Genesis Perera

My Story

Before everything you see today, there was a little girl with lots of dreams, a mom who did the impossible for her kids and a path full of experiences that, without my realizing it, were shaping the woman I am.

Genesis Perera as a little girl at her graduation, wearing a blue cap and gown, with a medal and her diploma.

01Caracas

My roots are in Caracas

I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, in a family where I learned from a very young age that life doesn't always turn out the way you imagine.

My parents separated when I was just one year old. Although my dad lived very close to us and was part of different moments in my life, it was my mom who took on most of the responsibility of raising us.

I remember her leaving for work while it was still dark, around five thirty in the morning, and many times getting home close to nine at night.

There were three of us kids at home and, despite everything, we never went without.

Today, as a mother myself, I think about her a lot. About the exhaustion she must have felt, all the worries she had to keep to herself and the many things she probably gave up to give us the best.

My mom gave us so much more than she could.

My childhood had wonderful memories and others that were difficult. Some of them I only understood many years later. And although not everything was perfect, over time I've learned to look at my past with different eyes, to treasure the beautiful parts and also to acknowledge the experiences that left their mark on me.

02Teenage years

An independent girl and a pretty rebellious teenager

At eleven, I was already taking the bus to school by myself.

Some mornings I had to get up before five, because classes started at seven and, as anyone who knows Caracas can tell you, the traffic showed no mercy. 😂

Later on, one of my aunts helped me go to a private school, something I'll always be grateful for.

But I have to confess something: I wasn't exactly a calm teenager!

My mom was pretty strict. I wanted to go out with my friends, go to the movies, spend time with my cousins and do all those things that seem so important at that age.

There was a time when I didn't understand her rules, and I even went to live with my dad for a while.

Today I laugh at so many of my antics. But I also understand that behind that strict mom was a woman who worked incredibly hard and was trying to protect me from things I didn't understand yet.

Life has a very particular way of making us understand our parents once we're on the other side.

03Family

The women who taught me to dream

If there's one thing I'm deeply grateful for, it's having had women who left enormous marks on my life.

My mom taught me the value of work, of responsibility and of moving forward even when circumstances aren't easy.

But there was also an aunt who became one of my greatest role models.

Ever since I was little, I admired her life. She had her own business, a beautiful family and a husband who was cheerful, loving, a good father and one of those men who always have something to make you laugh.

And I used to think: someday I want a life like that.

I admired her so much that I ended up picking up lots of things from her: the way she talks, some of her expressions and even her loud laugh. 😂

And we look so much alike!

When we go out together, lots of people ask us if we're mother and daughter.

And nooo, she's my aunt! Hahaha.

Angel always jokes with my mom: “Miriam, did you switch those girls?” 😂

My mom is much shyer than we are. For years she told me to lower my voice and not laugh so loud. But I think at some point she just gave up.

Another one of my aunts also had a huge influence on me. She taught me to carry myself better, to talk to people and to lose that fear we sometimes have of offering something or trying to sell.

She sold handbags, clothes, jewelry and accessories, and I helped her.

She bought the products and offered them among her friends and in different offices. I helped her sell them, too.

Back then, I didn't see it as something that was building my future. I simply enjoyed helping her and learning from her.

Today I understand how much those experiences helped me.

I also have very fond memories of other people who were part of my childhood: families who welcomed me into their homes, took me on trips and made me feel loved.

My first trip to Margarita Island with my childhood best friend's family is one of those memories I still hold very dear.

And it moves me to think that some of those friendships and people are still part of my life so many years later.

04First jobs

Working, learning and trying again

I started working very young.

At fourteen, I worked at a mall that was almost two hours from my house.

I had to take a bus, then the metro and then another bus to get there. I got off late at night, and many times my dad, who worked as a taxi driver, would come pick me up.

Later, I studied at INCE and started working in offices.

I worked in human resources, administrative support, reception and, later on, credit and collections.

I don't have a college degree. My education has been a mix of technical studies, experience, people who took the time to teach me and a strong desire to learn on my own.

One of my jobs was at a distributor for brands like Estée Lauder, MAC and Clinique.

That's where I discovered a world I loved: makeup, cosmetics and skincare.

They gave us products, and at one point I had so many that I started selling some to family and friends. 😂

I also sold clothes, costume jewelry and accessories.

If I saw a chance to learn something new or earn some extra income, I wanted to give it a try.

But there's something I truly treasure from those years: the people.

