A Somber Man Making a Serious Difference.
An unsmiling mouth signals how serious Cristian Troches is. His eyes are somber and as dark as his close-cropped hair and beard. Intensity surfaces in a sturdy frame hardened by a rigorous weightlifting regimen. Being methodical well-suits Cristian for the civil engineering studies he is wrapping up. Instead of building a long-term engineering career, he plans to invest his earnings into his business, which is...
Well, even a careful planner like Cristian can't predict a pandemic. Freshly graduated from our StartBook course offered by Emprende in his hometown of Siguatepeque, he launched an auto parts business starting with the customers of his dad's car repair shop. After solid initial progress, a strict and sustained COVID-19 stay-at-home order slowed traffic - and car part orders - to a standstill.
What to do? Instead of freezing or fumbling in a futile cause, Cristian completely changed course. He went from selling auto parts to selling...succulents! That's right - about as different as could be. But this time, his venture aligns not with his dad's passion, but rather his own. He loves to help things grow. (In a seminar I taught at his city hall and a local university, I cited Cristian's pivot as a great example of adapting with agility to market changes.)
Scanning his black-as-coffee eyes across the greenhouse he engineered and hand-built, he said with satisfaction: “These hundreds of plants were the size of coins before I grew them up. I couldn't do that with auto parts!” Whether customers buy online, at his greenhouse, or at workshops he teaches at the local succulent club, he educates people on how to care for the plants well. Not only does that generate repeat sales, but he also enjoys seeing people's lives brightened by their plant companions!
Cristian's patience in growing his products mirrors his plan to grow his business. He bought the building materials for the greenhouse we stood in with revenue from his plant sales at the city’s annual flower festival. He plans to repeat the process after the festival next year and the year after, providing a total of 3 greenhouses. This helps him stay out of debt and gives his succulents time to grow. What a great way to practice what we teach about patiently building businesses that serve their communities well.
As Cristian builds his business wisely, he's eager to share his experience to help others create their own economic opportunities. He says: “the beauty of sharing with others is that it makes your trials worth it all.” When he was asked to be a local mentor, he replied: “I want to help entrepreneurs who are also passionate. As I teach others, I also learn from them, and I value knowledge more than money. As I bless others, God will bless me.”
Cristian is as serious about serving others as he is about building his own business. In fact, his eyes melted with sorrow when we offered prayer for his family member in crisis. That empathy extends far beyond his family. Seeing dignity being affirmed and hope being awakened through business in his economically challenged Honduras, Cristian wants to invest in his fellow citizens’ dreams. He's intentional. Serious.
In addition to being a local mentor, he's interested in co-teaching future Creating Jobs courses and co-facilitating a business roundtable wherein entrepreneurs support each other in their challenges. As we work with partner organizations who teach our courses around the world, we're seeing that entrepreneurs can make the biggest impact for God's glory in their communities when they are part of an entire ecosystem of support as pictured below.
Thank you for investing with us in “business for God's glory”!