Prompt Cast
Success Story of Siete Family Foods: From CrossFit Gym to Paleo-Friendly Tortillas
TLDR Siete Family Foods, founded by the Garza family, transitioned from running a CrossFit gym to becoming the largest paleo-friendly Mexican food brand in the U.S. Their journey was fueled by a commitment to healthy eating, family values, and overcoming challenges like a moldy product setback.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Garza family started with a CrossFit gym in Laredo, Texas, but pivoted to selling paleo-friendly tortillas, leading to the creation of Siete Foods, now the largest paleo-friendly Mexican food brand in the U.S.
06:52
Growing up in a Mexican-American household in Laredo, Texas, Veronica Garza experienced a strong sense of family and culture, with Mexican food and traditions playing a significant role in her life, alongside struggles with autoimmune conditions that began in high school.
13:41
The Garza family adopted a paleo diet together, leading to improvements in Veronica's autoimmune condition and a shared commitment to healthy eating and fitness.
20:07
The Garza family opened a CrossFit gym together in Laredo, facing challenges in making it a profitable business but prioritizing the community and family aspect over financial success.
26:36
Veronica Garza experimented with almond flour to create a grain-free version of tortillas that resembled the traditional ones her grandmother used to make, leading her to start developing a recipe that gained positive reactions from her family and friends.
32:46
Veronica Garza's grain-free tortilla recipe, inspired by her grandmother's traditional tortillas, gained positive feedback from family and friends, leading her to start selling them as a side hustle.
39:21
Veronica and her family started making grain-free tortillas at home, initially as a side hustle, but as demand grew, Miguel saw the potential for a business and encouraged Veronica to take the leap.
45:12
Veronica and Miguel approached a local food co-op called Wheatsville to pitch their grain-free tortillas, impressing the buyer with the taste and securing their first vendor opportunity.
51:20
Veronica, Miguel, and their family worked tirelessly every weekend to meet the demand for their grain-free tortillas after becoming the top-selling item at Wheatsville, eventually catching the attention of Whole Foods through a serendipitous encounter.
57:42
Veronica and Miguel's journey to get their grain-free tortillas into Whole Foods was kickstarted by a fan of the brand who mentioned it to John Mackey, leading to a forwarded email chain that eventually caught the attention of a local buyer for the Austin stores, marking a turning point in their business.
01:04:00
Veronica and Miguel faced a setback when a pallet of their tortillas was found moldy right after securing a deal with Whole Foods, leading to a rush to replenish the products and salvage the situation.
01:10:24
Veronica and Miguel found a manufacturer for their tortillas through a family friend's connection, and despite initial fears of their idea being copied, they worked closely with the manufacturer to ensure their almond flour tortillas were produced successfully and managed to meet a tight deadline for shipping to Whole Foods.
01:16:41
Siete Family Foods received a $90 million investment from Stripe Group in 2019, allowing them to expand their Mexican American food brand and enter major retailers like Kroger, Costco, Target, and Walmart.
01:23:27
Siete Family Foods co-founders Veronica and Miguel Garza hope to be an example for other people of color starting businesses, with the company reaching $200 million in total retail sales in the US in 2020.
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Business
