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Dante, Sebastián Lemus, Dante uniformes, Sebastián Lemus Dante, Emprendimiento y Liderazgo, El Espectador emprendimiento, marcas colombianas de éxito, uniformes médicos Colombia, tecnología textil, ropa antitranspirante y antifluidos, confección de alto valor agregado, emprender en Colombia, de la idea a facturar millones, cómo emprender en Colombia, historia de éxito emprendimiento Colombia, Sebastián Lemus entrevista, tecnología en la moda Colombia, sistema financiero y emprendedores Colombia, casos de éxito empresarial Colombia
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00:00Today we're at Founder Fest, an entrepreneurship festival, and we're with an entrepreneur who's going to tell us...
00:05Its story, which includes everything from technology and bankruptcies to hard work and dedication, but above all, the idea of making a business succeed.
00:24What is Sebastián Lemus's name?
00:43At a shopping center that I frequent a lot, and because my wife gave me one of those shirts as a gift and
00:49That's when I understood it was different.
00:51I was talking to a buyer, one of your users.
00:53So let's start there, Sebastian.
00:55What is Dante? What did you create, and why is it truly different?
01:00Dante is a men's clothing brand, primarily, in 90% of cases.
01:04We started about 5 years ago with an e-commerce model that we wanted, after the post-pandemic period,
01:10We saw that many stores were closing, that people were migrating more to e-commerce,
01:14So we wanted to figure out how to approach it and started by adding a little functionality to each garment.
01:18We say that clothes should always look like their equal to life, because they don't have a distinctive touch.
01:22Then we started with different technologies: anti-blemish, anti-wrinkle,
01:26For example, the shirt I'm wearing doesn't need ironing, you just put it on and that's it.
01:30So it's great for traveling or for interviews like this one, because you just put it on and you're good to go.
01:35Well, we started with e-commerce and we're already migrating a lot to the retail world,
01:39Well, like you, I don't know which shopping center.
01:41At Unicentro.
01:42In Unicentro, well, we have a really cool store right in front of Sara.
01:45And we've just opened a new one in Gran Estación.
01:47Oh, really?
01:48Yes sir.
01:48Well, there it is, well, as you hear, he's not from Bogotá, you're from Pereira, right?
01:53Yeah.
01:53You are from Pereira.
01:54From Pereira.
01:54I want you to tell us, of course, you already gave us the details of the post-pandemic period, but how was the brand born?
01:59What did you study? Why did you say, "There's a business opportunity there"?
02:03And above all, how did they discover the development of that technology?
02:06Because one would say, the textile industry is over 100 years old.
02:10Yes of course.
02:11In Colombia, let's say, and obviously many more outside.
02:13But how did they find that?
02:15How did they truly hit the mark of being innovative and creating something like their wrinkle-free shirt?
02:20Or like my t-shirt that doesn't get wet?
02:24Okay, so in principle, Pereira has a very large textile heritage.
02:28In other words, while 85% of our market is Bogotá, it's also due to the way people dress.
02:31people,
02:32Because there are jackets, there are different things.
02:35We make most of our garments in Pereira, some in Cali, and others in Bogotá.
02:40But what we saw was that it was the same technology they were applying to, for example,
02:45to medical uniforms or other things.
02:46Then I could use a fabric that I liked, the same cotton fabric as the big brands.
02:50In fact, we import the fabric from Peru.
02:52We work with the same factory that Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera work with.
02:55all the world's major brands.
02:56That's when you realize that ultimately the product doesn't make a difference.
02:59but more the brand and the storytelling behind it.
03:01And a film is applied to it.
03:03The anti-wrinkle property may be the composition of the fabric.
03:05But more than the product, we later wanted to connect with philosophy,
03:09with values, with certain controversial topics in our way of seeing the world.
03:15But the product was the initial hook to be able to achieve the community we have today.
03:19Tell me about that.
03:19You mentioned storytelling, and that's very trendy, especially in the digital age.
