Melinda Archuleta is the owner of Bar Carlo. Read our interview with Melinda about her experience with Xcelerate Business Advising and Peer Mentor Groups. 

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What inspired you to start your own business? 

Oh boy! I was always the kind of person who takes ownership in the job I do, as if it were my own business, so I've always been ready. I think because my father had been self-employed the majority of his life, it wasn't as daunting for me, the responsibility, decision making and risk. Something about the way I was raised made me into a workaholic with a high tolerance for stress and chaos. I also truly found restaurant work by accident. I was studying math and Japanese when I started working in restaurants to keep me busy...(workaholic) after I quit my job to finish my last year of college. I loved it, as it fed all my weird interests: organization, problem-solving and light socializing.

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What were some of your key goals that you worked with Xcelerate on this year? 

Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) was a big one, and the transition away from service to an event space at night.

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How has your identity as a woman and any and all other intersectional identities impacted your business?

Bar Carlo serves the flavors I grew up with in Southern California with my Chicano family, and I try to bring the kind of hospitality I experienced in that culture to my guests.  As for being a woman, it's really hard to find a facet of life not impacted by it - relationships with guests, vendors, employees and partners. Everyone underestimates women, but we're the ones getting it done.

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What were some of the challenges you faced this year and how did working with Xcelerate help you to overcome these challenges?

Money. Xcelerate allowed me to receive one-on-one coaching with an industry-specific finance expert and many Peer Group sessions covered finances in a way that made it clear to me that help was available, help was necessary for most folks, and that the way I did things wasn't necessarily the only or easiest way to do it.  Xcelerate gives access to tools, the perspective to know that you need them, and the confidence to use them.

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Are there any wins or achievements you have celebrated this year while working with Xcelerate? For example - hiring new employees, paying yourself, quitting a day job, achieving profitability, opening a new location, increase in sales, launching a new product. Please be as specific as possible.

Launching our event program :) This will help us achieve not just profitability, but in time, a good income for myself and benefits for my team. 

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How do you personally define success for you and your business?

Having the luxury of worry-free time to spend on myself and my family instead of putting the business first.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your Xcelerate experience?

I credit Xcelerate for keeping me on track and am grateful to all the connections I've made -  it's lovely to be in supportive relationships that feel reciprocated.

I feel like I have a team of people I can go to about anything that might pop up, just like big business owners do. In that way, they level the playing field for women like me.

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Find them: @barcarlopdx