Christopher Wycoco was the first man to graduate from the Entrepreneur Boot Camp at the Women’s Business Center of Cameron County. This year, the Women’s Business Center nominated him for, and he received, the 2018 Minority Business of the Year Award from the Small Business Administration. A native of the Philippines, Wycoco came to the Rio Grande Valley to pursue a career as a registered nurse, taking a position at…
Talk about a huge learning curve. Before board certified music therapist Marisa de Leon opened her business RGV Music Therapy and Wellness Center in May 2017, she had never held a full-time job other than a professional internship. One year later, de Leon is so busy seeing clients across the Valley that she recently contracted the services of another music therapist and transitioned to an LLC from a sole proprietorship.…
We often see leaders as people who take action, and that is certainly part of leadership. But, action in and of itself is not leadership. Real leadership comes when someone offers a real solution. Anyone can take action at any time. Worse, people often act out of a need to do something, anything. This is just reflexive action, something done without much thought. Reflexive action is done out of frustration.…
It’s hard to believe now in seeing the robust business and overflowing lunch crowds at the Longhorn Cattle Company Barbeque & Steak Company, but at one point the San Benito restaurant was starving for business. “We put up a sign by the expressway that said, ‘Come and eat with us before we both starve,’” said Lisa Turner, who with her husband Bill, own and operate one of the more popular…
When Build-A-Bear launched its “Pay Your Age” customer loyalty promotion for its Bonus Club members in July it turned out to be too big. Offering loyal customers a one-day opportunity to make their own stuffed toy and pay only the price of the child’s age, the company created chaos. Parents with their children formed huge lines at stores, with some customers having to wait for four hours or more to…
Editor’s Note: Leadership can mean different things to different people. The Valley Business Report turned to experienced business leaders in the Rio Grande Valley to learn more about their views on leadership in their own words. Through a question-and-answer format, Leadership Matters presents comments on leadership from Valley CEOs and other business leaders. Michael Blum has resided in the Rio Grande Valley since 1972 and has for more than four…
The Rio Grande Valley’s ubiquitous tortillerias and tamale factories are well known as producers of popular food products that are staples to Mexican food fans throughout South Texas. But for more than three decades, a Brownsville company has earned distinction as a manufacturer of a food product more familiar in another part of the world. Since 1985, Dipasa USA Inc. has been processing roasted sesame seeds into tahini, a paste…
The signs are everywhere but if you don’t have a road map it’s easy to get lost. That’s very true in today’s mobile world, although your company vehicle does not have wheels and it fits in the palm of your hand. Yes, welcome to the increasingly challenging world of digital marketing. Promoting a business digitally is nothing new, but it’s growing and changing every day. It’s becoming more and more…
As South Texans look for cool freshwater relief to beat the heat, thousands travel to South Padre Island to enjoy the massive Schlitterbahn water park complex. Open since 2001, Schlitterbahn operates its summer-seasonal outdoor park with churning wave pools, water slides with varying thrill levels and calmer waters more suited for a relaxing tube float. In 2012, Schlitterbahn opened its year-round indoor water park and resort hotel. But elsewhere in…
Grubhub Inc. is now servicing Brownsville and is actively looking to continue recruiting “share economy” technology companies in the area. The result, according to the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, is to “to increase job creation, and improve commerce and the city’s quality of life.” “Tech companies, such as Grubhub, not only provide our local and chain businesses with expanded services but also provide an alternative form of income for those who…