03:23In the age of network and behind-the-scenes communication, as in this case.
03:29How did they add storytelling, a story behind the message, to what Dante is?
03:36And I understand that this was also what helped them to boost their e-commerce or digital marketing.
03:41Of course. And we achieved a lot of that with the stores too.
03:44In other words, to give a concrete example.
03:47Although I am young, I strongly believe in traditional values that have deteriorated greatly in today's society.
03:51in a day.
03:52So in the store we made a very timeless shop.
03:54So the store's facade is made of travertine marble, which is the same material the Colosseum was made of.
03:57Roman.
03:58Oh, really?
03:58So I really like history, philosophy, all that ancient stuff.
04:02So how to bring those values back to the present, that is, it's a symbolic way of doing it.
04:06We have vintage items that we don't even sell in the store; they're simply for decoration.
04:10Because I believe that nowadays everything is made with planned obsolescence; things don't last more than a
04:14year.
04:15Instead, one finds old objects that last a lifetime.
04:17Lifetime.
04:18So it's about transmitting those values—the word, respect, honor—what we believe in, through
04:23the garment.
04:24Let's say, clothing is a mechanism for us to transmit a message.
04:27Or that the company is a sophism to convey a message.
04:29Okay, that's good. What did you study?
04:31I started in administration, sorry, in industrial engineering.
04:34I changed administrations and left in the fifth semester.
04:36In other words, I didn't graduate.
04:37Oh, really? But was that when he started his business, or what happened there?
04:39I started my entrepreneurial journey in the second semester.
04:41Let's say, I studied from Monday to Wednesday.
04:43I practically sandwiched the schedule to be able to achieve it.
04:46I was working in Pereira until Sunday.
04:47I kept coming back until that became unsustainable.
04:49And now I'm 100% dedicated to Dante.
04:51And there's 100% for Dante.
04:52Yes of course.
04:52Was Dante born alone?
04:53Just with you?
04:54Or are there partners right next door?
04:55I have operating partners.
04:57One who works in the financial area, who is the operations manager, and the marketing manager.
05:01Uh-huh.
05:01Now, let's talk about the numbers that can be revealed, obviously, about Dante.
05:05What is Dante today?
05:07What in numbers, perhaps in impact, in employees, I don't know, in value creation?
05:13Tell us about Dante in numbers.
05:15Ready.
05:15Today we have 40 direct collaborators.
05:18Indirect costs, then, would be a lot, because we outsource the entire machine and all the logistics.
05:22That's where the majority of the labor costs really lie.
05:27Already.
05:28This year we estimate closing, depending on the dollar exchange rate, but between 4.5 and 5 million dollars
05:33in sales.
05:34We started 5 years ago, but we experienced very exponential growth in the early years of the pandemic, thanks to the
05:39e-commerce.
05:40And, well, in order to, let's say, for the sake of, well, like growth in retail, we want to open in Medellín next year.
05:48For now we have Gran Estación, El Retiro, El Dorado Airport, Unicentro, which is our most important store.
05:55Well, we opened one, a modular one in Parque La Colina.
05:58Ah, yes.
05:59And, well, looking at more, more stores, because e-commerce has also stabilized a bit.
06:04So we see much more growth than, let's say, trends are cyclical and people are returning to retail a lot
06:09after the pandemic.
06:10I think that in the reporting I was doing, prior to this interview, I thought I saw one, I don't know
06:17If it was a video podcast or audio recording with you, where someone on this side asked you a question, or you made a reference
06:24on the subject of bankruptcies.
06:25Yeah.
06:25And he said that bankruptcies weren't just happening to big companies.
06:27And that caught my attention, because, well, let's say, I've been covering the economic sector for 20 years and for me
06:32That's clear, but that's when I realized it wasn't.
06:34How come bankruptcies aren't just for big companies, and why did you want to include that?
06:38on the table?
