s Robin Young first met Matt Victoriano at the 2012 Democratic Convention in Charlotte. He was struggling with PTSD and also struggling to open his own business. We鈥檝e been following him ever since (hear Robin鈥檚 October interview with him ).
Now, his dream has finally come true, thanks to a lot of his own hard work and financial help from his family. , a combination coffee shop and bar, is opening in Durham tomorrow. Robin Young paid a visit.
Interview Highlights: Matt Victoriano
On his frustrations over financing
鈥淟ike a lot of people, I assumed there was veteran financing. There鈥檚 a VA home loan, and I, like so many other people, thought there would be a small business loan. And there wasn鈥檛, and I wasn鈥檛 in a position financially to give banks or investors a reason, I guess, to invest in me. So I had to put it on credit cards, and my wife had to put it on credit cards 鈥� And her parents took out money from their retirement. And that鈥檚 what got us to this point.鈥�
On why he wanted to start a business
鈥淚t was the only hope I saw for myself. I had tried so many different ventures and jobs over the last 10 years that they wouldn鈥檛 fit for me, I wouldn鈥檛 fit for them. My mind state wasn鈥檛 right 鈥� [the PTSD] is still there. And that鈥檚 why 鈥� I mean, it鈥檚 given me the strength for this. This process has enabled me to look inside and become humble and do a lot of evaluating, and I want to provide that for other veterans and help them out.鈥�
On getting through it
鈥淲hen I started this, I was like, 鈥業鈥檓 a veteran, I can do anything. Look at what I did in the military. I can accomplish anything.鈥� And time dragged on. Money went away. Everything was a problem 鈥� And then I got to a point where I thought, 鈥業t can鈥檛 get any worse. I鈥檓 gonna lose the space. I鈥檓 gonna get divorced. Nobody likes me. I failed at this. The inspection failed. What am I doing?鈥� And then, that left me the choice: I can kill myself, I can run away, or I can push through it and make it a success. After those failures, I couldn鈥檛 keep looking at people and saying, 鈥業鈥檓 a badass,鈥� because I wasn鈥檛. I messed a lot of things up. And so at that point, I had to laugh and be like, 鈥榊eah, I messed it up, but I鈥檓 gonna keep going until I can鈥檛 go anymore.鈥欌��
Guests
- , Marine veteran and owner of Intrepid Life Coffee And Spirits.
- , Army combat veteran.
- , Marine Corp veteran whose art is on the walls of Intrepid Life Coffee And Spirits.
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