Start Up Flavors with Carly Munoz Ulloa

In this episode we chat to Carly Munoz Ulloa of Ice Cream Equipment Specialists.

Carly is fully entrenched in helping people get their ice cream shops up and running and shares some valuable insights in the challenges new entrepreneurs face and some interesting flavor profiling techniques.

You can find out more about Ice Cream Equipment Specialists at:

• https://ices.cool/
• https://www.instagram.com/icespecialists/
• https://www.youtube.com/@icespecialists

For information about the North American Ice Cream Assoc, and how you can open and grow your ice cream business with a community that will support you, go to https://icecreamassociation.org/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hey there, folks. Welcome to the Ice Cream Podcast. It's the official podcast of the North American Ice Cream Association. We are all about ice cream people, helping ice cream people. We have got Kylie Munoz from Ice Cream Equipment Specialists on the podcast today. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Well, I'm pretty excited, a little bit nervous, but you know, I know I shouldn't be right.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Well, that's how I spend my life. A little bit excited, a little bit nervous all the time. It keeps you on the edge. Um hey, thanks for coming on. I know, you know, our tagline is ice cream people helping ice cream people. As we chatted before we hit record, you know, you have a pretty um a pretty constant process of helping people get into the ice cream business. So you fit right within our wheelhouse of people to talk to. Carly, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Tell us the Carly Munoz story, uh, and how did you end up into the ice cream industry?

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Well, I'm from Colombia. Uh so I grew up in Colombia, which uh, you know, like it's actually one of the most uh biodiverse countries in the world when it comes to fruits. So uh if we are gonna start speaking about this industry, I have a lot of memories connected to those pros and desserts uh since I was a child. Um and then I moved to the US maybe around four years ago, and then when I became part of this industry, uh it was, you know, like pretty unusual, actually. Uh one funny thing is that during my interview when I first applied to ice cream equipment specialist, um, they asked me for sure about my experience in the industry. And I honestly told them, like, hey, I'm really good at trying and recognizing good flavors, but that's about it.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Um but they saw a little spark in you, obviously. They saw some great potential.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So honestly, at that time, my background was much more focused on, you know, business management, operations, marketing, and strategy. Uh, but then like once I enter into the industry, I realized that it's a happy industry, if you can call it like that. And then like I realized how much I love the creativity, the creativity behind and um how passionate actually can people can be around this. So that's pretty much a short uh background.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah, absolutely. I'm interested when you talk about fruit from Colombia, and I know you you're down in the Flor Florida area, so it's a little bit more tropical, but are there fruits from Colombia that just are not the same here in the United States?

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Yes, yes, a lot, actually. Uh I'm not very sure about the number. I think we do have like more than 400 different types because I read like an article saying like if we would make the decision to just like eat a different fruit daily, we would be able to, and still by the end of the year, there would be still like fruits that we never tried. So um, yeah, trust me, I have really beautiful memories enjoying like different desserts, like uh different like uh palettas or pops with my family and friends and different flavors. So you can still get some of those here, but you know, it's it's it's never the same, but we're trying.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Well, let me tell you, I um I I remember growing up with what we would call a Queensland or a Bowen mango, and the the depth of flavor and intensity and juice in these mangoes I've never come across since. So the Hawaii comes very close. You talk about some uh tropical uh fruits in Hawaii, but I know exactly what you're talking about. My mind always goes back to tropical fruits that um are just not the same here. Hey, um let's talk a little bit about business management. You've been in the industry for about four years now, and in the process of helping people develop um, I guess, a business plan and enter the business, what are the most common challenges you are seeing from people who are coming into the business? Is it choosing a location? Is it finance? Is it equipment? What do you see that's most commonly the challenge for people getting into the business?

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Um I would say that one of the most common challenges we see is that many people or entrepreneurs initially just uh focus on only one piece of the business. So sometimes they focus only on the recipe, for example. So, okay, I want to have you know like the best product in this industry or in this city, but then like uh what about the equipment or how are you gonna do it? But then sometimes only they are focused on the equipment or on the branding. So in reality, I think like that's one of the most challenges is that like showing people that actually everything matters, and then show them that a successful process and deserve business actually requires like a balance between product quality for sure, then the workflow, then the equipment, the consistency, um, for sure the customer experience. Uh, so everything, you know, it's like a whole environment. So I think that would be one of the biggest ones for sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Yeah, I I think a lot of people who are getting into the industry think of childhood memories, maybe when they worked in a Dairy Queen or whether they, you know, were making ice cream at home. And it is a very, very multifaceted business. Any business is, but it seems as though that uh the food service industry and also our sliver of the food service industry can be a little bit more challenging. Um how do you how do you help people overcome that? Because I know what the type of people that we're drawn to or that's drawn to our industry are generally very right-brained, creative, social people. Um how what's a good process in helping someone develop or at least become aware of some of the other um aspects of the business?

