Some of the stories behind Apple employees are truly fascinating. By discovering the true role of this mysterious employee 3.2, or the great Shaan Pruden, who has been with the company practically his entire life, talk about Apple on a deeper level and They lead us to better understand the philosophy of personalities like Steve Jobs or Tim Cook.
What if we told you that one of the main drivers of Apple’s presence in Mexico is now an entrepreneur and barbecue rib chef? It’s crazy, but that’s literally Dan DeFossey’s life. It’s unclear if he’s ever met Arturo Delgado, the fan who never missed the launch of every new iPhone, but we can assure you he lives in Mexico one of the strangest former employees the Cupertino company has ever had in your model.
Marketing training from Long Island to Mexico
As his LinkedIn reveals, Dan DeFossey worked for Apple from June 2007 to November 2009 as department manager Apple Retail Junior Internship Program. After getting his start in local politics, Dan was a teacher and member of America Corps in Texas. Her skill
During this time, he developed and managed “a program to connect retail stores with the local community by employing high school students in an intensive twelve-week seminar to teach essential business and customer service”. The pilot project was a success and 100% of participants graduated of this program.
The following month, before the 2009 Christmas campaign, he left his New York apartment to work in Mexico City. His position at Apple was different: he worked until September 2012 to expand its “educational marketing program to Latin America, executing a $1.5 million budget that increased the team’s revenue.” . from $6 million to $50 million in three years“.
In fact, he also led the expansion in Brazil, managing “several corporate campaigns to increase individual sales to students and educators”, which resulted in a 300% increase in sales, again according to his own statements published on his profile.
In addition to this, he was one of the main managers in the expansion of Apple’s presence on campuses across Mexico, designing and negotiating contracts, until the opening of fifteen new stores on the campus. He is also the promoter of Apple’s Campus Rep program in Mexico and, apparently, his annual leadership conferences have been successful. general satisfaction of 99% from participants
But everything changed a few weeks later, when he abandoned his ties to Apple and took advantage of his contacts with groups and universities in Mexico to move into independent consulting. That’s how it was for a while, until September 2013, when he started his new career: selling American-style food in Mexico City’s most popular neighborhoods. And the success was such that it now has one of the most successful channels in the country. Of course, the beginnings were very difficult.
From Apple to Barbacoa
One day his friend Roberto Luna was hiking in Mexico and told him “we should do something more with our lives.” It became a project that grew and grew in his head: “We had no idea how to run a restaurant and were learning as we went.” They bought a air flow —typical caravan bar— in Texas, they took it to Mexico and in less than a month, they opened their first Texas-style barbecue restaurant.
What was a “damn American” doing in a foreign country? That, open a ‘Pinche Gringo’. That’s what the place was called. Even if the beginning was a ruin: Defossey and her friend Luna did not earn more than 30 dollars a day and some dishes were returned. But they kept practicing, finding better suppliers – importing local Texas beers – and growing their customer base.
And although they gave him love and a clear intention to unite cultures, the divide was evident: as he told IndiaTimes: “I don’t have any tortillas. I don’t have hibiscus water or chili peppers. And the most sacrilegious thing is that I have no files and Mexicans love to put lime on things“But the country welcomed him and he and his team responded. Success came a year later.
Today, the Chilangoringo group has a turnover of approximately $10 million per year and owns seven restaurants and several sandwich shops. Its largest room can accommodate 2,000 people and has its own cocktail bar. In 2024, it plans to expand with two additional locations. Everything he learned at Apple helped him, he says, learn to manage staff, communicate more effectively and minimize costs and risks.
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