Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, Founder, Chef Leticia
What inspired you to start your business?
A desire to communicate my passion for cooking and writing about Latin culture.
How did you finance it?
I am in the process of working with sponsors.
Does being Hispanic/Latina have any influence on your business?
Absolutely!! My business is based on sharing the love for Latin culture!
In the face of adversity, how do you decide to drive ahead?
I will use Martin Luther King’s words to answer this question:
“If you can’t fly, then run
If you can’t run, then walk
If you can’t walk, then crawl,
But whatever you do,
You have to keep moving forward.”
What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?
As any start up, the beginning is always hard.
If you could change one thing about your business. What would it be?
I would like to take it to the next level.
What was your childhood ambition?
At what age? The things I wanted at 10, were not the same I wanted at 12, and not the same when I was 16. Somewhere along those years, I wanted to own a restaurant. But then, when I actually worked in restaurants, I decided to find another dream.
Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you admire.
Jorge Paulo Lehmann, Brazilian investor;
Sophia Vergara, Colombian actress capitalizing on Latin culture;
Rachel Ray, making a fortune on all things cooking/media.
For business meetings, which do you prefer: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
I prefer lunch.
What sacrifices in your personal life did you have to make in order to become successful in your business?
I have to say no to a lot of things in order to focus on my business.
What is your favorite quote?
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
--Albert Einstein
Is it difficult to be unconventional?
Not at all, I was born this way.
Biggest mistake made?
Mistakes are evaluated by its margin of error. When I was in my 20’s and early 30’s I could afford them. I said yes to many wrong things and no to many right things. I could recover because time was on my side. Now, mistakes are almost shameful. I have another quote for that: “ When you repeat a mistake, it’s not a mistake anymore. It’s a decision”. Paulo Coelho
Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
Yes, I am trying to create something that doesn’t exist yet.
Description of the company:
Teacher. Author. Spokesperson. Personality.
Leticia Moreinos Schwartz has built a career on the passion for Latin cuisine. She was born and raised in Brazil, received a BA in economics and worked in finances. She moved to NYC and studied Culinary and Pastry Arts at the French Culinary Institute. She continued her training at legendary restaurants like Le Cirque 2000, La Grenouille, La Caravelle and Payard Patisserie and Bistro.
She then studied Journalism and started a food blog. Her first cookbook The Brazilian Kitchen was published in 2010 and won the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards for Best Latin Cookbook. Her second cookbook, My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook was published in 2013 to raving reviews.
She is the spokesperson to Merck’s diabetes campaign Desafiando La Diabetes, with interviews in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Among her tasks, Leticia develops diabetic-friendly recipes for the campaign. She was as a featured guest on Sara’s Weeknight Meals, and has appeared on several TV shows including The Today Show. Leticia’s main goal is to bridge business and promotional interests between Brazil and Latin America with the rest of the world. She is working on a cooking show about Latin Cuisine.
Author of The Brazilian Kitchen & My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook.
Web: www.chefleticia.com
Blog: blog.chefleticia.com
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