06:40No, because I believe that whether it's a large company or a small company, ultimately one can take a risk.
06:45a lot at the beginning, going into debt, borrowing money.
06:48I would say that the proportion is much higher for companies in the first five years that tend to go bankrupt,
06:53clear.
06:53Well, because as time goes on, more solutions are found, more leverage, better interest rates, and so on.
06:58And one of the issues or problems I see in Colombia is that entrepreneurs don't
07:03They lend them money.
07:03It's a difference in the United States where capital is much cheaper.
07:06So, one of the causes we advocate for, which I've discussed with several bank presidents,
07:10The criticism is directed at the financial sector, not at the individuals themselves, but at the industry as a whole.
07:15I understand the risk, and I also understand that there is still a lot of informality in Colombia,
07:20But in the United States, well, with just an ID, they'd lend him any $100,000, $200,000.
07:24So, here's the growth we had in the first few years; we almost went bankrupt paying interest rates above 2%.
07:29% on the street,
07:30because the company was lowering, let's say, its financial leverage and lowering its growth.
07:35So, we had to find the resources to be able to grow excessively.
07:38Maybe it would have grown slower if it could have, but, well, the company was capable of that.
07:42We almost went bankrupt because everything had to be perfect to be able to pay those high interest rates.
07:49I find what Sebastián says interesting, because I'm giving you, let's say, an introduction to the entrepreneurship model.
07:55nowadays,
07:56which is very, let's say, traditional.
07:58And indeed, many entrepreneurs have an idea, they put together a good PowerPoint presentation
08:02And they go to Silicon Valley and make millions of dollars with the idea.
08:05They haven't even tried it.
08:07Probably so, well, not so much right now, but about 5 years ago, when there was a flow of money in the world,
08:13That's how many people went bankrupt.
08:14And that's why many entrepreneurs in the technology sector talked or talk about burning money.
08:20Because, since it came from investment funds, they needed to grow quickly, to increase the number of users
08:25And that's how companies grew.
08:27The model I hear from Sebastián is the traditional model of companies from before.
08:31In other words, they grew organically, selling and financing themselves in their own way.
08:36I agree with you.
08:37Are you going to get a loan in Colombia as an entrepreneur?
08:41It's impossible, because they ask you, "And what are you going to give me as a backup?"
08:44And you have the bicycle when you're starting out.
08:46Exactly, you have the bike when you're starting out.
08:48Or nothing more, it happened to me, going to open a business account in a Colombian bank is
08:54almost impossible.
08:55In other words, they ask for so much information that it's very difficult.
08:58So I ask him, going back a bit, how hard is it to start a business in Colombia?
09:04It's really tough.
09:05And I believe that there is also an issue here that needs to be addressed, and it is a reality of the country.
09:08And I've realized this with the other successful entrepreneurs I've met along the way.
09:13And there is a certain issue, especially regarding money, there is a certain issue of privilege.
09:17That the fact of having studied, of knowing certain people, or even of having that access to capital.
09:22In other words, although the interest rates were high, we knew the people who could lend us those amounts.
09:26So that's why we, from the private sector, also try to implement many initiatives,
09:30especially in our region, to support entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
09:33We have a bonus that we give out every year, which we practically give away.
09:38I like the word "give away," they earn it.
09:40But we involve entrepreneurs, we have them show financial statements,
09:44what they are going to spend the money on, how they are going to project that growth into the future.
09:47Because I believe that the public sector is often not the engine of growth.
09:52In other words, my philosophy is let us work, and we ourselves will help the private sector.
09:55And we entrepreneurs ourselves, if we send the message that we can help those who are just starting out,
09:59Well, let the big players do it too.
10:00Hey, I like that. Give people more of that message.
10:03How does it work? For entrepreneurs who may not be familiar with it,
10:07Where do they knock on the door? How do they register? And how does it work?
10:10Tell us a little bit about that.
10:11The only requirement is to be from Pereira, because it is our city that he carries in his heart.
