23-year-old's ice cream empire brings in $650,000 a year: How he got started |
Nico Vergara was 18 years old when his six-week trip to New Zealand gave him an idea that would change his life. After ordering a treat from a small ice cream cart on the coast, Vergara watched the vendor dump a vanilla base and fresh fruit into the top of a "cool" machine, which created a perfectly blended combination of the two. Three years later, in July 2021, Vergara launched his own New Zealand-style ice cream cart, called Nico's Ice Cream, in Portland, Oregon. Three months after that, he opened his first brick-and-mortar location. Bringing his vision to life was no cakewalk, Vergara says. He bootstrapped and blew through his bank account to get the business off the ground. "My mom taught me a lot about money," he says. "When I was 14, 15 years old, she had me start investing into stocks and having me do my own research." Vergara says he started his company with all $25,000 of his life savings, from investments in stocks like Apple and Amazon, and $10,000 from an uncle. Last year, his ice cream business brought in $473,000 in revenue, helping him open a second location in November 2022 and a restaurant, Nico's Cantina. In total, all of Vergara's ventures brought in $650,000 in revenue last year. His advice for anyone else who's full of entrepreneurial ambition: take the leap. "I'm a brown kid with tattoos and no college education, and I'm doing it," Vergara says. "And, you know, if I can do it, genuinely, anybody can do it." |
23-year-old's ice cream business turned into a $650,000 food empire |
Get Ahead: People-pleasers are at a higher risk of burnout, says Harvard expert The price of being a people-pleaser can be steep — especially for your mental health. People-pleasers are especially prone to burnout at work, says Debbie Sorensen, a Harvard-trained clinical psychologist based in Denver. ″They tend to be very kind, thoughtful people, which makes it that much harder for them to set boundaries, not take on too much work or get emotionally invested in their jobs," says Sorensen. While people-pleasing looks different for everyone at work, she says there are three common signs to watch out for in yourself: - Saying "yes" to every request for help, even if it interrupts your own work
- Disregarding your feelings when something is done or said that upsets you because you fear potential conflict
- Agreeing to unrealistic assignment deadlines
Stopping yourself from being a people-pleaser starts with understanding how, and when, to say "no," Sorenson adds. "It can be uncomfortable to set boundaries at work, but next time you're tempted to pile more responsibilities on your plate, pause and ask yourself if you really want, or need, to take that on. And fight the knee-jerk reaction to say 'yes' to everything," she says. |
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6 remote and hybrid companies that help pay for employees' vacations—and are hiring now |
Inflation, staffing shortages and busy schedules have become the biggest impediments for employees taking more time off work. The average U.S. worker logged just 11 hours of vacation in 2022, according to a new report from Expedia. To stave off burnout and improve employee retention, some companies are offering to help offset the cost of employees' vacations. These six companies offer remote opportunities and give employees money to help them pay for their trips, according to FlexJobs:
- Airbnb: Employees receive $2,000 in Airbnb travel credit each year.
- BambooHR: As part of the firm's "paid paid vacation" policy, BambooHR offers its employees a $2,000 annual stipend to cover vacation expenses.
- Calendly: Employees at this tech company receive an annual $1,000 vacation stipend that can be used toward hotels, flights or rental cars.
- Thirty Madison: Employees at this healthcare company are eligible for an annual $750 vacation stipend beginning their first day on the job, which can be redeemed once they have taken a vacation that's at least five days long.
- TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor reimburses employees for personal travel as part of its global lifestyle benefit. The amount paid out is based on years of service.
- Philo: The streaming platform offers its employees unlimited time off as well as a $2,000 annual vacation bonus.
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