(Editor’s note: This is the 29th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success. See previous installments here.)
As a mixed-race youngster raised in a tough section of Fall River, Nic Cortes saw two distinct paths he could take in life, neither of which he was willing to pursue.
He looked at his working-class mother laboring for years as a certified nursing assistant, undervalued by her employers. And he witnessed his two older brothers lured into a violent street culture plaguing their neighborhood, which led both to state prison. One of his brothers remains incarcerated.
“She never made enough money,” Cortes said of his mother. “I always understood I had to make my own money to become my own boss.”
Cortes has been working for as long as he can remember. His first job was on a farm when he was 8.
The city presented challenges at first. And then an escape. Street fights were a common occurrence. By the time he was 10, he had been in multiple fights, which motivated him to study martial arts.
“I first got into it as a kid to protect myself. I wanted to learn to defend myself,” he said.
As he perfected his craft, the street fights ended. Neighborhood kids suddenly weren’t so quick to challenge him. He eventually started competing in sanctioned competitions.
“Jiu-jitsu saved my life,” he said. “It may sound cliché, but it did. [Otherwise] I would have probably joined a gang and would be in prison or dead by now.”
With dreams of opening his own academy, Cortes knew he would first need capital. He continued to work while enrolled in community college but dropped out soon after.
“I had a hard time doing general studies,” he said. “Because I always believed that to succeed in business, you have to just go out and do it and learn from your mistakes.”
The gamble paid off. He opened Cortes BJJ LLC in Warwick in 2017, offering self-defense programs for children, teens and adults in a range of disciplines, in addition to jiu-jitsu, such as boxing, fitness and strength conditioning.
He’s got about 90 students, and they call him “professor,” the title in Brazilian jiu-jitsu traditionally given to expert-level practitioners.
Cortes credits his success with a philosophy that combines business with friendship, allowing him to recruit new students that in turn grow his academy. Numerous online reviews from former and current students of all ages and demographics credit his academy for helping them with physical and mental transformations.
“In my teachings, we talk about how to hit your goals in life, how not to let the little things bother you and how to appreciate each moment,” he said. “I developed a personal system that also helps me run my school.”
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? I think for certain minorities in certain businesses, 100% yes. I see it all the time. Some white-owned businesses do great right way, while the [Latino], Asian and Black communities have to struggle a little bit more.
But it depends on where you are. In a place such as Warwick, it can be harder for a Hispanic business to grow as opposed to cities such as Providence. Either way, you are at the mercy of everyone and everything. As a minority, you must spend your own money to make your small business grow. I wish it wasn’t that way, but it’s true.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? Maybe because of my last name, we do have a lot of [Latino customers] who call us. Sometimes I feel like it’s harder to break out of that, but I really can’t complain because I’m doing what I love. But it would be nice to have more whites, Blacks and Asians wanting to take classes.
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? I think we need to have better grant programs for minority-owned businesses. But you must have a plan. Those two things go hand in hand. I know of non-minority-owned businesses that have grown in one year to the same size it took me five years to get to.
For example, during the [COVID-19] shutdowns, much of the funding did not trickle down enough for many to survive. Just in the four months we were closed, we lost close to $50,000 and we only got $10,000 [in forgivable loans]. It barely helped us because it had to go toward our expansion [to comply with public health regulations]. So it was not helping my business directly.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? I don’t work with any bank directly. I’ve always been bootstrapped. When we moved to our new space, I tried to work with the local branches, and they wouldn’t give me a loan. It’s crazy because I had proof of paying for my business for over four years. When I tried to get a loan for my business through Capital One [Financial Corp.], they said you can’t because you don’t have any credit. But how can I build any credit if no one accepts me?
And still to this day, I have no credit [line] for my business, even though I pay all my bills on time.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them? I would say to ask other successful business owners what they have done. Or go to local DEI [diversity equity inclusion] groups. Or find free networking or food truck events and just start talking to people.
Thank you pbn