We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Caraballo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, what do you want people to remember about you?

I want to be remembered the same way as my Grandfather was remembered by those who’ve known him. He was a baker from Cuba and migrated to the United States once his businesses were taken away by the Cuban Government. But that never stopped him, he didn’t hesitate to start over what was true to who he is and he started baking from his garage until he was able to save enough to start again but this time, as a free man in the USA!
To be remembered as someone who has provided for their community and beyond is truly a great legacy to leave behind in any generation. My Grandfather provided for many in even the lightest gestures such as providing a job, a hot meal and even some of the baked goods that he made daily.
 
Most of these moments were discovered from others sharing their stories about my Grandfather. It’s truly a humbling experience to remember him from the community he’s helped.
My ultimate purpose is to create an atmosphere where people can gather around and build a community together and the Protein Donuts is the inspiration! The effects of COVID-19 has raised a larger awareness of having a place where friends and families can enjoy delicacies with many others in their community. The goal is to establish a new and safe place for public gatherings with continually updated safety and beautifully delicious donuts.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Donuts, donuts, DONUTS.

In the past 10 years, I’ve struggled to maintain my weight. Seeing the scale that I was standing on and reading my weight at 200lbs was the catalyst that I needed to make changes for my health for a better future. My past struggles with food also proved that I was not the only one out there! That inspired me to create something that an average consumer can have daily but in moderation and that was… Donuts!
FRESH. DONUTS. That’s the key ingredient to any recipe in the world. If people were shifting their old eating habits into healthy eating habits, the best introduction is to consume “fresh foods”. You will never have a bad experience when you’re eating fresh. Our donut’s ingredients derive from “Whole Foods Market”, quality is important to us so we make sure that our ingredients are just as fresh as our donuts are. It also preserves nutritional value when everything is freshly picked and baked, this applies to almost any recipe that exists.

How did we get to where we are professionally? Was it easy?

 
When your daily environment includes people who are on the same wavelength as you are, it keeps you on track to achieve the goals that you strive to reach for. I’m proud of my team for achieving the goals that were once just “an idea”, our dynamic delivered us great lengths.
The toughest challenge has yet to come! My current toughest challenge is recovering from my broken leg but in the beginning I’ve discovered something larger than just my broken leg. I’ve learned that it’s a rough world out there, in business. It’s cutthroat, it’s beyond what
 I’ve expected it to be and to discover that this is truly how it is, I’ve come to the conclusion that I should never give the opportunity to compromise my well-being and my passion for success through others. Success derives from being true to myself and what my business is built on, and it’s built by my communities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I grew up in the beautiful beach city of Redondo Beach, so it would start off with a walk or bike ride on the beach, following some breakfast at one of my favorite spots, Good Stuff.

I’d then take them to The Terranea, which is a beautiful hotel that any one can visit and I’d show them the amazing Palos Verdes and all the beautiful scenery and cliffs.

We would later go to Los Angeles to walk around, eat, take photos, and possibly shop. If they’re staying a week we would also make a trip to Long Beach and ride around the city to look up art that local artist have painted. They’re all over!

If they were up for it, I’d take them to some of the coolest gyms that I know and we could get in a little workout.

To be honest, I’d probably try to take my guest to every beach possible while being here. I mean we have some of the best beach cities and weather, EVER! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few people I would like to shoutout for inspiring me in someway or another.

First, my mom, sister Stephanie, cousin Rachelle, and my fiancé Rene.

Without these three, who knows where I’d be! They’ve been my go-to people and have always been there for me during the best and darkest times in my life. When I recently broke my leg, they all came together as a team to run my business and take care of the things I couldn’t. They’ve always had my back & helped me anytime I felt the world was crumbling around me. Whether they’d like to believe it or not, a lot of my success comes from each one of them and I really can’t thank them for being my rock through life. They truly are my muse and I’m blessed to have them in my life everyday.

Second, I want to shoutout Jason Tam and Marissa Garavito from Self Made Training Facility located in West Covina AND Jessica Rico from Grampa’s Boxing Gym located in Westminster.

Jason, Marissa, and Jessica have always welcomed me with open arms into their facilities, (aka their second homes), & shown nothing but love & support to me & my business. I’ve been blessed to not only be in their environment, but to witness them create the most amazing team & do what they love the most! They’ve shown me that although things are never easy. with the right team, people, and mindset behind you that anything is possible! I am inspired by them everyday and couldn’t thank them more for always having my back, believing in me, and always helping me level up.

Third, I’d like to thank my friend Lambert for being here for one of the toughest times in my life. I broke my leg 6 weeks ago and Lambert was and has been one of the only friends to check up on me and get me out of my house when I’ve been down/ didn’t want to see the light of day. This has been one of the toughest times in my life, but I’ll always remember the people who got me out of bed and continued to remind me of my talents and dreams when I started to forget them. He has done more than he will ever know and I truly want to thank and acknowledge him during these times!

Lastly, I want to thank Ron Acevedo, (IG: @Synergistic.Health), for taking the time to take care of me during these times. I’ve struggled running my business with a broken leg and he has gone out of his way to not only remind me how great everything is going to be, but how he’s going to get me back on my feet. He’ll be a key component to my recovery/ getting me back to my feet and I truly want to thank him for taking the time to get me right so I can come back stronger than I ever was before!

Website: theproteindonut.com

Instagram: TheProteinDonut

Facebook: TheProteinDonut

Image Credits
Myself

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