Born in Montevideo, Uruguay Daniela Rodriguez came in search of a better life. She found it, and then she lost it.

Daniela rose from tragedy when last year the fulfillment warehouse businesses she began twelve years ago with “piggy bank” money went up in flames. The California fires took down in a matter of minutes all that she’d worked for. But true to the Uruguayan proverb ‘Better to lose a minute in your life than your life in a minute’ Daniela is grateful for one thing “we are all alive”. Four days, after the fire, she had the keys to a new warehouse, while clients shipped new stock. Daniela talks about her journey since then.
You’ve overcome great tragedy. What was the first thing on your mind after the devastation of your fulfillment warehouse?

The first thing that came to my mind was 12 years of hard work came down in ashes. Watching it was the hardest part, nothing was there, it was all gone in about five minutes. I thought, how am I going to get this back to how it was?

I read in the newspaper article that women really pulled together and did whatever they had to including driving heavy duty equipment. Is there a new sense of unity among your team? 

My company is made of mostly women and they all work so hard. In the aftermath, one woman even learned how to work the forklift. This made us stronger. People don’t know their strength until you are put in a position of hardship. You have to go on and don’t give up. My employees had families to support and tables to put food on, I had to think of them to and make sure the business would continue to give them work.

Having lost so much. What are the things you value most today?

Life, because material stuff you can recover and we where very lucky at the time of the fire because we were not at work and there could have been great loss of life. Second I value my employees. It’s about team work and this got us through.

What advice do you give small business owner who may face a similar catastrophe? You cannot focus on the negative, focus on something positive, when one door closes there’s one that opens. Move on, have the will, the power to say OK I lost it all but life goes on.

What is is the greatest reward in being an entrepreneur? I started this business with no money, had nothing in terms of cash flow. Add to that two small children. The biggest satisfaction is building something out of nothing. I financed my business from a piggy bank of quarters and change. I had nothing and my husband was in the hospital with an injury.

What are some elements for success? Hispanics were born with the go-getter attitude. As a woman you have to juggle your life your business and your family. It’s important that behind an entrepreneur stands a pillar or strength. That is the key, a husband, a family member or a true friend the kind that will tell you the truth even if it’s something you don’t want to hear.

Qualities an entrepreneur should posses? Perseverance, leadership, vision, feel it, and know in your mind what you’ll accomplish it, trust your instinct. I will listen, take advice but I’ll make my own decision. I’m a risk taker. You can do it, if you think too much about something you may not do it. When I got my first warehouse my husband asked how you are going to do it. But I knew and I did!

Is this a good time to start a business?
If you believe, if you have the dream, yes! There really is no right time if you have the right idea it will go well. Don’t hold back, on the contrary start now because it takes a while to get it started. By the time things with the economy are better you can say “We have learned how!” If you have dreams don’t wait!

Daniela’s company Riverplate Inc. (http://www.riverplatefulfillment.com) is located in Sun Valley, California.