Hey!! To everybody reading this. I hope this finds the right audience. This is a story about persistence and failure but fighting to have what you've wanted most in this life. Because no dream is too big. Enjoy :)
I was born to be a salesperson. No matter how much I have tried to fight this destiny with a last name like "Mercado" which literally translates to "Market" I realized there is no escaping this fait.
I never wanted to be associated with being a salesmen because to me they were just sell outs. People who seemed to simply sell anything not because they cared about the product or the customers best interest but because they were doing it for a paycheck. Besides I wasn't a salesperson I was a dreamer!
I would always get lost in my own thoughts, letting my imagination run as wild as spirit! Thinking of how to creatively solve random problems in my head. My mind was always elsewhere. Teachers and doctors would later call this ADHD. I believed however what I doing was creating a better world in my head. A world that I believed I could change for the better through my art, innovations and creations. A world that I would like to live in.
But we were a different family and expressing yourself and trying to follow your passion was considered not just stupid but a literal waste of time.
There's a secret Ive never told many people because I was always embarrassed I would get made fun of. But I grew up in a flea market selling soccer merchandise at my father's soccer store. As kids my father often coached us on how to take peoples money. Not literally steal their money. Although to my father selling was an art form that wasn't too far from that either. Rather he taught us how to sell our butts off to convince anyone who had a cent in their pocket to hand it over. Often telling us "selling was just flipping the customer upside down and shaking them till every cent falls out of their pockets." He taught us how to talk with confidence. How to build rapport and fast with anyone who stepped foot in our store. He taught us how to negotiate, how to set your emotions aside instantly and show the customer the best side of you. There were many things that happened behind the scenes that I don't think I will ever be ready to talk about. But for 12 years of my childhood this was my everyday life. Leaving school to help at the store. I HATED IT!! I didn't want to be some slick talking con-man. I wanted to change the world! Fuck this selling shit.
I think that's why I grew a large resentment towards what it meant to be a salesmen. But then I got older and realized I was sure damn good at this. I mean how could I not, 12 years of sales experience and I wasn't even 18 yet. I would later go apply to my first real sales job and on my resume I had put that I had six years of sales experience. They laughed in my face thinking it was some made up bullshit. He leaned in during the interview and approached me in a very passive aggressive, sarcastic, asshole manner. "So it says here you have six years of sales experience."
To which I replied "yes."
He said "Interesting some basic math would tell us that, that means you would have had to start selling at the age of 12."
I answered "Yes sir, The truth is I haven't been selling since I was 12."
The look on the managers face was one that read. "AH HA I got you, you lying son of a bitch."
I immediately responded saying "You're right I haven't been selling since I was 12. I have been selling since I was five years old. But I didn't think that would look realistic on my resume."
To my surprise his father was a small business owner too and he knew what that was like. I was hired on the spot! Years would pass and I would consistently be on the top of the leaderboard. I showed improvement and climbed the ladder. Everything was going great!! Life couldn't have been better I finally had everything I ever wanted. All the Jordans that my parents couldn't get me as a kid, All the cool clothes, My dream car. Everything was perfect except for one thing. I became that thing I always hated growing up. A lifeless sole, a sell out and worst of all a salesperson. I became someone who sold something not because they believed in the product or the customers best interest but rather sold to collect a paycheck. My father's words replayed in my head "selling is basically flipping a customer upside down and shaking them till every cent falls out of their pockets."This couldn't be all my life had to offer. Could it?
I didn't like who I was becoming. I asked myself what happened to that dreamer? That kid who believed he could change the world through his art, innovations and creations? Then the question that really hit home was "what would my younger self think of me now?" That question alone was the straw that broke the camels back. I had decided I couldn't work there anymore. During the exit interview my boss whom I still consider a great mentor to this day asked me "Ger if you don't mind me asking what is it that you're going to do?"
The truth was I had no Idea but I responded "I want to get into fashion design."
He probably thought I was the dumbest guy on the planet.
I too thought I was the dumbest guy on the planet.
Now it was either sink or swim and the only thing I knew was whatever I was going to be doing it couldn't be done in the suburbs. So I packed it all up and headed for Chicago. The plan was I was going to become a famous YouTuber! I thought Im the best salesperson in the world how could I not sell people on the idea of checking out my videos. I taught myself how to edit videos, How to film, how to make thumbnails, how to market, how to tell a story. I would set small goals and to my surprise I would hit them. The channel was on its path to growing. However After every upload the truth is I didn't like my own content it felt... not me, it felt fake, it felt unoriginal. I kept telling myself I just need to keep experimenting then I will find my true niche. At this time I wasn't making any money as a creative but that didn't matter the only currency I felt I needed to keep going was peoples support. I quickly came to find out though that the people you want to support you the most are often the least supportive. Then suddenly this moving train came to a halt. I entered one of the worst depressions I have ever felt in my life. This was now plaguing my life and I found my self doing nothing. No brainstorming, no videos, no marketing, no learning. I was responsible for my own demise simply because my own family would make me feel like shit. Constantly questioning my every decision. I could feel my father's disappointment beating me to submission. Family and friends began making snarky remarks over my latest career change. In their eyes I was a F-ing looser. The pressure of society was getting to me and my once strong colossal rebellious flame was soon put out like a candle you blow out before leaving the house.
