The Art of the Hustle
Sam Pak / Mogo BBQ
Are you hustling? Do you think you’re hustling or are you really hustling? We’re not talking about the stereotypical pool shark hustle, but hustling in the game of life. Are you giving it your all? Are you consistently changing, adapting, and improving? Are you chasing your dreams? Are you making a difference? Are you changing the world?
Meet Sam Pak. Owner, creator and hustler at large of MoGo BBQ. I’ve known Sam for awhile now(when he originally launched MoGo actually) and have been a fan ever since. What most people immediately assume about Sam is that he’s a chef, I mean he runs a food truck business right? He has to be a chef. We caught up in Santana Row where Sam’s a resident, and he explained to me the art of hustling.
When he first meets people he explains that he’s not a chef, but he understands business. He understands what he likes, he understands what will vibe with the population at large and he understands how to put the gears together to get them to turn together. It all started a few years before the first MoGo truck. Believe it or not, Sam dabbled in real estate, and real estate has always been at the center of his vision.
In the mid-2000's Sam worked with a group of real estate investors. Didn’t make a penny, but shadowed them in their every move. He did everything he could to learn the business, and it was not glamorous. The team he worked with focused in Oakland, specifically Section 8 housing. Sam would have to go into Oakland neighborhoods, the ones you see on the local news and knock on each door systematically to collect rent. Sometimes he would have to wait there for hours to make sure rent was collected. These are tasks that most people would not voluntarily do. A year or so after Sam realized that he learned enough to go out on his own. Months later he was working his own deals and pitching the team he shadowed his deals — this was hustling.
So things were going well, Sam was finally making a buck and thought about pivoting to the Los Angeles market. He went down to L.A. to look for real estate opportunities, but his buddies kept telling him to check out the food truck scene. From there he put the numbers together and had to make a decision. Should he keep perusing the real estate investments, or should he go all in on a food truck? With the what savings he had, he made that gamble and the rest is history.
It’s been a few years now, and Sam has learned a whole lot about the food truck business. He purchased a used truck along with it’s permits and routes. Tapped a Napa chef to help him create the menu, and solicited friends to help with operations. Together they ate more Korean burritos than physically healthy, but eventually fine tuned recipes that hit high notes in taste and texture throughout. The first couple years exploded. MoGo had raving fans, growing pains, and Sam seemed to not been able to do any wrong. However, the third and fourth years have been trying. The original team grew tired, the food truck business commanded all of their attention and all of their free time. It was a constant cycle, and some gave up the hustle. There was also more competition, as well as a rise in the number of critics. Sam had to pivot again and re-earn his fans. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
Today, it’s fair to say MoGo BBQ is no longer just a food truck, but an enterprise. While MoGo trucks are not disappearing anytime soon, you’ll still find them at your favorite locations. Sam is once again innovating, and not just for personal benefit but the next steps for MoGo is benefitting the food truck community that’s been so good to him. He’s shared some of his plans and vision with me, and I’m a big fan. Sam will find out in the next 45 days or so what the future holds for him, but he’s excited and we’re excited for him.
Finally, I just wanted to say that Sam hasn’t changed a bit. He was humble the first day I met him and still humble today. He’s always willing to help, and to lift those around him. I think this is a critical trait, and an extraordinary one to find in entrepreneurs. These are the entrepreneurs that you really want to succeed, and in Sam’s case…he did, through learning the art of the hustle. I wish Sam luck in his future endeavors, and if you haven’t had spicy Korean pork or Korean short ribs in taco form — you need to get yourself some.
Let’s MoGo!
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