Mohammad Farraj of Talkin on Resilience, Viral Growth, and Customer-Centric Culture

As a part of our series called “My Life as a TwentySomething Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mohammad Farraj.

Mohammad Farraj not only became a doctor at the age of 25 but is also the co-founder of Talkin’ Tacos which started as a food truck business in Miami, Florida in 2020. Serving scratch Mexican dishes, the brand has four corporate locations with additional South Florida corporate locations set to open in 2023 and several signed multi-unit franchise deals in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville and New York.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?

My name is Mohammad Farraj and I am a 27 year old founder. I grew up in Miami, FL in a family of 15 siblings. Times were trying during my years of growing up, but through the help and support of my family, I became a doctor at the age of 25. It was during my graduate school days that I founded Talkin’ Tacos with my childhood best friend. I am married and have a beautiful wife and daughter who drive and motivate me to be the best version of myself.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company? What lessons or takeaways did you take out of that story?

When we first started our Talkin’ Tacos food truck, business was slow (as expected in the middle of a worldwide pandemic). One day, a social media influencer posted about us on Tik Tok and we went viral. We didn’t know we had gone viral and were expecting another slow day on the food truck. 30 minutes before we opened, the chef who operated the food truck calls me freaking out, yelling “GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A LINE STRETCHED AROUND THE BLOCK”. I simply asked him if he was on the right food truck. We both laughed and we found out what happened shortly after I arrived and asked some customers how they heard about us.

Lesson we learned: the power of social media is undeniable. The best way for anyone to help a growing business is to simply share it! Sharing a positive review, liking a post or sharing their content is the best third-party validation that is simply invaluable.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Talkin’ Tacos is special first and foremost because of our chef-driven, Instagram-worthy menu featuring an array of guest-favorites such as Birria Tacos, Birria Ramen, Southwest Chicken Tacos, Birria Pizza and Street Corn in a Cup. A hallmark of the menu is the beef birria which is braised each day for 12 hours before completing the cooking process. Our level of commitment that we have to ensuring customers enjoy their food is unparalleled. We are very customer oriented and live by one rule within our company; “We never say no”. No is not in our vocabulary and we will always find a way to accommodate.

It is not uncommon for a restaurant to receive a bad review for a customer’s experience. It can be anything from mediocre food, long wait times, or even a table not cleaned properly. Nonetheless it is the restaurant’s responsibility to ensure a good experience. One story that highlights our values involved a customer who came with 9 family members all of whom claimed they did not enjoy their meals. Their explanation was not as important to us as the fact that we did not live up to their expectations. The idea of us not making them happy didn’t sit right by us so we immediately refunded them their entire order and gave them dine in credit for their next visit. The family returned later and used their dine in credit. They were SUPER happy with their experience and have been regular customers since.

This is who we are. If we do not live up to your expectations, then we refuse to make you pay for something you did not enjoy. It has taught our team to really focus on making customers feel special from the moment they walk through the doors. This customer-centric culture has really propelled our success into the next level.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My father has single-handedly been the largest source of motivation and support. From a very young age, my father taught my 15 siblings (8 of whom were boys and 7 girls) and I the value of never giving up. We grew up in tough financial conditions and the only way to persevere through that was to continue working hard and striving for greater things. I have seen my father endure so much in his life and he only persisted that moving forward was the answer. He refused to never give up. This is crucial for any and every entrepreneur to understand. Don’t ever give up.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

We recently started franchising our business and have signed on franchises, many who are under 30 or slightly over, in many different states including but not limited to FL, NY, TX, VA, NJ.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We have a strict “grow from within” employment model. All entry level employees are first in line to grow into higher positions in the company. This helps keep employee moral happy and loyal to the brand. It’s hard to find a good team so when you find them, you treat them like family and do everything in your power to want them to stay.

Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?

The “Art of the Deal” by Donald Trump. This book taught me the importance of walking away from a deal if the terms are not favorable. This has helped us tremendously in our growth and I have utilized many of the book’s tactics to close everything from franchise deals to vendor negotiations.

Can you share 5 of the most difficult and most rewarding parts of being a “TwentySomething founder”. Please share an example or story for each.

1. Being the first in my family to grow a business to the level I have at my age, mentorship was difficult to find. Many errors could’ve been easily avoided had that mentorship been there.
2. Being a young founder made it slightly difficult to acquire funding when needed due to the lack of financial history. Nonetheless, I made it happen.
3. In this line of work, most salesmen and people you interact with are older in age and show some level of arrogance when dealing with a young founder. It was a mission to deflect that whilst continuing to grow.
4. Being able to employ over 100 employees (and counting) who highly respect me and value my presence while looking up to me is very rewarding. It feels good to empower the younger generation to do more.
5. After completing my doctorate in dental surgery and becoming a doctor, I learned the difference in what a boss is in this typical market vs what one should look like. Having the opportunity to be the boss that I would have personally liked to have is a very rewarding feeling.

What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty year old who is looking to found a business?

Do not fear asking for help. Stay the course and be patient. In today’s world, one lucky break is all you need.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib is a world class sportsman who was known to have had a difficult upbringing. What inspires me the most about him is the ability to remain humble despite all the levels of success that he has achieved.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-farraj-4a465a23a?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Instagram: doctorfarraj

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.