We would like to share more stories about the team at CoOp Fams. I hope you enjoy the first segment, about yours truly.
Thanks, in no small part, to my maternal grandparents, leaving Germany between the wars, I got to grow up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Classic Midwest suburbs in the 80s. All boys Jesuit High School (MUHS) followed by state college (UW Madison) in the 90s.
Go Badgers, Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Warriors!!
What an experience!
In 1997, I came to Quito, Ecuador for two years as a volunteer at a family development project (CMT), run by a Jesuit priest from the Bronx, and a nun from Iowa.
It was quite the impactful experience. In addition to spending time with shoeshine kids and their families, I also introduced Quito to the beer bong. Different group though. And I discovered that I was pretty good at being a pasty white Gringo, who can kind of salsa dance!! After a beer bong of course
A moment of… Fame?
Back home in Wisconsin, I worked, using my newly acquired Andean street Spanish at a local Milwaukee manufacturing company (GB) with their international sales team.
I peeked as a hand model for their new Fish Tape. Yes, my hands had a moment like George Costanza. But I knew it was time for a change.
The triumphant return
After a slight midlife crisis in my late 20s, I decided to return to Quito, in 2004. And like most political science majors, I started working in the summer flower export industry. I’m still here. And I still have never sold a Rose.
What I have done though is build a reputation, over the years, for being honest, transparent, and even, according to some, hardworking. Our farmers trust me, and so do most of you, our customers. That strong foundation is a vital part of our success.
Enough about me talking about myself. Now I will let Dani talk about me, and the flowers we have available for Winter and Valentine’s Day.
