Bright Lights with Lacy Johnson EP54: Maricela Gallarzo

Maricela Gallarzo is a wife, mother, and businesswoman who emigrated from Mexico to Chicago in 1997 to pursue her American dream.  There she met and married her husband Cef. The couple and their first child moved to Minnesota in 2000. She became a US Citizen in 2002.

She and Cef currently own and operate the only Planet Smoothie in Minnesota and an office cleaning business.

Government policy in response to the recent riots and pandemic contributed to a drastic loss in her customer base in downtown Minneapolis and created many obstacles to success. It has not been easy.

However, her attitude, work ethic, and tenacity motivate her to work 12-hour days at her smoothie business and afterwards join her husband to help with office cleaning.

According to Maricela, one of her main goals is to teach her three children that they can be anything they want to be in America…if they make good choices, set goals, work hard, and sacrifice.