NataliaTo begin with, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?
MelisaHello! My name is Melisa. I am the owner of Tan Coffee.
The idea of creating Tan Coffee started last year when I thought about creating a coffee trailer—bringing something from Argentina. I'm from Argentina, and I wanted to bring some tastes and cultural context to the community here, to create a connection with the Latin community.
When I started thinking about having the coffee trailer, I began looking for providers, and one of the first things I thought about was the name. The name Tan Coffee came from that process.
NataliaTell us a bit about your name. What's the story behind it?
MelisaThe story behind the name—Tan Coffee—comes from the word "tan" in Argentina, which means "a lot," but in a positive way. We like to exaggerate everything: a lot of happiness, a lot of coffee, a lot of everything. That's why the name came to my mind.
Also, one of my best friends has a boutique—she designs clothes—and the name of her boutique is Tan Flora. She's the one who provides me with clothing here. She helped me with the name and gave me a lot of ideas. I'm super grateful to her. She's a super-empowered woman with her own business.
A lot of happiness, a lot of coffee, a lot of everything.
From Córdoba to Auckland
NataliaSo, you've told us you're from Argentina. Where in Argentina are you from? Can you paint a picture of what life was like growing up there? Did you grow up by the beach, or in the city?
MelisaI'm from Córdoba—it's a city in the middle of the country. I was born and raised there. It's a big city, and my childhood was spent playing on the streets with my friends, riding bikes, and just enjoying time outside. It was super fun and a really happy time.
NataliaTell me a bit about your journey to New Zealand. What inspired you to come here?
MelisaOkay, so I came here in 2018. At that moment, it was with my partner—now my husband. We came together because we had friends here, and they told us about life in New Zealand, about Auckland. And we said, "Why not? We can go and try."
As soon as we arrived in Auckland, we fell in love with the country, with the culture, with the easy peace that you can have here. It was a hard journey to get here, but I think it's worth it. The community is super kind, people are sweet and super nice here. So I love this country for that.
Melisa, owner and founder of Tan Coffee.
The leap
NataliaWhy did you decide to start your business?
MelisaI was working in the corporate world, always in admin positions, and my last job was in a finance company. One day I said, okay, I need to change my life because I was all stressed and I couldn't choose my times—you know, when I work, when I need to do something else. I decided to start this business because of that, because I want the freedom of choosing.
For example, if I want to change something in the business, it's my decision. I can do it and I can see the results immediately. You know, when you work in corporate, you want to change things because you say, okay, this can work or not, but till you say the proposal, till the proposal goes to an end, maybe it can pass a lot of time or never come true. So I thought about it, doing this for the freedom to choose different kinds of things, and also because I wanted to escape the corporate world.
NataliaDo you think you would be a business owner in Argentina as well if you were still living there?
MelisaThat's a really good question, but actually I don't think so. No, because in Argentina, or at least in Cordoba, um, the routine and the life is so fast that you don't have time to stop and think about what do you want for your future or what do you want for your life? And for that, I feel, I think this place is perfect because you have the time and a really good balance to your work and to personal life.
NataliaWas there a moment in time when you were lying in bed or you were having a coffee with your husband and you said, okay, this is it. I'm gonna do it. I am going to start a business. Can you remember that moment?
MelisaYes. It was actually two years ago, I was between jobs and I felt, okay, I need to do something different because I didn't want to be in that position again—like doing interviews or looking for a job. And in that moment I think, okay, I need to do something different. I need to start my own business. At the moment, I didn't know what to do, you know, because I have like a list of a lot of ideas, different ideas for creating a business. But in that moment I said, okay, I'm going to look for a job, but the main goal is creating my own business.
NataliaAnd what was going through your mind? Did you have any fears or was there anything in particular that was holding you back? Because you said it was two years from the moment you started thinking about it?
MelisaI think the fear, the great, the grand fear that you can feel is like the fear of not succeeding, like failure because you don't know what is going to happen. And that creates a lot of anxiety. And for a person like me, I like to have everything in control. It's so difficult to let it go. Just thinking about the idea and doing it for real, becoming a reality is hard, you know, because you need to trust the brand. You need to say, okay, I am going to do this. But a lot of things are out of your control. And for that, I think it was a bit like procrastination. Like say, okay, I am going to wait till this time to create the business. But the good thing is I put like a timeline and that worked for me.
