by 
Kimberly Platt, Charlie Tulum’s Dos Tacos Food Truck
Kimberly Platt is the owner and operator of Charlie Tulum’s Dos Tacos Food Truck. This is Kimberly’s first business and she has owned it for a year and a half. One of the reason’s Kimberly likes being a business owner is that it gives her more time with her family, which includes wife Lisa and their puppy, Renni Patrick (who they named after rescuing him at the Renaissance Festival on St. Patrick’s Day). When not working, Kimberly enjoys golf, yoga, riding her Harley and traveling. Meet Kimberly.
1. What is the most interesting thing about you or your business?
There is never the same day twice as we are always at different venues and even the venues we do return to have different people at them which keeps it interesting & I can be creative as I want with my foods
2. What makes business ownership worth it to you?
The opportunity to decide when I get to spend time with family – I have already worked a career where I literally slept in my own bed only 26 days of one year, I was not home and my family suffered. I vowed that will never happen again.
3. Describe your typical day.
There are no typical days in my business; if I had to describe a type of day that happens often I might say I wake up about 7:00 am, review my prep list, shop at a local produce stand and usually Restaurant Depot, then I bring food to the truck and prep for the evening event. I always go home to spend some time with my family then head out to whatever venue we have scheduled to prepare and serve tacos and whatever else we have created that day to the friendly folks we come across. After the event usually around 9 or 10 pm I bring the truck back to where it lives, (also the future home of my new restaurant) I finish clean up, lock up, head home, and finally count and close the cash drawer, review reports of event and end my day with a glass of wine with my wife and a hot shower.
4. Would you ever trade running your own business for a 9 to 5 job?
No, never.
5. What advice would you give to someone considering business ownership or entrepreneurism? Are there certain skills or traits they need to be successful?
I would give them the same advice Nike does – do it just do it! The key to everything in business is planning. Give yourself time to plan exactly what you want to do but be flexible and open to change as nothing is ever set in stone, except pouring concrete – that you should get right the first time.
I believe that organization is the most important skill a business owner should have, for me personally when things get hectic and become a bit unorganized I take the time to step back breathe and re-organize and plan for next my steps and I always get right back on track.
6. Why do you think you’re successful? What does success mean to you?
I believe my success is due to my support system: family, genes, and osmosis. My wife is my rock and always there for me, – always. My parents have owned their own successful businesses for 25 years now so I have two amazing mentors and can ask them for advice and know that they are always there to guide me down the right path. I say osmosis as my Mom is actually my Step Mother however I actually look a lot like her so when people say you look just like your Mom we always say it is osmosis. If looks can be osmosis; I believe the ability to make good decisions can be too. Surround yourself with positive, successful people and osmosis will happen to you too.
Success to me means that I have the ability to work hard enough to pay the bills, play hard enough that I want to work harder to have the ability to play harder.
