Meet Mo Camara | Real Estate Investor & Foodie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mo Camara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mo, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I personally do not think of risks in a negative way, I see them as opportunities! The definition in itself means the possibility of something bad happening, but in the same light there is also the possibility of something good happening as well. I am a very methodical and meticulous person, while I do not view risks in a negative way I also believe in calculated risks. If you do enough homework you can come to a conclusion about the probability of something good or bad happening and then you use your intuition to make the best decision possible and live with the outcome.
I have taken many risks in my life, and I always found that there is always a lesson on the other side of each risk I have ever taken. Not to say that I have been successful in every risk I have taken, but the amount of confidence that I have in myself when taking a risk has increased overtime. It is just like working out, or learning a new skill, it is not until you have repeated a movement over and over again that it becomes second nature.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Food has been a passion of mine for quite some time, I think it was a passion before I realized what a passion really is. I have always been an athlete, the majority of my life the one thing that I dedicated my life to was basketball. So naturally, when I get older my body is not responding the way it used to, the game is getting harder and harder to be enthused about. The preparation that I used to love is now taking a toll on my physical as well as my mental wellbeing. I finally turn the page on that chapter in my life and to be honest with you I was lost for a long while. I found myself in a place where I did not really understand who Mo was outside of the basketball player. I have always been hyper aware of what I was thinking, how I was feeling, so it was incredibly frustrating not being able to identify with the sport that I once loved. It was a very dark time in my life but along the journey I found out a lot about myself, I carved several businesses during that time and quickly found out the same characteristics that made me a great athlete transferred over to business as well. I also found out that I had an affinity for food and travel as well.
I have been a nomad all my life, I moved around often and when I was younger, I am on record saying I wanted to live in two places throughout the year. One place during the spring summer seasons and another during fall and winter. Going somewhere I have never been, meeting different people, trying different foods it does something to me. I see food as something extremely intimate, but the cool thing about it is that you can do it with anyone. For me when I eat there is a few things at play, first and foremost there is a certain vulnerability that you feel when you are eating. There is a level of focus on what is on your plate and the flavors you are experiencing. The conversations you may be having while you are dining is refined. Last but not least the joy of a full stomach or simply satisfying your appetite, I love everything about food.
I am so proud that I have finally found something outside of sports that I am happy about. There are a lot of other athletes that suffer depression and feel out of place once their time is up in any respective sport. I learned it is important in life not to identify with anything that does not last forever because it can be detrimental to your wellbeing. Being multifaceted in life is a must and in order to understand what one likes or loves; you have to put yourself in different scenarios. You have to step outside of your comfort zone and try EVERYTHING at least once, your future self will thank you. If there is anything you can learn about my brand or story is that it is never too late to reinvent yourself, there is so much to this life it will take you a million years to experience it all. The name of this game is to try to experience as much as you can while you are here.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I haven’t been in Atlanta long, but I have been here enough times in my life to know what’s what in the city. Whenever anyone comes to visit the trip is always centered around food. So, depending what side of town we are eating on will determine that activity we would do or the places we would visit. Food wise the places we would have to go to include: Slutty Vegan, Breakfast at Barneys, O-Ku, and Greatest of Plates.
Atlanta is known for the night life here so whenever people come visit, they want to turn up, have fun, and live their best lives while they are in town. I am not much of a social person anymore, don’t get me wrong I can be out and about with anyone, I am extremely personable, but being in the “scene” for so long you lose enthusiasm for clubs/lounges/bars altogether. Well some people, I think the culture that is Atlanta normalizes going out late night from young adults well into your older years lol. I like to visit the east Atlanta village a lot, there are plenty of establishments there to grab a drink, get food, hand out meet locals. I also like the Inman Park area for the same reasons, you can get to a turn up zone without being surrounded by young try-hards all night. Now if I want to give you an authentic look at the Atlanta night life I would consider hanging out in Edgewood or the Camp Creek area to get your taste of Georgia.
The cool thing about Atlanta is like in any major city there are so many things you can do; the city offers so much that you would have to come back a few times to experience it all. From food, nightlife, the arts, sporting events, concerts, and festivals. Atlanta is a hub of the black experience, and it will be for many years to come.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family deserves all the credit for anything positive that I have ever contributed to this world comes directly from them. I was lucky to be blessed with an incredible support system that has helped shaped the man that I am today. Knowing that, while I am on this earth by myself and I am learning how to navigate different scenarios, relationships, situations, etc. It is extremely comforting knowing that at the end of the day there are a group of people that have my best interests at heart, they understand my intentions, and they want nothing more than for me to successful. Also to be clear when I say family that does not necessarily mean just my parents and siblings. The support system I have consist of extremely close friends that I have cultivated extremely close bonds with, so much so I consider them family, nothing we would not do for each other. We are extremely honest with one another, we hold each other accountable, and I could not ask anything more from them.

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