Victor Macias
Nui Foods
Santa Ana, CA USA
"We rise to the level of the questions that we ask or that are asked of us."
Career Roadmap
Victor's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Business, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
There have been many successful entrepreneurs who either didn't go to college or dropped out of college. Many people would hear that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and then scoff when I told them I was getting my degree. However, college taught me how to think. All of my general education classes made me more well-rounded and taught me how to critically think and ask questions. College gave me the insight to see the world in a different way, which ultimately helped me become more successful.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
California State University, Fullerton
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
My parents were immigrants and I was the oldest of three siblings, so I acted as a translator for my family from the time I started school.
2.
I feel as if I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life—in kindergarten, I would sell candy door-to-door to make money to buy toys.
3.
It was my dad’s dream for me to go college so that I could make money and help my family—I graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in entrepreneurship.
4.
After college, I worked as a consultant but also always had my own business on the side—when my side business started gaining traction, I quit my job as a consultant.
5.
I’ve started a few different companies, including MaleStandard.com, which provides informative and entertaining content about men’s grooming.
6.
In 2016, I started my ketogenic cookie company, Keto Kookie, with my business partner in his mom’s kitchen.
7.
My business partner and I took Keto Kookie on “Shark Tank” and were able to raise $22,000 on Kickstarter to start a full-fledged keto kitchen.
8.
Keto Kookie has since morphed into Nui Foods, where our overarching mission is to help the world cut out sugar and end diabetes and metabolic disease.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You don't need to go to college if you're going to be an entrepreneur.
How I responded:
There have been many successful entrepreneurs who either didn't go to college or dropped out of college. Many people would hear that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and then scoff when I told them I was getting my degree. However, college taught me how to think. All of my general education classes made me more well-rounded and taught me how to critically think and ask questions. College gave me the insight to see the world in a different way, which ultimately helped me become more successful.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents immigrated to the U.S. before I was born. Growing up, I was the only one in my family who could speak English. They placed a lot of expectations on me. For example, I was in kindergarten when I started acting as a translator for my family.
We couldn't afford the toys that everyone else had when I was growing up. I would mow lawns or go door-to-door selling candy to make money to buy my own toys, so I realized the power of making your own money early on.
As a kid, I had a form of OCD that would trigger a lot of fear and anxiety. I had to find ways to cope with that, including methods like meditation.