Roman Jones has built an empire, there’s no doubt about that. When you look at his solid repertoire of clubs, bars and restaurants you see that includes some of the hottest hospitality venues in Miami. Miami has gained worldwide recognition for partying, dining and generally having a great time. Jones has had a huge part to play in this, and has personally been responsible for overseeing the rise of not just a couple of successful hospitality ventures, but over 10!
Few people can boast responsibility for such an impressive list of successful hospitality businesses, and Jones’ list is compromised of some huge names, such as Mokai nightclub in Miami Beach, FL, Brickell’s Baby Jane Cocktail and Ramen Bar, celeb hotspot Kiki on The River along the historic Miami River, Mandrake in Miami Beach’s hot hotel zone, runaway hit El Santo and Don Diablo Speakeasy on historic Calle Ocho, and soon-to-open The Gramercy in Coral Gables. It’s no secret that Jones has been the driving force behind Miami’s ongoing cultural renaissance and the national hospitality industry.
Dominating the hospitality industry is no easy feat. The hours are long, the work is relentless, and although very fun, it can be hard to keep your head in the game. Here we have compiled some of Roman Jones’ best advice when it comes to thriving as an aspiring entrepreneur, in a hope that it will help some of our readers get inspired, and learn some helpful information in how to stay focused on their vision.
Always Aim to Deliver Value
When asked what his biggest successes were, Jones stated “Mansion and Kiki on The River transformed their respective neighborhoods, and also brought a lot of good people together. I’m really proud of them both.” It’s clear that Jones works in order to deliver value to his clientele, improving spaces and bringing people together.
This “bigger picture” outlook is key. Focusing on providing value wherever possible is a great way to approach the operating of any hospitality business, and your passion will translate into the whole vibe of the business, making it naturally stand apart from the rest.
Never Get Complacent
Jones preaches to never take success for granted, previously stating “success is a mistress that can’t be tamed and needs constant hard work and attention or she’s off to visit the next Prince Charming”. Staying humble is a theme among highly successful entrepreneurs, and it’s important to not get complacent with success, but to use it as a driving force for bigger and better projects.
Master Your Field
Jones’ advice to young entrepreneurs is to “stick to whatever field you know and you’re passionate about, and use any and any advantage as a window of opportunity. Learn from your losses and use your haters as motivation to shut them up. Make your parents proud.”
In the modern world, we are more spoilt for choice than ever before about different exciting ways to build your entrepreneurial career, and all the directions you could take in doing so. It’s easy to get excited about it all and can be hard to identify which is the right path to take. This advice from Jones serves as a reminder for us all that it’s important to channel your entrepreneurial energy into not just what you love to do, but also what you are good at doing. Focus on your long-term vision for your business, figure out what you can do better than the rest, and work on building that skill so that you become a master at it. Make those parents proud.
Keep your head sane
Having values and healthy habits is crucial in any industry. Even more in the nightlife scene where you are asked to work with low lights, high volume and on odd time schedule. Everything is enhanced, everything is out of proportion. It’s almost like living in a SciFi movie. It’s not reality. To keep sanity in such a disruptive environment is hard. But Roman managed to keep his sanity, focus and rationality through a strict routine that includes daily workouts, only the healthiest food and long pauses of reflection. In this, Miami has a lot to offer. From early morning beach walks, to sunset yoga sessions in one of the numerous waterfront parks. But in the end the key is having healthy people around you, that keep you grounded and with your values as foundation.