10:15And that's where I think we need the most help.
10:17So I have a huge sense of belonging to the region.
10:21And that's like the only requirement to apply.
10:23And that they have financial statements, let's say, with at least one year of traceability.
10:26One of the requirements there was minimum sales, because it can't be someone who only has the idea.
10:30but something that already has appeal.
10:32And my intention is that they generate employment for the region and that it be a prospect for business growth.
10:37And can it be from any economic sector or does it have to be from the fashion and textile industry?
10:41No, anyone. It can be anyone.
10:42In fact, this year the winner was a coffee shop and last year it was the food industry, which were some hot dogs.
10:48dogs.
10:49Oh, really? And what do they get out of it, Sebastian?
10:52It depends on the year. The first year we started with 10 million pesos.
10:55This year we increased the prize. We increase it every year.
10:57And our advice, let's say, opening doors for them as much as possible, with what we're going to help them with, and throwing them one by one.
11:05one.
11:05That's the other one where he hits the nail on the head, Sebastian.
11:08In the world of entrepreneurship, mentorship and networking are essential.
11:13which one can elaborate on.
11:15Because, as Sebastian said, when you finally have the contact or mentor who helps you,
11:20That's the mentor who can open doors for you to enter a market.
11:23For example, someone might suddenly knock on doors and everyone closes them, but a mentor is the one who
11:26It helps one to open markets.
11:29Expectations with Dante.
11:31Sebastian, how do you see this closing of 2026? How do you project it for next year?
11:36Well, I'm asking you this especially in the midst of such a complicated competition as the one we're facing today.
11:41These Chinese platforms.
11:43Well, Mr. Arturo Calle said it recently in Congress.
11:47So, who is Arturo Calle? One of the men who most influenced the textile industry, if I'm not mistaken, in his country.
11:52region, has built in Colombia.
11:54So, tell us about that.
11:55In fact, Arturo is from Medellín, but his factory is San Pereira, which is the same factory that we...
11:59It makes us.
11:59Oh, really? What a coincidence, what a coincidence.
12:01It was the one that was left very battered after the earthquake, but they have treated us very well.
12:07And, let's say, that's the message: I try to find the good in each of those difficulties.
12:13And the message for entrepreneurs is not to compete on price.
12:16Colombia is a country where we have a very strong creative industry.
12:19Colombians, in general, have good taste.
12:23Now that we were in Peru, they were telling us, "Hey, you Colombians are really good at branding."
12:27Oh, really?
12:28And it's ironic that Peruvians have the best fabric in the world, the best cotton, the best tailoring, the best
12:32all.
12:32And they don't have a single fashion brand, either men's or women's, that represents them, or like we have here.
12:38in Colombia.
12:38Almost all international brands are now like the ones that call the shots, which are the imported ones.
12:43So, they admire us a lot, and we have to value what we have and where we can compete.
12:46The maneuver is very expensive; we can no longer compete on price here; we will never compete against Shino, Temu.
12:52Well, because there are other issues there, including exploitation and so on.
12:56Yes, and that economy of scale is impossible.
12:57Yes, of course, it's very different.
12:58So, I believe Colombia is prepared to compete in added value, not just in clothing and fashion.
13:02but also, let's say, across industries.
13:06What you're saying sounds appealing to me because it could be a message for those who want to start a business, right?
13:10That could be a way, show us that light at the end of the tunnel, Sebastian.
13:14Okay, understanding that if there is creativity here, if there is talent, if there are resources and raw materials to work with,
13:22What do we suddenly need?
13:23Think bigger, launch brands like the ones you have built,
13:27What do we need to become bigger across that entire spectrum in the ecosystem?
13:31I would think it's also a matter of believing in yourself, of knowing that not everything good comes from outside.
13:35Why not ask that question, why not, why can't a local brand become
13:38a global brand,
13:39Why do all the designers have to be from abroad? Why not make that brand "Made in the country"?
