In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Sandoval, founder of Intuición Cafe (https://intuicioncafe.com), to unpack her inspiring journey from broadcast journalism to running one of San Diego’s most soulful coffee carts. Melissa shares how she left behind the corporate news world, launched her business on 11/11 guided by faith and intuition, and built a thriving catering company with no Plan B.
You’ll learn why Melissa says the real business isn’t coffee—it’s sales. She reveals the challenges she faced starting without barista experience, how she turned storytelling into a brand advantage, and the three traits she believes every new cart owner needs to succeed: passion, discipline, and perseverance.
Whether you’re starting your first cart, pivoting into catering, or just need courage to take the leap, this episode is packed with lessons on growth, mindset, and building a business that feeds the soul.
➡️ Grab the Free Growth Guide: https://1089.kit.com/625fdad00c➡️ Join our Mobile Catering Accelerator: https://www.skool.com/mobile-catering-accelerator/about📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/FlashquotesHQ🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlashquotesHQ
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⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Introduction to FlashQuotes Podcast01:09 Melissa’s origin story from Colombia to Miami newsrooms04:22 Discovering the farmers behind coffee & launching Intuición Cafe06:29 Why Melissa launched on 11/11 & the power of constraints08:54 Building a cart with no experience (and no Plan B)13:21 The pivot from selling beans to running a coffee cart15:36 Faith over fear: lessons from leaving a corporate career18:37 The three pillars of success: passion, discipline, perseverance21:35 Why sales—not coffee—is the real business of catering22:57 The role of FlashQuotes in looking professional and closing deals26:40 Early challenges, mistakes, and lessons that shaped Intuición Cafe31:00 How to grow your cart business without burning out
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🔑 Key Points:• Why Melissa walked away from her dream career to build something new• The leap of faith that turned into a thriving coffee cart business• How storytelling and intuition became her competitive edge• The hard truth: making coffee is easy, closing deals is the real challenge• The mindset shifts that can help any cart owner grow faster