Suzy reflects on losing her banking career in 2008 while going through a divorce and thyroid cancer, and how her kids' idea to open an ice cream shop sent her to ice cream school at Penn State.
This episode of Hustle Inspires Hustle features Alex Quin and Suzy Batlle, founder and owner of Azucar Ice Cream Company in Little Havana, with locations in Pinecrest and soon Hialeah. Suzy reflects on losing her banking career in 2008 while going through a divorce and thyroid cancer, and how her kids' idea to open an ice cream shop sent her to ice cream school at Penn State. Since 2011 she has built a Cuban ice cream brand that now employs 52 people and anchors Calle Ocho with its 29 foot cone.
Alex and Suzy dive into perfecting the Mantecado with the regulars at Domino Park, getting the giant cone approved by the City of Miami, the customer who cried because her ice cream took him back to Cuba, and losing a thriving Dallas store on a lease technicality. They also discuss the free 10,000 Small Businesses program at Miami Dade College, turning politics into flavors, and why TikTok SEO now brings customers through the door. Ultimately, the conversation goes beyond ice cream to explore how heritage, listening and relentless learning turn a second act into a brand people feel.
[00:00] Meet Suzy Batlle, founder of Azucar Ice Cream Company
[01:08] Banking, divorce and cancer lead to ice cream school
[06:13] Perfecting the Mantecado with the guys at Domino Park
[07:51] The 29 foot cone that changed Calle Ocho
[10:01] The customer who cried and selling nostalgia
[12:52] Losing the Dallas store on a lease technicality
[17:44] The free MBA: 10,000 Small Businesses
[42:33] Where to find Azucar, TikTok SEO and closing thoughts
No Plan B Can Be Your Biggest Advantage: When there is nothing to fall back on, you stop testing the water and commit. Suzy went all in, down to ice cream school, because quitting was never an option. Remove the escape hatch and watch how fast you learn.
Let Your Customers Finish Your Recipe: The first Mantecado got roasted by the regulars at Domino Park, so Suzy kept remaking it until they loved it. Your most honest critics are the people you want to serve. Listen, adjust and go back again.
Sell the Feeling, Not the Product: People rarely buy the thing itself. They buy the memory, the identity or the emotion it gives them. Find the story your product tells and build everything around it, from the decor to the sign out front.
Read Every Line of Your Lease: A missed renewal notice window cost Suzy a profitable Dallas store and handed her customer base to someone else. Know your deadlines, calendar them and have a lawyer review any contract your business depends on.
Never Stop Going Back to School: Programs like 10,000 Small Businesses give owners MBA level training for free, and Suzy keeps signing up, most recently for a class on AI. The owners who keep learning are the ones who keep growing.
"People think you're insane until they see you pull it off." — Alex Quin
"I'm selling nostalgia. I'm selling a memory of somebody in an island." — Suzy Batlle
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding — Al Ries and Laura Ries
The Road Less Stupid — Keith J. Cunningham
Theo of Golden — Allen Levi
How to Market Your Restaurant Online — Alex Quin
Digital Marketing Dictionary — Alex Quin
Polo's Day at the Park — Alex Quin
Penn State Ice Cream Short Course
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Miami Dade College
City of Dreams
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Alex Quin is a full-stack marketing expert and global keynote speaker. Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of UADV Marketing - a member of the Forbes Agency Council.
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