Welcome to the weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
This week, we speak to Maria Pavani, a highly acclaimed coffee specialist and a 32-year-old award-winning entrepreneur, who has emerged as a trailblazer in the nation’s coffee industry through her brainchild, Três Marias Coffee Company.
Maria took the leap of faith and moved to Dubai in 2013 to work as a head barista at a prestigious five-star hotel. Despite not having English as her mother-language, Maria thrived to succeed and eventually climbed up the ladder until she became a general manager of a roaster and even launched her own plant-based milk now.
To delve into her journey, spoke to Pavani to see how her journey in the F&B industry began.
What was your favourite subject at school?
My favorite subject was Physical Education.
What was your first job?
My first job was at the library of my school. I would have classes until noon, and then I would start my shift from 1:30pm to 5pm
Have you been to Dubai?
No, I came to Dubai for the first time in 2013 to start working.
What inspired you to enter the F&B space and talk us through your role as founder of Três Marias Coffee Company?
Well, my journey into the F&B world basically started with my love for people and coffee. I mean, who doesn’t love a good chat over a great cup of coffee, right? I started working with coffee as a barista in 2009 in the hospitality industry. Hospitality is all about people, and I’m good with both. I like exchanging pleasant conversations, and at the same time, I love coffee. When I came to Dubai, I spotted this awesome opportunity to blend my hospitality skills with the vibrant coffee scene here. I started growing in the coffee sector as a professional, and then I decided it was time to start exploring a bit more, and that is how Três Marias Coffee Company was born. My role as the founder is to ensure that, first of all, the company stays on track with our vision and then ensure I work on my growth journey as a first-time entrepreneur to be able to run the business as best as I can, innovating, creating new products, ensuring we are adding value to the coffee community as well.
Talk us through the concept of Três Marias Coffee and how did you launch your own plant-based milk.
When we launched the business in 2019, it was quite different from what it is today. I’m grateful that we’ve remained open to adapting and seeking out various ways to contribute to our community. The plant-based milk stemmed from a mix of questions: What was lacking in the specialty coffee industry, and how could we fill that void while also leveraging it as an opportunity for global expansion. This led us to the idea of creating high-quality plant-based milk. Our goal was to address the challenge of limited alternative milk options, particularly in the Middle East. It was essentially about crafting a superior product that not only solved a local issue but also had the potential to resonate on a larger scale.
What are the key elements of your role?
As the founder and CEO I feel it is very important that I have to network and meet as many people as a I can, knock as many doors as I can and introduce the story to as many people as I can to be able to look for new opportunities for the brand and the brand reaching the right ears that could give us an opportunity to enter as a supplier for businesses as well as, pretty much staying positive and being open to adapt especially because my colleagues at the company can feel when I’m down or up so its very important that I stay as stable and consistent with interactions with my team. Also, I am open to learning about what is new in the industry, so I travel the world making sure I’m aware of what is happening in the industry, what the trends are, what the future looks like, what is changing, and what not. As the founder and CEO, I strongly believe in the power of networking and making connections. It’s crucial for me to actively engage with as many people as possible, knocking on doors and sharing our brand’s story. This not only helps us uncover new opportunities but also ensures that our brand reaches the right ears, potentially opening doors for us as suppliers to other businesses. Maintaining a positive attitude and remaining open to adaptation is also important; my team can sense my mood and can tell when I’m feeling up or down, so I try my best to ensure I’m consistently having positive interactions with them.
Moreover, I am always open to learning about what is new in the industry, so I travel the world, making sure I’m aware of what is happening in the industry, shifts in the market landscape, and future projections. It’s essential for me to continuously learn and evolve, ensuring that our brand remains relevant and competitive in the ever-changing F&B industry.
Talk us through your daily routine.
My typical day looks something like this: When I wake up in the morning, I pray, have my first cup of coffee, and then head to the gym for my daily workout. I then shower and either have my first meetings around the city or I meet with my team to work on the tasks for the day. By 5 pm, I’m usually done for the day, so I head out to catch up with friends, exercise, or play padel. At night, I either go out for social dinners or call my family back home.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
In my opinion, one of the best pieces of advice I can offer is to embrace the possibility of failure. Not every idea will succeed, but persistence is key. If you keep trying, you might hit the jackpot once after multiple attempts, and that’s all it takes to propel yourself to the next level. Be curious. Curiosity is essential. Engage in conversations with others, exchange knowledge, and soak in diverse experiences. There’s immense value in sharing and learning from how others navigate the business world. Passion is another critical factor. The journey can be challenging and grueling, so having a genuine passion for what you’re doing is vital. Without it, you may find yourself wanting to throw in the towel when faced with challenges. Lastly, prioritize self-development. Stay open to personal growth and seek answers beyond the obvious. Continuous learning and evolving as an individual are fundamental to success in any endeavor.
Tell us more about the product?
The plant-based milk line from Três Marias was crafted with baristas in mind. We worked backward to address the problem that we were seeing in the market. Despite the growing trend towards healthier and more sustainable lifestyles, we noticed a hesitation among consumers in our region to adopt milk alternatives for their coffee. We discovered that taste was a major deterrent, especially when alternative milk was steamed and mixed with coffee. To tackle this problem, we developed an alternative milk that enhances, rather than overpowers, the flavor of coffee. Our formula ensures that consumers can still enjoy the taste of the high-quality beans they select. Additionally, our milk formula is engineered to achieve optimal frothing, allowing baristas to create stunning latte art and presentations for their customers.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The best piece of advice that I received was from a friend who is also a business person. He told me that you, as the founder, carry the vision of the company; you have the answer within yourself, so listen to what others have to say but always go with what your gut has to say and your vision. Don’t let others influence you because they are successful. After all, each business is different; sometimes what works for you may not work for someone else, so trust your gut always.
And what was the worst?
One of the worst pieces of advice I’ve received was to slow down. It wasn’t the right guidance for the stage our business was in at the time. We were at a point where we needed to expand, but I was struggling to find the right product to propel us forward. After trying various approaches, a business acquaintance suggested I should take things slower. Had I followed that advice, we might have faced closure because we wouldn’t have gained the momentum needed to drive the business forward. Instead, I persisted and came up with the idea for our plant-based milk line and was given similar advice to slow down again. Looking back, I’m grateful I didn’t heed that advice because our plant-based venture turned out to be a success, opening up new opportunities for us.
What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
The biggest challenge that I had to overcome was definitely the financials of the business. I did not have a financial or business background, so all the biggest challenges that we have had so far were related to finance. How to structure our budget or even simple things like what is revenue, net profit, cost of operations, etc., so learning about these things and then being able to negotiate with partners or investors was very challenging at the start. I’m still learning every day but I feel much more confident now.
What’s your future for the brand?
We want to take Tres Marias global so we are expanding in the Middle East right now, expanding to retail, and we want to go to other continents as well. We want to enter in North and South America, in Europe and Asia as well. We want to create ready-to-drink plant-based drinks and keep improving our product line. We want to become more accessible to people and improve our e-commerce experience. So to summarize we want to make our high quality products accessible to people worldwide in retail, foodservice and e-commerce.
