The Piña and The Colada

What if I told you that I started my business by mistake? Yes, by mistake!

"How could someone start a business by mistake?" Comiendo mierda¹ would be the best way to describe it. I had created something so relatable to the Miami community that I knew I had something unique on my hands.

What did I create?

The year was 2015, I was working on my photoshop skills on a 2007 Macbook that sounded like it was going to take off like un avion. I was editing a colada as if it were an instagram model, smoothing out its little styrofoam pores. Estoy jodiendo². The colada is perfect and needs no touch ups! 

After hours of editing (frustration), I got tired and decided to give that cafecito a "break". That was very much intended. New to editing, I didn't really know what I was doing. Switching back and forth between tabs, my little croqueta fingers hit the paste shortcut on a pineapple project. And there it was. My eyes widened, chin down, cara de papa³ in full pa-pation⁴!

"Did I... just invent... the most... Miami thing... EVER" I shouted! "It's a Piña Colada!"

If you're not from Miami, you're probably questioning "Isn't the Piña Colada a drink?" Yes, it is, but this has a Miami spin to it.

Piña means pineapple. The piña is a symbol of hospitality! Miami is popular when it comes to planning vacations, events, and entertainment. We're always welcoming tourists, but not the ones trashing our beaches or kicking us out of our own city. *insert upside down smiling emoji* I said what I said. 

The colada shouldn't need an introduction, but here it is... It is the most popular person, place, and thing in all of Miami. It's not your regular cup of coffee, you'll have taquicardia at 9:00am and be crapping your pants at 9:01am.

What's a colada? It's a strong espresso with way too much sugar, served in a white styrofoam cup with an absurd amount of, or never enough, little plastic cups stacked on the lid. Those are intended for sharing, but chances are you'll drink it on your own. Don't! Refer back to what I said about crapping your pants. 

Put the piña and the colada together, and you have the Piña Colada! Never would I have imagined that my mistake was going to turn into a business. I made it my first design, and I have not once regretted taking that chance!

I loved it so much, I thought it was a perfect logo for a brand influenced by Miami. Apparently, not to the person who thought my logo was promoting a swinger's brand. While I very much have nothing against swingers, that is not what the Martha of Miami logo is about.

It's all about the piña and the colada.

So next time you're feeling unmotivated, or like you don't have it all figured out, remember that lo que está pa' ti, nadie te lo quita. Your little croqueta fingers might be one click away from the next big thing!

¹ Comiendo mierda translates to "eating shit". This is not the actual act of eating feces, or caca, but used in the sense of not paying full attention, or doing something stupid.

² Jodiendo This expression can mean different things and be used with different meaning in the Spanish language. I used it in the joking around sense.

³ Cara de papa translates to potato face. This expression is used when referencing your double chin.

⁴ Papation [pah-pay-shuhn] Maybe a verb? I just made up that word, I don't have a definition yet. 

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