“Entrepreneur” is in my blood. Since it is, I usually have multiple irons in the fire. Currently, in addition to my professional footwear modeling, I speak to crowds encouraging people to seek out a purpose filled life and career, I host a podcast geared toward creative professionals, AND I help my family bottle and sell our own family-recipe salsa.
The salsa business is different from everything else. It’s in the food industry. It’s product based. It’s a family venture. And it has been quite a learning experience. Since I’m all about sharing my lessons as I go along, here are 5 of the things this venture has taught me so far:
- IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO REINVENT YOURSELF – This lesson comes courtesy of my mom. She has taken on selling our salsa like a champ. She is there at the pop-up shops, and markets right by my side . . . selling our salsa with a smile. This is not her first time starting something new and excelling at it. As a divorcée, with kids in college she started a new career working for a major airline. She did not let age or fear hold her back. She is now one of the sweetest & sassiest flight attendants in the skies. Talk about a great example of shero-super power!
- DIRECTION OVER SPEED – Like I mentioned before, this particular endeavor is completely different from anything else I have going on OR anything I’ve done before. There’s been a learning curve, and for me it’s included patience. Of course, I want everything I do to be a huge success (you too, right?). If I am committed to that success I will have to remember that moving in the right direction is more important than moving quickly. It’s not easy, but I believe it will be worth it.
- SHOW UP – When you start small, you are the business. If I don’t feel like being at a holiday market, the people who pass by my table will know it. It can be a challenge to keep showing up, when interaction or sales seem nominal on rainy days. The only way to have the sell-out in the sunshine kind of days is to show up as much as possible. You never know when your one customer of the day will be the one who can make a difference. Treat every potential customer like they matter, because they do, and you’ll get that good energy back eventually. Just keep putting it out there.
- FAMILY = FUEL – One thing that has really helped keep me going, is that this project is part of my family’s legacy. Growing up, our family had a popular restaurant in the small Texas town where I lived. Our salsa was a hit! When we decided to bottle and sell it, long after the restaurant was gone, it just felt like an extension of those old restaurant days. We all pitch in how we can, making great memories along the way. Hopefully, I can build it up enough to have something to pass on to our next generation. When I’m tired, I remember that goal. It helps keep me going.
- ENJOY THE JOURNEY – You know how when you take a long road-trip and end up having such a fun, crazy time on the way to your destination that the car ride is what you remember most vividly when you think of that vacation? I think life can be like that. A destination, goal or dream is a great thing to have. The journey, however, holds some magic of it’s own. Even if it is a business journey, we should be open to fully experiencing it and gaining all we can from the moments on the way to the top.
I hope this post helps encourage or inspire you! If it has also made you hungry for some delicious salsa, than order a jar or two here. You’ll love it.