I was done.
It took a lot of work to snap out of it.
"I couldn't go out like this." I told myself. After everything I gave up. This couldn't possibly be how this story ended for me. So I re-wrote my future. Just like that I packed it all up and moved to Mexico. Just for three months I told my parents. I also told myself that I was going to film a documentary. On why migrants come to the United States. I also thought this would give me an opportunity to rediscover my roots! This meant I would get the opportunity to learn where I came from and get inspiration from all things Mexican art, culture, architecture, food, dance. To then be able to apply these elements towards my future art. The reality is those were half truths I just needed to isolate myself and get away from everyone. Meanwhile I would create videos simply for the fun of it. The goal no longer being how many views or likes can this video get re-ignited my rebellious/creative spirit.
After being in Mexico for two and a half months I received a phone call from my mom she said "I had a dream I was crying to a photo of you and I don't want that to become a reality! when are you coming home?"
Like any 21 year old I brushed it off and told her "relax, Im sure it's just a dream."
The very next day I witnessed two people get shot. I thought "that was close" and hopped on the very next plane home.
When the tire of the plane hit the runway it was like I too hit the ground running. I began producing, Filming, Editing, Marketing three podcasts. My brother's show. Whom I convinced to host because I thought he was funny on camera. Even my very own show that I titled "Hangry." I was building a team. People genuinely believed in me and what I was building. I didn't know it at the time but what I was trying to build was my own TV network/media company. I felt like A$AP Yams creating a$ap mob.
We were doing great! and despite my workload I was doing great! I was happy with the content we were producing. I was happy with the team we were building. I was confident we were on to something. We weren't getting thousands of views but the views were growing after every upload. People seemed to like the onscreen talent. We felt like a band of brothers off to conquer the world. No dream seemed to big.
Suddenly one person became unreliable. Another unavailable and another said he "didn't want to be known as a podcaster."
like a rap group or boy band we were breaking up. Only this was when we had only just begun. The amount of ambition that got sucked out of me in that moment was unmatched. It truly felt like the wind being taken out of my sails. I couldn't go through something like this again. I just couldn't. Yet again the train came screeching to a sudden halt.
A plethora of negative thoughts flooded my mind. I considered quitting.
But Im not a quitter.
I began to audit of all my previous work. I refused to accept defeat. There had to be a reason why I was failing. I found my answer. First I realized discipline and consistency beat talent every time. Which I lacked. Then I realized the whole time I was focusing on "not being a sellout." I never once stopped to consider how I was going to monetize my work. Money meant we could fund projects, productions, shows, podcasts, tour, travel, hire and most importantly grow.
How Ironic that the fait I have been trying to escape all along was the one thing that could save me. I was going to have to figure out a way to monetize my brand. Which meant having to sell products or services. Which meant having to become a salesperson. This thinking brought my father's words to echo in my head again. Him telling my brother and I as children "selling is basically flipping a customer upside down and shaking them till every cent falls out of their pockets." This bothers me because it's not the way I want to approach selling myself or my brand.
Im going to do this the right way. I refuse to sell something that I don't believe in any more. I want to create something that makes you feel something. The way you might feel like a champion wearing Nike. The way you might feel cool wearing Yeezy. The way you might feel like an explorer wearing north face.
So 'Mercado Goods' was born.
A design brand. That inspires people to authentically be themselves without fear of judgement. Because from my own person experience I realized. Oftentimes we put ourselves in a box before we even start. Simply because we fear what people might think or say about us. But "Mercado Goods"is meant to be the example of the rebellious spirit we all poses to build what we want most in our lives. That's precisely why you'll see our brand is largely inspired by underground culture with things like 90's hip hop, 2000's nostalgia, Corridos, Street Photography, Skateboard Culture, Graffiti Artists, etc. Because in many ways, Its the no F***s given attitude that allows us to push the needle of not just art, design and culture but also who we are as people. The goal being to encourage others to start that thing you've always wanted to do and not give af about what no one says wile doing it.
To end this piece. I want to say If you're feeling discouraged because you are not where you want to be at in life currently or maybe you feel as if you have not made any progress. I promise you that is not true. The weird thing about life is we experience it forwards but can only understand it backwards. As an example If I hadn't grown up selling soccer merchandise. I wouldn't have known how to sell or negotiate. If I didn't grow up personalizing soccer teams uniforms. I wouldn't have had a basic understanding of fashion design. If I didn't print my own shirts in high school and sell them. I wouldn't have thought that you can actually make money from your art. If I didn't quit my job. I wouldn't have taught myself how to edit videos, photoshop, create content. If I didn't write this article so that you could read it who knows what butterfly effect would have or have not happened lol. Every single one of my failures is the reason why I feel ready to begin this new leg of my journey. So as someone who has perhaps been in your shoes I encourage you to keep going!! Because we are the culture and the future! So long as we are actually trying we are all guaranteed success! Good luck I wish you the best!
P.S If anyone is from Chicago and wants to make dope stuff. HML you know where to find me!