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NextGen Collective recently spotlighted Nicolas Norena of the Succulent Bite as a Latinx to Watch. Keep reading to find out more about his various career ventures, his favorite forms of self-care, and more.
Where are you from?
I was born in Chicago, Illinois. I come from a Colombian and French family and grew up in Madrid, Spain. I was raised with Colombian roots and traditions as well as Spanish being my first language. My Colombian family comes from two different cities, Bogotá and Cali. After living in Madrid for almost ten years, I moved to Miami, Florida, which is where I have lived for the past thirteen years.
What do you do today?
I am the founder and CEO of the Succulent Bite, a company that I founded in 2016 with the vision of creating epic and mouthwatering food content that would touch and positively impact people’s lives. We have built an audience of over two million foodies and you can find us across social media as @succulentbite, where we create mouthwatering and easy recipes for viewers to try out at home, as well as showcase a variety of restaurants and travel content. In addition, we work with global consumer brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Popeye’s, Kellogg’s, Frito Lay, Snickers, My/Mochi, and many others, to create content tailored to their marketing campaigns and activations.
What are you working on today that you’re really excited about?
I’m publishing my first recipe book in 2022! It will be a compilation of some of the most epic desserts we’ve created. I’m also working on a couple other exciting projects which I will share more details on very soon. Stay tuned!
What are your career goals and how are you working towards them?
My dream has always been to have the opportunity of placing the Succulent Bite inside of people’s homes! There are few things that make me happier than seeing my audience enjoy the recipe creations we make, which they, in turn, make at home. With this in mind, I’m working on the launch of a new consumer good brand (more details to come) which will be available in 2022!
Which causes are you passionate about?
I love contributing to Feeding America as well as Feeding South Florida. On a smaller and personal scale, I like to give away most of the food I prepare to the staff in my building. It’s always a beautiful feast!
What is your favorite form of self-care?
Self-care is one of the key components in my development as an entrepreneur. Having a balance is imperative to growth and success! For me, this translates into being able to take time to spend with the people I love and doing some of my favorite activities. I like to treat myself to a nice meal at my favorite spots, then take a walk around the city, have a coffee, and spend an afternoon with friends, parents, and my fiancée, Ariana. A good spa day is always a good idea too, just saying. Another form of self-care I enjoy is traveling, which really helps me take a deep breath and recharge!
What was the best trip you ever took, and why was it so great?
Thailand! I was mesmerized by the spectacular food, unique scenery, beautiful temples, richness in culture, and kind people.
What are you into these days (podcasts, books, TV shows, etc.)?
An audiobook is one of my favorite forms of content! I’m currently listening to Gary Vee’s book Twelve and a Half, which has been absolutely fantastic. Other titles which have had a superb impact on my development have been Robert Kiyosaki’s series: Rich Dad Poor Dad, Guide to Investing, Cashflow Quadrant. On a more leisure note, we’re currently re-watching the entire Harry Potter series as well as watching TV shows like See, You, Better Call Saul (can the new season please air soon?!), Money Heist, and Locke & Key.
What is the best career advice you ever received?
Be disciplined, be humble, be patient, be kind, always remember your core values, be tenacious, be perseverant, stay true and committed to your loved ones, and have clear goals of where you want to take your career next. I live by these as much as possible. They have provided me with the foundations in order to be able to exponentially grow as an entrepreneur as well as stay mentally and emotionally healthy.