SPEAKER_00 6:44

So uh first, obviously, I would like to mention that uh yes, our company, I mean, we're specializing in equipment and solutions, but then like what makes us different is that we just don't sell the machines or the equipment. We really are focused on helping people to build and grow those businesses through education, consulting, um, training, obviously, all the support that we can provide. So we are really focused on that. So answering your question, I would say that it's um I always like to listen first people and see actually in what stage they are. Sometimes people, you know, they they start doing something, it was good, they already like having some customers and they just want to improve or get better. And then other times it's just like people that one day just woke up and say, like, oh, I want to sell this or I want to be part of this industry. So I always take people to um first learn and think that the most important thing, yeah, is the product that they want to sell, but then like, what about when the machine doesn't meet your expectations? So we try to first have this consultation stage uh and like learn more about the customer. And after we do that, then we can recognize maybe what's the part that's missing, you know, in this big puzzle. So sometimes it's the recipes, sometimes the business structure structure, actually. Um so as I mentioned before, it's just like learn about the customers and teach them and show them how the combination of many things working together is actually the only way to do it right. Especially, as you said, in this specific industry. Uh when you are gonna be like the best in just one product or just like a certain market.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Yeah, very true. And I guess I I always take for granted that everybody knows who Evan is and who ISIS is, but you're based out of Florida. Do you want to give us just a quick overview of what uh ice cream equipment specialist does?

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Sure. Um, so basically, yeah, we are based in Gainesville, Florida, uh, bow gators. And then yeah, as I mentioned, we specialize in equipment and the solutions for all this industry. We can provide like everything, like since the accessories and the small stuff as silicon mold for making pops until the big semi-industrial and industrial uh like machines and equipment. So uh we really try to create an experience uh where the clients or customers feel actually support instead of just sold to. Because when you are buying certain stuff, you can just you know go to Amazon and and buy whatever you need, and and someone is gonna deliver for you, and that's it. But then, like when you are in this process, you need actually like the guide, someone who might maybe already know the industry, that already like know what we are talking about, and this is pretty much what we're trying to do right now. So that's why we're uh we offer like, as you mentioned, consulting services, courses, uh education, and a lot of stuff. That's pretty much what we do.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Yep, nice. You do it very well. Uh big supporter of the association, Evan and the crew. We we we love ISIS. Hey, tell me um tell me a bit about flavor development because I know that you've got a good range of you know, batch freezes, uh popsicle equipment, uh, all that kind of stuff. I remember one of my first experiences of going into a paleteria, I don't know whether I say that right, and Evan always goes mad at me for saying the one word in Spanish that I know wrongly. But I first went into a uh paleteria in uh, I'm gonna say Midland Odessa in Texas.

unknown 10:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

And um the store owner there was showing me all of the palettas. And um the cucumber kind of, oh, I I love cucumber, it's a nice kind of fresh flavor. And it was a cucumber in chili um or chili uh uh popsicle. And I remember taking a bite of this and having an expectation that this was going to be a sweet cucumber, but it was very salty. And that kind of really hit me first. It's like, oh my gosh, I I was expecting something sweet. This is salty. Then the chili kicked in. And I asked the I asked the store lady, is this going to be hot? And she said, No, it's not hot. Well, let me tell you. From this white guy from Australia, it just about burnt my lips off. So where do you find the balance between um teaching people traditional flavors versus uh helping them understand something that's a little bit more on the uh on the outskirts of traditional? And um, what do you find are the I guess percentages of of people that are wanting to do those very unique flavors versus something that's uh more traditional?

