Ruben Flores-Martinez Shares the Challenges He Faced Before Starting Cashdrop

When Ruben Flores-Martinez started Cashdrop, no one had imagined it would raise as much as $2.7 million from investors. Many people will still not believe that Harlem Capital, one of the most diverse investors, had decided to invest in this company. How did Ruben manage to convince everyone? That's the motivational story that Ruben wants everyone to know.

Following worst advice from people

Ruben had always been creative and loved coming up with new ideas. So when he decided to start his own business, he was excited to get started. However, he quickly ran into some problems. The first is that he received terrible advice early on. Someone told him that accolades matter, so he spent all his time trying to win awards and recognition. He said, "I felt I had to prove myself to everyone at every stage. This led me to believe that I would be nothing without an award, college degree, or specialized qualification. But the truth is that awards don't always equal success."

The second piece of advice Ruben received was that once you become a successful entrepreneur, you should only work with exceptional talents. Again, this is not true. "I understand how difficult it is to become successful, and you must climb the ladder one step at a time. If I always work with the best, who will give opportunities to those looking to take their first step on that ladder? From this thought, the concept of Cashdrop came into my mind. I wanted to give opportunities to business owners who didn't have the money to start their businesses. That's why the Cashdrop app doesn't require any monthly fees or commissions."

Facing multiple rejections

Ruben's journey to becoming the founder of a successful business wasn't typical. He didn't go to Ivy League schools or land prestigious internships. He was self-taught and had to hustle to get where he is today. When he first started pitching his company, Cashdrop, to investors, they weren't interested. He didn't have the right pedigree or credentials. But Ruben didn't give up. He kept hustling and shared his idea with various investors. "I understood from my struggle that people were unwilling to take the risk since I didn't have the qualifications or degrees. This is not just my story. I think many other business owners would share a similar story. But it's how you react after so many rejections that matter. I was not ready to give up my idea because I knew it had the potential. And eventually, I was able to raise enough money to get my company off the ground."

If you follow Ruben on Twitter, you will notice that he often shares motivational stories of successful people. This is because he feels that every entrepreneur is just a step away from success, and if he can show them that step, he can make a difference in the lives of thousands of people.