On a hot and sunny day, you see the bright colors of an umbrella and flowers contrasting with the hum of passing cars. Many people buy from these vendors every day, but what is their motivation? What gives this person strength in this line of work?

22-year-old Manuel Garcia is a street vendor who has been selling flowers on the intersection of Fifth and Fairview streets for seven years. His day starts at 9 a.m., when he goes to gather the flowers and wrappings, then returns home to make the bouquets, all by hand. However, manning his post isn’t always easy.

“La lucha de vender es tener más de nada de paciencia para los días malos,” Garcia said. (The struggle of selling is to have more than enough just patience for the bad days.)

Street vending is hard due to the constant weather changes and long hours. But why does he do it? What motivates him?

“Me motiva mi familia a salir adelante y echarle más gana,” Garcia said. (My family motivates me to get ahead and put more effort into it.)

For Garcia, family has always been a great part of his strength. Over time, through his experiences, he learned some valuable lessons.

“Tener paciencia, que si un día no te sale bien al dia siguente te puede salir mejor o a doble,” Garcia said. (Be patient, if one day things don’t go well, the next day things may go better or double.)

He learned that patience is a key factor when it comes to street vending. At the end of the day, he claims it is worth it.

“Más que nada, entre todo, no hay que desesperarse y tener paciencia,” Garcia said. (Above all, through everything, you must not lose hope and have patience.)