Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcos Martinez.
Marcos, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up I always felt different. Even though I had friends and belonged to a close-knit family, there was something about me that stood out. It wasn’t till high school I realized that I was attracted to persons of the same sex. There was this hot Russian guy in my gym class and about every week I would place anonymous letters in his locker. Yes, it was creepy!!!! Never would I do something like that again! When I was about 19 years old, I had my first gay experience. However, I still was in the closet. I feared that if I came out the closet, my family and friends would reject.
Fast forward to 2011, I gradually came to terms with my sexual identity. Fortunately, my friends and family were supportive. Some actually suspected that I was gay and wished that I would’ve came out earlier. And so, I would frequent gay bars, gay clubs, and other gay establishments. I even began to establish supportive relationships with other gay persons. Having gone through the struggles of coming out the closet during the earlier part of my life I wanted to build a community for other gay men. I didn’t know how I was going to do it but I knew someday and somehow that vision would come to life. In February 2017, I was working at Human Resource Administration in Long Island City, New York. I was interviewing a client and he spoke to me about his entrepreneurial endeavors as a stylist. He sparked the idea for me to start a business. I was passionate about the gay community and loved going out for brunch. That’s how I came up with the name Men Who Brunch. The rest is history.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ll be honest. The road has been rough. As any entrepreneur would know you’re going through successes and a lot of failures. One main struggle was budgeting. Early on I was spending money on things that I necessarily didn’t need. For instance, I had a day party and spent more than a thousand dollars on advertising. I think I could’ve been more strategic in advertising and marketing without spending so much money. I used to regret it but then I realized you live and you learn. I’m still learning to effectively budget to ensure that my business stays afloat.
Another struggle has been growing my readership. Men Who Brunch (MWB) is a blog and so the business is dependent on web traffic. I spoke with some of the readers of MWB and they stated that the blog has good content but I need to produce more blog posts. And so, I’ve been more consistent in writing blog posts. In most of 2018, I barely spent any time blogging because of my full-time job. However, in the past few months, I’ve managed to write a blog post at least once a week. The web traffic is growing but it’s not where I want it to be.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Men Who Brunch – what should we know?
Men Who Brunch is lifestyle website and event blog for LGBT persons who enjoy brunch and other social events. I blog about some of the hottest parties, dope party promoters, boozy brunch spots, and social influencers in the LGBT community. I’m proud that as a company I have my own voice. What sets my blog apart from a lot of other blogs is that it’s fun and positive. I would read other blogs and see how they would talk very negatively about other persons. I do my best to feature all the persons in my blog in a positive light. Furthermore, my blog is not political in any sense. In my personal life, I do my best to stay informed of current news and events going around the world. However, with my blog, I try to keep away from the negativity and shed light on things that readers would be excited about. If I do touch on a political subject, I would try to be as neutral as possible.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve had a few mentors and supporters on the way. My biggest supporter is my younger sister. She’s the best sibling anyone can ever ask for. In days, I was frustrated and almost depressed she would be there to lift me up and encouraged me to keep my business running. One of my mentors, Laurence Pickney, has his own business, Zenbiz Travel, which is very successful. He’s passionate about the LGBT community and has thrown many successful events for that community in the past. Even though he may think I may not be listening to him, I take heed to his successes and failures so that my business can succeed. My teammates are also key to helping me sustain my business. The team morale keeps us motivated to stay invested in Men Who Brunch.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themenwhobrunch.com
- Email: menwhobrunch@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themenwhobrunch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menwhobrunch/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Menwhobrunch
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