The FreshPro Story: Friendship. Failure. Growth

2025-10-22

From a 250-square-foot office with one desk and a shared bathroom to becoming one of the top watermelon shippers in the U.S., this is the story of FreshPro and its founders, Mike and Jose. In this C-Suite Series episode, Chris sits down with two lifelong friends who built a thriving produce business from scratch, without investors, blueprints, or corporate playbooks. What started as a hustle turned into a legacy. This conversation explores: The wild early days of selling watermelons by...

From a 250-square-foot office with one desk and a shared bathroom to becoming one of the top watermelon shippers in the U.S., this is the story of FreshPro and its founders, Mike and Jose.

In this C-Suite Series episode, Chris sits down with two lifelong friends who built a thriving produce business from scratch, without investors, blueprints, or corporate playbooks. What started as a hustle turned into a legacy.

This conversation explores:

The wild early days of selling watermelons by sheer tenacity

How friendship, trust, and conflict shaped their partnership

Why rediscovering purpose mattered more than profit

How they’re now building a culture that lasts

Whether you’re leading a startup or a legacy company, this is a story about grit, growth, and learning to lead for impact, not just validation.

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