Season 2, EP 1- Karen Summers: How to Make the Right Choice at the Fork in the Road

There are no coincidences and no mistakes in life.  Sometimes we go through life and do not understand why we’ve met some of the people we’ve met, or held the jobs we’ve had, and experienced the ups and downs we have until many years later.  Today’s guest is no stranger to adversity, but there is one thing that keeps her going…….she loves what she does, and that spirit has been the one thing that has allowed her to overcome some of life’s toughest challenges.  Karen Summers, is the Founder, Owner, and Operator of Fork in the Road Food Truck in Sedalia, Missouri, 2.5 hours from Kansas City. She serves up a farm to table menu with everything from Cajun chicken pasta, crepes, meatloaf, and International food, and mom-and-pop dishes that keep families smiling and connected.  In this episode, Karen takes a deep dive with Patrick and shares about her journey into college, culinary school, and a pivotal moment that took her from a 9-5 to her life as an entrepreneur.  She shares many of her struggles, challenges, and the great successes of her journey.    What You’ll Learn:  Where Karen gets her entrepreneurial spirit from  What made her decide to go all in on building her own food truck  One unsettling moment that set Karen up for success in building her business, Fork in the Road  Why she is only a seasonal operator and her ultimate goal of moving to a brick-and- mortar location  Some of the biggest expenses she encountered during the first year of purchasing her food truck The reason Karen took on a partner  One simple piece of advice Karen shares for anyone doing anything worth their time How Karen found her food truck and the first thing she had to fix in the first year Locations she found to be the huge source of her success Why she’s moving to a new location  The most number of meals served and the gross receipt amounts in one day Patrick shares a couple of tips to get more visibility on social media that cost you exactly $0 Karen’s advice to anyone thinking about getting a food truck of their own   Favorite Quote:  “If you it is not your passion, don’t do it.  You must be willing to struggle and sacrifice, be creative, and imaginative.” -Karen Summers   Connect with Karen:   Email: Forkintheroad.mo@gmail.com Facebook   How To Get Involved: Patrick Bolanos is a serial entrepreneur, business owner, and CEO of Trailer King Builders in Houston, Texas. He was raised in Nicaragua, exposed to extreme poverty, and also had the fortune of being exposed to life in the United States traveling back and forth to both countries.  After college, Patrick’s career took him into the corporate world of banking where he learned the important lessons of understanding what you’re selling and why it’s important to believe in it.  Back in December of 2017, Patrick was fired from his job as a CFO for a Restaurant Group.  With only $500 to his name, rent due, his wife, 3 children at home, and one on the way, he was forced to figure out how to pull his family out of this financial abyss that was strangling his life.