Coworkers who gave me advice, friends who stood by me, people who helped me at important moments and who, even though life took us down different paths, I still remember fondly.

Many of those friendships are still with me today.

Because not everything you gain from working shows up as money.

My mom gave us so much more than she could.

052011

Love came when I least expected it

I met Angel in July 2011, through a mutual friend.

And here's the funny part: I didn't want a serious relationship! 😂

At least, that's what I told my friends.

But from the moment we started going out, we always found an excuse to see each other. One day it was a stroll, another day a meal, another day whatever plan we came up with.

Without realizing it, I was falling in love.

Our first kiss was on August 14, 2011, a date we still remember so fondly.

Ever since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of finding a man who would love me, respect me, accept me as I am and be a good father.

And one of the things that made me fall in love with Angel was precisely the way he treated his son.

There was something about him that reminded me of the family I dreamed of having when I was little.

Not long after we started dating, he gave me a key to his place.

I felt so shy about going in when he wasn't there, but he'd tell me: “I gave you a key so you can come whenever you want. You don't have to ask me for permission.”

And well… I ended up spending more time at his place than at mine, until one day he told me it was time for me to finish moving in with him. 😂

And that's how, almost without planning it, our life together began.

06Motherhood

Learning to be a mom and building a family

A few months later came news we weren't expecting: I was pregnant.

I'll never forget that moment.

We went together to get the test results and, when we found out it was positive, Angel started shouting with joy.

The people at the clinic were congratulating us.

And me?

I was crying! 😂

I was twenty-one and felt a huge mix of emotions. Fear, uncertainty, happiness… I wondered if I was ready and how I was going to take care of another little person who would depend completely on me.

Over the years came new lessons, and our family kept growing.

During a very important part of that time, I lived with my mother-in-law, whom I now call mami.

She was with me in those first moments of motherhood, when you have so many questions and so many fears.

She taught me so much, stood by me, helped me with my kids and was there for moments I'll never forget.

I've always said I was blessed to find a second mother in her.

To this day, every single day I get a message from her that starts with “Buenos días, hija” (“Good morning, my daughter”).

And even though we're far apart today, that love is still intact.

My family has always been a fundamental part of my life. Many of my decisions, my sacrifices and my drive to get ahead have had to do with them.

07Venezuela

Our first steps working together

When I met Angel, he already had Sushi Party, his sushi catering service for events.

I worked in an office during the week, and on weekends I went with him to prepare orders, organize supplies and help with whatever was needed.

Then came Seikami Sushi, our restaurant in Venezuela.

That experience was especially important, because that's where we began to discover what it was really like to work together in the same business.

Going with him to his events was one thing; sharing the responsibilities of a restaurant where we were both involved was something else entirely.

We learned to get organized, make decisions, work as a team and also understand each other in the middle of the responsibilities and challenges.

It was a time of a lot of learning.

The restaurant eventually closed, but that experience left us with knowledge we would end up using again years later.

We didn't know it at the time, but our story with sushi still had many chapters ahead.

Genesis Perera at the airport with her luggage on the day of the trip to Miami, January 2016.

Genesis's kids in their stroller during the trip to Miami, January 2016.

082015 – 2016

Starting from scratch in the United States

Angel arrived in Miami in October 2015.

I arrived in January 2016 with our two kids and three suitcases.

Three suitcases.

Sometimes I think about everything you leave behind when you decide to start over in another country. Your family, your friends, the places you know by heart, your customs and even those little things that used to seem so normal.

And even though you arrive full of hope, you also arrive afraid.

Because starting over means learning practically everything all over again.

Our life in Miami didn't begin with a restaurant or a business of our own.

It began with working, doing whatever needed to be done to get ahead.

My first job was at a dry cleaner's, ironing clothes for about nine months.

I still remember the heat of those summer days. There were moments when I felt like I was sweating salt.

What I earned barely covered childcare and food. Angel took care of the other expenses.

After that, I worked as a waitress.

We organized our schedules so that when one of us was working, the other could stay with the kids.

And when one of my kids started school, I decided to stay home with the youngest, who got sick often.

It was an important decision for our family, but I still felt that urge to do something, to learn and to contribute.

Genesis Perera with Angel and their two kids on their first visit to the beach in Miami, 2016.

09Miami

Every attempt shaped me

During that time, I discovered Mary Kay.

I liked the possibility of working with beauty products and managing my schedule better while I took care of my kids.

Later, Angel and I also joined Amway.

