,000,000+ in profitable revenue and 150+ employees. This was accomplished while also earning a Net Promoter Score in the 70-80’s range. We were even profiled in Food & Wine magazine because of the employee experience and company culture strategies I built. Building this business was very hard and something I’ll always remember.
In 2019, I wanted to build the business I always dreamed of building. I’m now building Brasa Peruvian Kitchen; a modern Peruvian fast-casual restaurant brand. I’m inspired to grow it into a globally recognized brand.
Remember earlier when I told you that I was embarassed to be Peruvian when I was younger? Well, I'm not anymore. I feel a duty to represent the country, it's cuisine, culture and my heritage.
To listen to the full story on why I left a very comfortable life I had in hospitality to build Brasa Peruvian Kitchen from the ground up, please listen to this podcast I recorded.
I’m now hired by companies to speak on this topic to share the lessons I’ve learned about growing a great career. I love speaking directly to individuals who are just starting their career and to first-time managers. I want to share a message that would have helped 21-year-old Michel so that I can pay it forward to other emerging leaders.
One of my goals is to build a company that I’ve always dreamed of. One where our people truly come first. This ensures that our guests, suppliers, communities, and investors are served well too.
My career has seen many, “It’s working” and just as many “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this?” but one thing that remains consistent is that I will always be a student. I’m obsessive when it comes to my own learning and I do so by reaching out to others who are excelling in their own fields.