In this episode of the Get Loved Up Podcast, Koya Webb talks to renowned restaurateur behind Kale My name, Nemanja Gulobovic. Growing up in the small country of Montenegro, Nemanja knew he was meant to go out there and make a name for himself. He started his journey by applying for scholarships abroad and eventually was able to study in Mexico. Not long after, he started traveling around the world by securing a job with Qatar Airways. He first came to the United States by landing in Chicago, where he got married and found success as an entrepreneur. He opened Kale My Name, a vegan restaurant that has since expanded to Los Angeles, California via a partnership with actress Tabitha Brown. Nemanja’s life has been literally quite a journey. Besides traveling across the world, he also found himself to have transformed many times, from coming to terms with his sexuality to embracing veganism. He brings with him his message of positivity and hope for a brighter future, and to never give up on your dreams.
Nemanja Golubovic, owner of Kale My Name, was born and raised in Montenegro. He graduated with a degree in public relations from Mexico, speaks four languages, and lived and worked in several different countries before immigrating to the United States seven years ago. From day one, Nemanja has worked in the restaurant industry and lives by the motto—vegan for the animals, health, and earth.
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HIGHLIGHTS
03:26 Staying connected to family despite the great distance is important
05:37 We go through a lot of different personas in our journey
07:11 Sexuality is not a choice, it is something you're born with
14:09 Making a love of travel into a job
16:35 Turning vegan and valuing life
19:36 Recognizing privilege by helping the least fortunate
22:30 Life as a fledgling restaurateur
33:38 Running into setbacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic
44:05 Coming up with "Kale my Name" and the ensuing success
54:12 God is always in control
56:45 Don't take now for an answer, and write your business plan
QUOTES
Nemanja: “What did I do better than those people? And I did nothing. Life, it's a lottery and we win tickets, right? Like, so we got the winning tickets. So that's what made me realize, okay I feel responsible now towards the less lucky ones.”
Nemanja: “I do understand when there's parts of the world where that's not an option and I'm absolutely fine with it, but I was given an opportunity to do better, right. I was lucky and privileged to have a choice, right. Because like I have a menu in front of me, I don't have to go hunt for food.”
Nemanja: "I believe that this is the greatest country in the world, and there is a way to go, there's a billion things for improvement. I agree with American people, of course, but I still think it is better than what I have seen and what I came from.
Nemanja: “I absolutely do not like giving advice as in general, but this is really important advice for people to not listen to the negative thoughts and to not ever listen to 'you cannot do it because yes, you absolutely can.”
Koya: “Don't give up, don't take no for an answer, and write your business plan.”
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To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.