Building in a second language
NataliaAnd how do you think, or do you think that being a migrant influenced the process of starting your business?
MelisaYes. I think it's a bit hard because this being my second language sometimes when you need to read like the documents or the government based website you are a bit confused, but not confused because the information is not there, it is because of my second language, right? The good thing about New Zealand is that you have all the information in there, and if you have that, you can like, grab the phone, make a phone call, and they are ready to help you.
For example, at the beginning when I didn't know how to do with the council, with the license, you have like a huge list so you can apply for this license or this one, and then you are like, with a lot of information in your mind. So at that moment it was so hard for me to pick up the phone and say, okay, hello. I need help. But, uh, they help me a lot. They tell me everything that I need to do for opening my business. They advise me like correctly. And I think that is a really good thing when you start a business because you don't know everything. You need to ask for help. You need to ask for doing the correct thing, the right thing.
NataliaI know there are lots of women out there and you know, speaking English as a second language is a big barrier. For me, at the beginning, and even still now, after 23 years, sometimes it still is. So what do you think that motivated you to overcome that challenge? How were you able to pick up the phone?
MelisaYes. It's funny, but I plan what to say. You know, I write on paper, okay, what do I need from them? What questions do I need to do? And then it was easy, you know, because you know what to say what to do. And also, you know that you need to be conscious that you are going to make mistakes talking and it is fine because it's our second languages, you know, and trying to not like, be ashamed of that, trying to embrace it to say, okay, yes, I make mistakes, but I can communicate, I can pick up the phone and call the counsel and really, they're super kind and they have patient, they're treat you like, awesome.
Melisa's playbook
5 real barriers, and how she beat them
Starting a business in a new country is hard. Here's what tripped Melisa up, and how she got through. Tap a card to flip it.
1Language anxiety
The problem
"I was terrified to pick up the phone. I didn't want to make mistakes speaking English."
↻ Tap for the fix
The fix
Script everything.
"I write on paper exactly what I need to ask. I embrace the mistakes. It's okay, I can still communicate."
↻ Tap to flip back
2Bureaucracy in a foreign land
The problem
Information overload, council regulations, and licenses.
↻ Tap for the fix
The fix
Ask for help.
"I learned the Council actually wants to help. They are patient and they advised me correctly. You just have to pick up the phone."
↻ Tap to flip back
3Isolation
The problem
Building in a silo with no local network.
↻ Tap for the fix
The fix
Reach out to others, including competitors.
"I went to other coffee trailers and asked them about suppliers and locations. People here are super kind and willing to help."
↻ Tap to flip back
4Fear of failure
The problem
"I like to have everything in control. The uncertainty of starting a business in a foreign country creates anxiety."
↻ Tap for the fix
The fix
Set a deadline.
"Procrastination is just fear. I put a timeline on my dream, and that forced me to move."
↻ Tap to flip back
5Imposter syndrome
The problem
As a migrant building your dream in a new country, there are many moments of self-doubt.
↻ Tap for the fix
The fix
Surround yourself with believers.
"Lean on people that believe in you. You need to be around people that get your vision and know that you are going to create something beautiful."
↻ Tap to flip back
Roots & connections
NataliaYou talked about wanting to share a bit of your culture with the business, but do you think there was anything about the way you grew up in Cordoba or your cultural background that helped you succeed as a business woman?
MelisaYes. Because my dad has his own business in Cordoba and I grew up with that role model, you know, like the business owner that's always trying to improve and change things for the business.
NataliaWere there any people or resources or anything that made a difference in making this journey a reality?
MelisaWhen I started this journey, I talked with a lot of trailer owners. I went to different spots and talked to them about, how hard it is to start the business, and what is the most important things that I need to keep in mind.
You know for example, the providers, because one of the things for being a trailer, it is not easy to find a good supplier for the coffee beans or for the machinery. So in that moment, connections, in my opinion, are the most important thing because you can rely on other experiences and they can teach you what was the journey for them.
