I’ve been asked to talk a bit about my other jobs, aside from being a working novelist.
I have several businesses in Mexico, and a publishing company in the EU.
The publishing company is self-explanatory – it publishes my novels in the US, Canada, and the EU (other than countries where I’ve sold the translation rights, like Germany and Bulgaria and the Czech Republic). The Mexican businesses are not as obvious: I have a custom home design and construction firm in Cabo San Lucas, and am the owner of a chain of restaurants in Guadalajara.
The design and build business is called BuildCabo.com – it specializes in larger custom homes in higher-end communities in Baja, Mexico. It has built dozens of these sorts of houses over the last 14 years, many of which are on the beach or in luxury areas like on the golf course in Puerto Los Cabos (a marquis development in San Jose del Cabo), as well as in Zapopan, Guadalajara. If you’re curious about the work, you can go to the website and select “projects,” which will bring up a selection of the various styles I’ve designed and built.
I’m also considered an expert on Mexican building, and wrote a construction column for the Gringo Gazette in Cabo for years, and published a how-to book titled “This ‘Ol Casa – Building in Baja 101,” under the name C. Phillip Osso. It covers a multitude of do’s and don’ts involved in the construction process in Mexico, where there are virtually no codes, no building inspectors, and no licenses or certification to speak of for builders.
The restaurants are named Peku (the sound a chicken makes in Mexico, sort of like a “cluck” but with Latin flavah), and are a California chicken concept much like Chic-Fil-A. We have three locations at present, and after the virus is over, plan to expand to 8-10 in Guadalajara, and franchise over the rest of Mexico. The Facebook page can be found here. The places throw insane levels of profit due to having fine-tuned food costs and processes, and see well above the 33% net that is the standard for restaurants of their type, making them attractive for franchisees (they were barely break-even when I bought them). Best of all, they cost less than $100K USD to build out and equip a location, so I have no doubt they will be in hot demand once we open them up for franchising (we already have a waiting list for several areas!).
The other projects I’ve been working on are an Argentine Gelato franchise for Mexico (for which I’m currently headhunting gelato chefs in Buenos Aires), and I’m also helping with the home design, construction standards, and overall look and feel for a subdivision in a five star, 18 hole golf course community. I’m very excited about both these projects, although I’ve been sworn to secrecy until they’re ready for launch, so that’s all I can say about them for now.
That’s what I do when I’m not writing. So those who are annoyed that it’s taking 3-4 months for a novel instead of 6 weeks, just understand that none of this happens by itself, and time management only allows so many hours in a day for any of my responsibilities.
I also have been known to drink too much tequila and hang out with women of questionable character, but that’s par for the course given my primary vocation.
And don’t even get me started on the ugly rumors that periodically surface about me. I mean, seriously. You throw one dead hooker off a bridge, and suddenly you’re pigeonholed.
Not fair, people, not fair.