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Well, actually, I think uh you just like you just like uh give me one of the of my answers because what I really love about general business, let's say, because I'm a business manager uh professionally, it's actually all about marketing and market analysis. So that's pretty much what I tell people. So when you're taking this serious, right? And this is one obviously one of my advice as well uh to people, is like you need to truly take the time to understand the business you're getting into. So when you do that, you're gonna know more about your target, your customers, uh, the area where where are you located, the city, uh what actually you want to do. So then, like, once you already know and understand that, we can talk about flavors. So, what I really like about this is that you can do whatever you want. Uh, you can have like even protein, palettas, or ice cream. We do have customers that are doing that. I I even have customers are are are trying to be focused on just like you know, like ice cream for pets or that kind of stuff, because that's their industry, and that's based in where are they located and the market that they are trying to get into. So that would be my first advice. But yes, you can mix a lot of stuff. I have tried and I have made like um avocado palettas uh with cocking, for example, or with passion fruit. And then like sometimes when you listen to that, you can be like, huh, I don't know if actually that's gonna taste good, but then like, you know, with the good formulation and the good recipe, it can. Um, same story with the gluten-free or sugar-free recipes. I know it's not for everyone, but there's people out there who's expecting to can have something like this. So there's like enough room, and you can be creative and you can just like you know make a really good product using good fruits, good ingredients, and pretty much everything you can imagine.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Yeah, um, I I get a lot of people who kind of say, Well, I need to have something that's so unique, but I think sometimes it's good to have those hook flavors, but I think sometimes people may miss the mark when it comes to what sells the most. And, you know, you can get people who see uh a social media post on, say, maple bacon, and they may want to come in and taste it, but then they're buying two scoops of chocolate and one scoop of cookies and cream. So it's I guess that's the challenge of finding the balance between what sells well and also what makes your products unique. Um where are you finding for your business the focus on equipment? Is there more focus for you on batch freezes or popsicle equipment, soft serve? Where are you finding um you spending the most time?

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Um I think maybe lately has been more into the the pups or the palettas. Yeah. Uh because it is such a good product, I think. Uh it's something that um again you can customize, you can have the concept of a paletta bar that means that basically you have like basic flavors, uh, and then you are just like playing around the toppings. Um, but also you can, as we were talking, you can start making like really specific flavors and play around that. And actually, before I actually answer your question, I was remembering that act then during the Kanican last year, uh, we had a lot of different flavors, uh, paleta flavors. And one of those was like popcorn, caramel popcorn. And um, even me, I was really curious about that when the chef made that the flavor. I was like, I mean, I love to go to the movies and I love popcorn, but I don't know if actually I want to have that on a frozen dessert on a stick. Right. Um and trust me, I was surprised because it was really good, and the flavor was like literally. I mean, I I I when I when I closed my eyes, I was just like feeling the movies experience pretty much. So uh people were shocked about that, and um they were really surprised, and people start you know changing their minds around this, so that's something good for sure. And um going back to you to your question, yeah. I think nowadays the the Paletta industry is growing up, even people who is already in this industry making gelato or ice cream or another product, uh, they're now interested in. Uh if you have already like a soft serve machine, for example, you can just like get some molds and start using the rest of the mix by the end of the day, and just like use it on a silicon mold, put it a stick, and now you already have a product. You feel me? So it's like it's really good. It's really uh, I mean, the profit is really high, to be honest. So maybe that's why we're we're having like more requests about this.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Yeah, I do think that it's also a product category that most stores can get into, regardless of whether you're doing premium or soft serve or gelato or or water ice, even, that you can invest in some silicon moles and just experiment with the process of what that looks like. I know um that there's a lot of good information on your website about uh popsicles and how to make popsicles and so forth. Um it just seems one of those industries or segments of our industry where you can kind of dabble in it first before you invest in larger machines. Yeah, the one thing that I think is is great about the uh the popsicle business is that you can start, regardless of your concept, you can start now and experiment in silicon molds and then grow the business up to the point where perhaps you may need some higher volume equipment. So it's a very, very easy and fun segment of the ice cream industry to delve into, which I think is pretty cool. Um, Carly, where can people find out more about ISIS?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Well, I mean, obviously there's our website. Um it's like um isis.cool. That's it. And uh we are also getting into the social media content. So we're on Instagram, Facebook, and we also have a good YouTube channel. Um, we try to just like upload really good and high quality content, more educational. So we receive actually comments like from everywhere, even from other countries, uh, of people just like, oh, how can you can I make this or how how did you make that that pop or that product? Can you teach me? So it's actually pretty nice to see what what this amazing industry can can do so far.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Well, that's awesome. Well, we're gonna put all of those links in the show notes. So if you're listening, you can click on those links. Kali, thank you so much for your time today. Uh, good luck for this season and uh appreciate all you do in helping your customers uh become successful.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Well, thank you so much for having me here. And um, yeah, I hope everyone in the industry have like a really good summer this year, even with this economy. And uh, we're happy to help you and serve everyone. So just like contact us, and I'm gonna also say my email. So uh my email is gonna be Carly, C-A-R-L-Y, and uh at is that cool. That's it. Cool because you're a really cool company.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

You are cool, you got cool people, you got cool products. Well, thank you very much, and we'll hopefully get to see you at ConeCon.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yes, I'll be there. Thank you, Steve.