Not everything turned out the way we hoped, but something really beautiful about those experiences was that we became more interested in personal growth, in reading and in learning new ways of thinking.

We listened to books, shared ideas and tried to find tools to improve our lives.

There was also a time when I did Uber Eats and DoorDash deliveries at night.

I always took our kids with me in the car because I had no one to leave them with.

I remember it and think of that mom driving from one place to another, keeping track of the order, the address, the traffic and, at the same time, the kids sitting in the back.

It wasn't always easy.

There was exhaustion, there were long days and there were moments when I surely would have preferred to be resting at home.

But there was also that desire to contribute, to find a solution, to not just wait for things to change on their own.

I remember that when I told my kids “we're going to work,” they often started crying because they didn't want to go. And how could I forget, when just a few days ago I found memories from that time on my Instagram.

Today I look at those pictures and realize everything we went through together. Maybe they just wanted to stay home, while I was trying to find a way to work and still be there for them.

It wasn't the work I had dreamed of doing. But it was an opportunity right in front of me, and I decided to take it.

And today I don't look back on any of those stages with shame.

Quite the opposite.

Because every job, every attempt and every experience was teaching me something I needed to learn.

Sometimes you think you're going around in circles without getting anywhere, until the years go by and you understand that all of it was also preparing you.

Today I don't look back on any of those stages with shame.

Seikami Miami sushi platter with its sauces.

Seikami Miami flyer hanging on a door handle.

102017

An attempt that seemed to have failed

In 2017, we tried selling sushi trays in Miami similar to the ones we offered in Venezuela.

We put together ads and hired a company to hand out flyers, trying to get our products known and find customers.

But it didn't work.

We were new, people didn't know us, and earning enough trust to sell food prepared at home was very hard.

So we put those trays away and went on with our lives.

It wasn't a big success story. It was simply one of those attempts that don't turn out the way you hope.

And for a while it just stayed there, as an idea we had tried that apparently had no future.

The funny thing is that life often puts you in front of an opportunity again when you least expect it.

Genesis Perera and Angel Mendoza smiling at home, him wearing a Tu Sushi 305 T-shirt.

Tu Sushi 305 sushi platters prepared at home in 2020.

112020

How Tu Sushi 305 was born

In February 2020, someone who knew we made sushi placed an order with us.

And that order made us look again at something we had tried years before.

This time, things started heading in a different direction.

Little by little, from home, we began receiving orders, organizing deliveries and learning to handle everything involved in offering our products.

We didn't have a big structure behind us.

We had experience, drive, a family and a whole lot of work ahead of us.

Over time, that project that started at home became Tu Sushi 305, and then came one of our most important steps: opening our own restaurant.

Behind that restaurant are countless hours of effort, sacrifices, hard decisions, investments, mistakes and lessons.

Angel brings his talent and experience as a chef.

I've been involved in the administration, the numbers, the organization, customer service, communication and many of those tasks that customers may not see but that are essential to keep a business running.

Not everything has been easy, and we still have so much to learn.

But when I look back and remember that time when we were paying for ads trying to sell sushi, I realize how far we've come.

Tu Sushi 305 is a very special part of our story.

And it also reminded me of something that had always been inside me: that desire to create, learn, try new things and build something with my own hands.

Genesis Perera using her phone in a warm workspace.

12Today

Today, another chapter begins

For many years, my life was dedicated to my family, my jobs and the projects we've built together.

And I still feel deeply grateful for all of that.

But there came a moment when I also wanted to create a space of my own.

A place where I could share the things I've learned, the products I discover, the experiences I live and those resources that might help other people.

Not because I have all the answers.

Quite the opposite.

I'm still learning, still making mistakes, still asking questions and still discovering new things.

And that's exactly why I want to share them.

That's how my personal brand began to take shape: Genesis Perera.

A space where I want to show myself just as I am, talk about what I truly know and share what has helped me at different moments of my life.

I've been the little girl who got up before dawn to go to school, the rebellious teenager, the young woman who sold products to her office coworkers, the woman who found her life partner, the mom who learned as she went and the person who has had to start over more than once.

I've had beautiful moments and others I wouldn't want to repeat.

I've met wonderful people, I've made mistakes, I've felt afraid and I've made decisions without knowing exactly what would happen next.

But every stage has left something in me.

Today I look back with gratitude, not because everything turned out the way I wanted, but because every experience helped me get here.

And I still have many dreams to fulfill.

I believe in dreams we don't keep to ourselves.

With love,

Genesis

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