Meet, Kat Pascal, entrepreneur, wife of business partner, Jimmy, boymom, and champion for hispanic owned businesses in Roanoke
Who or what inspired you to start your business?
Fortunately, my husband is also an entrepreneur and has always been a dreamer in this business world. I would say he was my biggest inspiration, because without him I wouldn’t have had the will power nor strength to leave a full-time corporate position in order to pursue our dreams.
What has having your own business meant to your family? The good, the bad, the ugly?
Having my own business allows me to have a flexible schedule giving me the ability to spend more time with my children. It gives me more time to spend on my what I’m passionate about, like for example: volunteering work, non-profit organizations, serve on non profit boards, mentor other business owners, specifically businesses owned by women. We have also been able to provide jobs to others, including family members. It's been a challenge to learn how to manage my time effectively and create balance between my work and rest of my life. I've had to learn how to save some time and energy for myself, to fill my cup so I can continue to fill other's.
If you had to choose one strength that you possess that has helped you be the most successful, what would it be and why?
The strength I would choose would be patience. Entrepreneurs face so much adversity and obstacles. Having patience has allowed me to pause, focus and make effective rational decisions to find solutions in complex situations. By doing so you gain self-confidence and mental strength.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about community, family and bringing people together, finding connections despite our differences in lifestyle and culture. I’m passionate about finding individuals’ unique qualities and strengths so they can bring that to the table to build outstanding teams.
What piece of advice would you give yourself if you were just starting your business again today?
Bounce back quickly! When mistakes happen, don’t dwell on them, and it took me a while to bounce back. If I would’ve bounced back quicker, I could’ve avoided many headaches
In what ways can your business help another mom? (either personally or by helping them earn income as well- if you have a way for them to earn income, perhaps you can summarize the system you have in place to coach them)
I can mentor other moms struggling with the infrastructure of their business. By being in the service and food industry I can provide information and/ or advice in this specific area.
What has been your favorite local resource to support you in your business?
It’s a tough decision, I would say my favorite local resource is a tie between Small Business Development Center Office in Roanoke and the CoLab.
The Small Business Development Center Office in Roanoke allows you to find different resources, from writing a business plan to finding legal requirements; you can also find a mentor, different people that are truly vested in your learning so your business can become successful.
Colab allows you to collaborate with other entrepreneurs and find a community of people who can lift and inspire your entrepreneurial spirit.
Learn more about Kat's restaurant, Farmburguesa
