Pop-Culturalist.com

Miami-based entrepreneur Antonio Sustiel is living the American dream. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1987 with four hundred dollars in his pocket and built an empire from the ground up called Flooring King.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Antonio about his success and working with Hollywood’s biggest stars. Plus, he shares his advice with any aspiring entrepreneur looking to make their mark.

PC: Tell me about your journey as an entrepreneur.
Antonio: My journey as an entrepreneur began when I arrived in the U.S. from Israel in 1987 with big dreams. I wanted to conquer the world, to see what success looked like—especially coming from a small country. One day, I decided that working for other people wasn’t a good fit for me, and so I decided to launch my own business. I opened The Flooring King twenty-five years ago!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Antonio: The person who has had the biggest influence on my career is without a doubt my father. He is my mentor and taught me to be honest and to work hard. We would start our days at four a.m. and work until ten p.m. (seven days a week). In order to succeed, you have to put in the hours. My father taught me that. He also taught me about the importance of confidence. Early on in my life, I decided school wasn’t a good fit for me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but everyday I was going to school with my father and learning from his example about hard work and determination.

PC: You moved to the United States in 1987 with $400 dollars in your pocket. Given all the success that you’ve had, if you could tell your 1987-self one thing, what would it be and why?
Antonio: I would tell myself to never give up. There were a lot of challenges at the beginning. When you look in the mirror and you don’t have money and you don’t know the English language, it can be very easy to give up. But you have to tell yourself to keep going, to believe in yourself, and to look at today, not tomorrow. You have to get out of your own head because if you start thinking too much, you’re not going to make it to tomorrow. You have to take it one day at a time and focus on today. I would also tell myself to allocate a bit more time to family because when you are busy, you can forget about living your life. I missed holidays, weddings, and other important moments. It’s important to prioritize your loved ones. You won’t get these moments back. A good plan is to decide how many hours you want to work a day and make sure to set aside time for family and friends.

PC: Has anything surprised you on this journey?
Antonio: The thing that has surprised me most on my entrepreneurial journey is that I’ve been able to make it so big in America. This is the biggest country in the world with the biggest success stories in the world, and to see myself as a successful entrepreneur, I still pinch myself to this day. I get on my knees and ask God how I’ve been so blessed as a foreigner in this country. It’s incredible that my story has been featured on shows like Blue Collar Millionaire and other high-profile networks.

PC: What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Antonio: First and foremost, work super hard because if you try not to work hard, it doesn’t work. Also, it’s important to isolate yourself from negativity and from people who are focused on what’s wrong with life and society. Success is unpredictable; there are a lot of ups and downs. It’s like climbing a mountain. You’re going to succeed and fail, but never give up. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

PC: You’ve done celebrity home makeovers for some of today’s biggest stars. Do you have a favorite/funny behind-the-scenes moment?
Antonio: After we finished a job for one of the biggest celebrities in the world, the client left a hose running and flooded the whole house. We had to do the installation all over again! That was a $50,000 job.

PC: In addition to all of your success, you’re also a philanthropist. Why has giving back been so important to you?
Antonio: I truly believe that receiving and giving is like Yin and Yang. Helping others—especially today in 2021 with the world doing so poorly between the economy and the pandemic—helping your community, your loved ones, our first responders, that’s all part of the journey of success. If you don’t have that in you, you’re not going to succeed.

To keep up with Antonio, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.