One of the person that helped me the most, it was one of the coffee trailers lady, that she told me the best things and the most important things is the position, the location, where you are going to put your trailer, which people are you going to serve, and the kind of stuff, because that is the thing that is going to do your business succeed or fail. So, connections, in my opinion, don't be afraid to ask. People here are so kind and they're always open to help you. So I think that is important as well.
Connections, in my opinion, are the most important thing. Don't be afraid to ask.
Finding the truck
NataliaTell me about finding your truck. What was that adventure like?
MelisaI went to a lot of trailer suppliers. There are like a huge range of different options. You have huge trailers, small trailers. But in my case, I went to Hamilton to buy this trailer. It was all empty, and I did all the decoration and put the stuff. Of course the machines are from the coffee being suppliers, but all of the other stuff are my creation as well. The name, the logo, the design of the flowers, everything.
The name, the logo, the flowers — all her own creation.
NataliaCan you tell me of a proud moment or breakthrough starting your business?
MelisaOh, yes. I think it was the day of the opening. Yeah, because I was so nervous, so excited about the situation. I started the day before like just a trial and it was really good. And the next day on the opening day it was raining, but like pouring rain, the weather was awful. But a lot of friends came in, supported me and buy a lot of things, so it was a really, really happy moment for me. And I think that was the proud moment because I, it's like I made it, it is here. Like it is open, it's running and everything went smooth and, and that was like the, like the winner moment, like, yay!
What keeps her going
NataliaCan you tell us one thing that you love the most about running your business?
MelisaYes. The connection with people talking with people knowing different stories, you know, that a lot of people think that running your own business is just doing the things and that's all, but that is not the end of the thing.
You have a huge range of things to do, from opening the business early in the morning till the late afternoon creating contents or checking the prices or making different things. But I think the most important and the thing that I like the most is talking with people. Connecting. And when someone comes here and tells me a story or tells me about their life, I think that's the best thing about this business.
NataliaHow do you stay motivated when things get a bit tough?
MelisaOh, that's a hard one. I think the motivation is that I love what I'm doing. You know, when you like your job, when you like your business it's like, okay, I need to keep going. Now it's hard. There are some moments that you say, why I am doing this or, or for example, if I'm doing things well or not, but I think you need to keep going. Keep trying, trying different things, try new things, try the same as always. But yeah, that's, I think that's the motivation.
Her message
NataliaMany women dream about starting a business and they may not be able to make it a reality. So what would you say to someone, maybe a migrant woman that's reading this and is dreaming about starting a business but struggling with fear or self-doubt?
MelisaI think the advice that I can give is like, try to rely on people that believe in you. Because it is hard when you don't believe in yourself and when you have doubts about starting this business or whatever business you want to do, you need to be around and rely on people that trust in you and believe in you, and think that you are going to create something beautiful.
And if things come from the bottom of your heart, it's going to work. I know that it's scary. I know that a lot of fears come to mind, like all the time, because you never know if you are doing the correct thing, but that's life. You don't know if you are doing anything right.
And, also the brave thing you did is came here to leave your life behind and start a new life in a country. You, maybe you don't know the language, maybe you don't know anything or anyone here. So that's the bravest thing. So the other thing is easy peasy. Surely, a little.
The bravest thing you did was leave your life behind and start a new life in a country.
NataliaSo what would you tell Mely, you know, packing her bags, getting ready to come to New Zealand? Did you ever imagine this would be your reality today?
MelisaNo. No, actually I thought that I will be like working for a corporate business forever and ever. And if I come back to that moment and tell that Mely like, you are going to do this? Probably, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it at the moment, but I think everything is possible if you want to do it.
I know that it's a cliche, but if you dream it, you can do it. And the good thing is, like I said before the bravest thing that you did is came here to another country with another customs, with another culture language, and you started like new.
The dream
NataliaTo finish off, can you tell us what's your vision or your dream for Tan coffee? What do you imagine for the future?
MelisaI would love to have a store, like maybe not the biggest one, but a place where people can go and have a moment for connection and maybe have more Argentine pastries or more products for Argentina. Like for example, empanadas. I know that a lot of people were asking me, do you sell empanadas? At the moment, I can't, I am not allowed to and I can't sell them. But I think that the goal and the dream is that, having a space where people can go and connect and taste the products of Argentina.
Thank you, Melisa, for sharing your journey with us.