13:43Colombia
13:44or designed in Colombia, something important globally.
13:47So, to transcend a little bit what one is doing.
13:49I didn't previously see it as a mechanism for building a significant brand in Colombia.
13:51but why can't it be a global brand?
13:52And that was the idea from the beginning, so much so that the name is Italian.
13:55Well, then, I said, I'm not going to compete with national brands when I open my store.
13:59I said, I believe my store is better than all international brands,
14:02Whether tomorrow we put it in Aventura or Lafayette or any of those
14:07Parisian roads,
14:08that competes against the big brands.
14:10Well, yes, that's thinking big.
14:11You made me think of Simón, of Simón Borrero.
14:13Clear.
14:14He's the creator of Rappi, and he's always the one who tells you,
14:17Why do we think small when thinking big is free?
14:20Total.
14:21And well, we already know what Rappi is.
14:24Sebastian, it's time for the pitch, which is a space for out-of-the-box questions.
14:29looking for answers outside the box.
14:31So here we go with the pitch.
14:38Well, Sebastian, if it were within your power to change any rule of business, any rule at all,
14:43Which one would it be and why?
14:46State rule or...?
14:47Whoever wants it.
14:48The business rule that one regularly has to operate by.
14:51Let's mention one that is intangible, and that is that the word is kept.
14:56It's not a de facto rule, let's say, but if I could change something,
15:02that the word had to be kept and that it was like a contract,
15:04because nowadays we have lost a lot of it.
15:05Yes, you reminded me of someone I interviewed recently who gave me a very similar answer.
15:09He said that, as before, one's word was respected.
15:12Nowadays, if there isn't a signed contract, people don't comply.
15:15Believe me, it's happened to us that there are signed contracts and people end up changing the conditions.
15:21Tremendous.
15:22Sebastian, what was the worst mistake, the hardest one you faced or fell into, but which
15:28What did he learn?
15:31Well, it was a time of severe debt, and he also ordered a lot of inventory.
15:36because we wanted, excuse me, to grow at exorbitant rates,
15:39I believe that companies go bankrupt in part because they grow more than they can handle.
15:43So, if I could go back, I would grow up a little less rapidly,
15:47But all of that has, let's say, a root which is often the ego,
15:51which is believing that one knows everything, so because I saw her in the early years,
15:54Therefore, it will be the same in the following years, and that's not the case.
15:57So, I believe that the root of all problems is often a lack of humility.
16:00Listen, I have to say, I find your answers super sincere.
16:03I think it's not as scripted and embellished as you often find with many businesspeople.
16:08Exact.
16:08That's something I find commendable, and I appreciate it as well.
16:12because it's good for people to realize the reality,
16:15but not the image projected on social media, for example.
16:18Okay, here's another one.
16:20If your business, your venture, were a series, and you yourself,
16:25It was like one of those TV series produced by big companies,
16:28Netflix and others, Paramount,
16:31What genre would it be and what season would it be in?
16:35To be very honest, I don't watch series, but I'm a big movie buff.
16:38I love movies, but I don't think I've seen many TV series.
16:42So, if I can change the question, I'll give it to you with the movie.
16:45There's a movie I really like, it's about obsession, it's called Whiplash.
16:48That belongs to the drummer.
16:50So, how to achieve something great you have to be obsessive about something
16:53and to sacrifice many things in life.
16:55Ugh, I like that answer.
16:57And with this we conclude this section, and it is, how is your mental health?
17:01And I ask him, I know it's an extremely personal question,
17:04But almost everyone talks about success.
17:06Or that success that we understand as success, right?
17:09And then one could stick with what Sebastian said,
17:12of so many employees, so many sales, so many open stores,
17:15Just thinking about El Dorado airport is on another level.
17:18Or as I was saying, why not see Dante at Lafayette in Paris?
17:22or in Adventure in Florida?
17:24And it is, but people don't talk about the process.
