Chef J.

I'm Francisco J. Jaramillo — Chef J. I grew up developing a love for food and service, but it was the U.S. Army that shaped how I work: with discipline, precision, and the understanding that showing up matters. I served as a Staff Sergeant (SSG), earning the kind of work ethic that doesn't leave you when the uniform comes off.

As an Army chef, I earned my ACF Certified Executive Chef (CEC) credential through the American Culinary Federation — one of the highest professional designations in the culinary industry. That credential wasn't given; it was tested and earned.

The pinnacle of my culinary career came when I was assigned as chef of the Chairman's Dining Room at the Pentagon, cooking for the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the highest military leadership in the country. In FY18, I won the Chairman's Top Chef Competition and received a Certificate of Achievement presented by Rear Admiral Michael J. Dumont, Vice Director of the Joint Staff, U.S. Navy.

After the military, I brought that same standard into the civilian world. Today I'm a licensed Florida real estate agent (LPT Realty, St. Augustine), the founder of Gain With Media — a digital agency building web tools and WhatsApp automation for small businesses — and the creator of HABLALO, a WhatsApp AI platform that helps service businesses stop losing leads.

Everything I build comes from having actually run the operations: kitchens, catering, e-commerce, real estate. I know what breaks at 11 PM on a Friday — and I build systems that don't.