Jorsan and Zully Lean on Faith and Focus to Grow Their Business
Name of Business: Dedilokos
Business Type: Food Business
Location: Colombia
Our journey as business owners has been full of surprises, learning, and divine guidance. Zully and I are the proud founders of Dedilokos, a venture that brings joy and flavor to family gatherings, social and business events, and more through our homemade snacks. We specialize in cheese fingers and chicken empanadas, snacks we first created for a family gathering that instantly sparked excitement.
On November 30, 2023, we officially launched Dedilokos at a product fair. At the time, we were just seeking some additional income, and we were unsure of what direction to take, but we received positive comments from those who had tasted our snacks. As the holiday season approached, we had a good reaction to our snacks from our friends and family, so we spent every spare moment after work and late into the night fulfilling orders.
This demand for our snacks made us realize the potential of our little business, and we knew that we needed guidance to help us manage it. We believe that God gives us opportunities, so we prayed for direction. Soon after, we came across a post in a church WhatsApp group about the Academy for Creating Enterprise. We felt that God had heard our prayers and seen our desire to learn and grow, so we attended the training, recognizing the potential of the principles taught and the leaders that the Academy provides. We feel very fortunate to belong to the Academy. We began to see our business from a new perspective, no longer just as a source of extra income but as a real business with tremendous potential.
In the Academy, we were introduced to the “Golden Rules” (Rules of Thumb), with each principle providing us with unique insight to help us run our business with greater faith and focus. Several rules truly transformed how we thought about Dedilokos. One of the most impactful was the rule to “Keep Good Records.” Although I had already been watching numbers, the Academy taught me the true power of organized records. Now, I track every purchase, sale, and supplier with clarity, which this record-keeping has given us control over our finances and growth.
Another principle that changed our approach was “Pay Yourself a Fair Salary.” At first, we saw Dedilokos as a source of income and didn’t set boundaries between business funds and personal spending. With this rule, we learned to treat ourselves as valued employees, ensuring that the business could sustain itself while meeting our personal needs with balance.
The Academy also introduced us to other principles that helped us grow. The rule “Differentiate Your Business” pushed us to give Dedilokos unique qualities that set it apart, adding exclusive value to our products and strengthening our brand identity. And the principle “Start Small, Think Big” helped us to dream about the future of Dedilokos while respecting the journey of gradual growth. By focusing on these core principles, we realized that Dedilokos could become something much bigger, and the Academy provided the tools and wisdom to make it happen.
The experience has been far more than business training: It has been a blessing that has deepened our faith and purpose. We are grateful for the leaders and mentors in the Medellín Norte chapter and for the community we’ve found in our group. Their guidance, shared stories, and unwavering support have helped this journey and fueled our commitment to keep learning and growing.
Dedilokos has been a journey of discovery, faith, and dedication. We feel profoundly grateful for the Academy’s teachings, which have illuminated the way forward. We firmly believe that with the right guidance, prayer, and trust in God’s plan, this venture will go beyond what we could have imagined, and we will continue to share this journey of growth and gratitude with others. Thank you to the Academy for empowering us to turn Dedilokos into a source of joy and a legacy of hard work, faith, and love.