17:27And I do believe we need to talk about the process.
17:30A bit like you said in this interview.
17:32Tell us about your mental health.
17:34Okay, he's much better now.
17:36I learned a lot about self-knowledge by reading philosophy.
17:39or by reading biographies of other great entrepreneurs.
17:41We have several entrepreneur network groups
17:43And then you kind of learn to understand
17:45that other people are going through the same process as one.
17:47It's like, oh, I'm not the only one bad things happen to.
17:50The first two years weren't so great,
17:52If I'm being completely honest.
17:55A very dark time, and besides, I was locked up in the house.
17:57During the pandemic, things weren't going so well.
17:59We're more on the other side now.
18:01There are problems and things to improve every day.
18:03But I find great refuge in reading and sports.
18:07I believe that everyone needs to have a hobby.
18:08that allows you to disconnect a little from what you are doing.
18:10So, if I understand you correctly, Sebastian,
18:12that in those moments of darkness
18:13Did reading and sports help him?
18:16Yes, quite a lot.
18:16And in due course, meditation.
18:19I didn't do it again, but I meditated a lot.
18:20when I had those dark moments.
18:22And I got it into my head that
18:24The dark moments were just more stories to tell.
18:27And that ultimately, if we didn't have those moments of darkness
18:30We were never going to value the light.
18:32And with this question, we return to the main interview.
18:35And we're closing this space where we've been talking, Sebastian.
18:40And that is, I want you to tell me
18:42Why is it necessary to have the word entrepreneurship?
18:46and especially what it means in places like this.
18:49In academia, whether at school or university,
18:53in the same company where one works
18:55because there is the intrapreneurship model.
18:57But why, and maybe that's just my obsession, isn't it?
19:01Why should we tell the whole world?
19:04that entrepreneurship should almost be
19:06as a personal finance class
19:09embedded in the daily lives of all human beings?
19:12I would say two.
19:13The first reason is because that is the engine of the country's growth.
19:16The State actually manages our resources,
19:18But who generates the budgets?
19:20We are the ones who have to pay taxes.
19:22And I don't see it, the tax burden in this country is very high.
19:24As long as one is upright, one pays a lot of money in taxes.
19:27In other words, if you look at the value that one generates
19:30and that we have generated over the years,
19:32And let's say, if we do the math on all the salaries we've paid,
19:34all the taxes we have paid,
19:35everything we have invoiced,
19:36What the businessman keeps, I assure you, is not 1%.
19:39So, it's also about being able to express that message to him.
19:42to the rest of the people.
19:43It's cool that they're in those spaces where there are young people.
19:46because it changes that perception a little.
19:48which may be different from ours with other countries
19:50which are a little more developed.
19:52And that's because we sometimes come down hard on businessmen here.
19:54I understand that there are some black sheep,
19:57But for me, the businessman is a hero.
19:59and he is the one who leads the country forward.
20:01I liked the idea that the businessman is a hero.
20:03and he is the one who leads the country forward.
20:05I think I'll stick with that phrase.
20:07He could be a starter somewhere.
20:08Sebastian.
20:09One.
20:10Sebastian, give me your hand.
20:11Devin, thank you so much.
20:12Hey, thank you so much for telling us your story,
20:15to open those doors a little, which are sometimes so intimate
20:17and so detached from the business world,
20:19Tell us also, obviously, about the subject of your health,
20:21which I think is a really key issue
20:24in today's world,
20:25where appearances are deceiving
20:26and especially in the world of social media.
20:28And well, it's great to think big
20:30and to know that there are people in Colombia
20:31who is thinking big.
20:32Sebastian, thank you again.
20:33To you, my dearest.
20:33As you know, this interview remains open on YouTube.
20:37A specific text remains for our subscribers.
20:40and it obviously has a presence on our social media networks.
20:43My colleague Valentina Matiz was on camera.
20:45See you next time.
20:47See you soon.
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