Family Business Turnaround: How One Latina Founder Cleared $150K in Debt [Ep. 10]

What happens when your business is $150,000 in debt and the dream you built with your spouse starts falling apart?

Today I sit down with Eva Garcia, a Latina founder and Hispanic business owner, to share the real story behind building a family catering company with her husband. From nearly losing their home to stepping into leadership, Eva opens up about the challenges of running a business partnership within a marriage and the lessons that come with building a family business.

We talk about discovering your unique gifts, navigating cultural expectations as a Latina entrepreneur, and why defining roles in a marriage and business partnership is key to long-term success.

In This Episode We Talk About:

• The truth about being $150,000 in debt and almost losing their home
• Why stepping into leadership was one of the hardest decisions Eva made
• The challenges of being a Latina founder in a marriage-based business partnership
• Why defining roles is crucial when working with your spouse
• How Eva and her husband turned their different strengths into business growth
• The power of identifying your God-given gift in business
• Why family support can make or break an entrepreneurial journey
• The importance of inner healing and personal growth as a business owner
• How COVID unexpectedly helped grow their catering business
• Eva’s vision for the next chapter of her company

If you’re a Hispanic business owner, Latina founder, or entrepreneur building a business with your spouse, this episode is for you.

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Hasta luego, amigas. Bendiciones. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

A lot of people may not know the real story. We were in over $150,000 in debt. We almost lost our home. We almost lost our home. A lot of people don't know this. We almost lost our home and our boat was sinking and was sinking quick.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Hola, amigas. This podcast is for Latina entrepreneurs building businesses while navigating faith, culture, and yes, motherhood. We unpack how your story shapes your leadership and build real life systems that help you grow without burning down. This is where Cultura meets strategy. So let's go.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

All right. Hola amigas, and welcome to the Latina Entrepreneur Podcast. I'm your host, Anya Mercado, an IO psychology practitioner and a business strategist. And today I am so excited to have a special guest that really highlights the reason why I created this podcast. And her name is Eva. Eva. Is it Ava? Eva. Eva.

unknown 0:54

Eva.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

You can call me whatever you want. Just don't call me too late for dinner. No, no, you're right. But never.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

She's a mom. She's a wife. She's a business owner of an amazing catering company here in Southern California. And she is kicking butt. I mean, she keeps growing. Now, you know, started with Quinceañera. She's going to tell us a story about that. But now, like going into the corporate world, and it really is just growing. And the most uh important thing here that I know she's going to highlight a lot of it is going to be how she's really truly living and working a business that involves her family, you know, keeps her culture aligned. And, you know, I'm sure she's going to tell us all of the stories along the way. And Ava, before we we start, I have to ask you a question. What is your favorite meal or dessert like that you can't live without? Like if you had to choose. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Jeez, that's a hard one. That's a hard one because yes, my mom is such a great cook. And you know, uh I wanna say enchiladas. Enchiladas and I cannot live without my conchitas. I cannot live with my conchitas and coffee. Oh, I know those are the best. Yeah, I I think if we're gonna, you know, really try to narrow it down. Those are the two. Those are the two.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Awesome. Well, I've seen your dessert like layouts, they are amazing. Like, I don't even want to eat them because they look so nice. Um, I get that a lot. Yeah, I mean, I'll be like, oh, I don't want to touch it, but yeah, you can't, yeah. I love conchitas and yeah, enchiladas, definitely. For me, it's like menudo. I love menudo.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Oh, that's my daughter. You know, I was gonna I was gonna say posole. I'm more of a pozole than menudo. I do love menudo, but I'm more of a pozole than menudo, but it's hard. I mean, today we went to one, it's hard. It's it is, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

No, that's amazing. All right. Well, I want to kick us off and I want to really have you, you know, share your story and what got you into owning a catering business. Like, how did you start?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

So a lot of people may not know the real story, and I think I do want to take this opportunity because nothing happens by chance. You know, me sitting here with you and sharing this story, I have to be honest. I have to be honest. 10 years ago, I decided to take over uh Banquetes Económicos, which is still legally my husband's business. He's the one that has been in the kitchen since he was five, you know, making salsa, helping his parents. He does come from a line of um carnita at restaurants in Mexico. When I met him, he was in the catering business. I was more when I met him, I was a single mom. So when I met him, I had that, you know, support that I could still work, but at the same time build my family, you know, with him to start all over, you know, with my son and him. I had, you know, my daughter almost like two years after that. So I kind of built my family. I was always in the background doing paperwork. At that time, you know, he did have another business, so he had two at the time. And I've always been the behind the scenes, you know, like looking at the numbers, you know, um, the paperwork, the accountant. I was the behind the scenes. And everybody, you know, I'm gonna keep it very real. Everybody always thought that she doesn't work, you know, she doesn't do anything. And you know, it took me a while. It took, it took me 15 years to be exact, to and no. So 10 years ago when the other business started just going downhill, I was noticing the numbers, and I'm like, you know, we would tell my husband, you know, what's going on? I'm looking at the numbers. Oh, everything's okay. Well, 10 years ago, everything wasn't okay. You know, we were in debt, we were in over 150,000 in debt. This is the first time I'm talking about this and this, it's a little bit hard, but I have to be honest. I have to be honest because everything's not, oh my gosh, like they're, you know, they're you know, hash couple goes, Oh my god, they're killing it. Yes, now, but 10 years ago, it that wasn't the story. So we almost lost our home. We almost lost our home. A lot of people don't know this. We almost lost our home and our boat was sinking and it was sinking quick. So I got in there and I just did what I had to do for the love of my family and you know, my kids. Uh, I said, no, we we have the American dream, you know. Oh immigrant, let you know, I'm a I'm an immigrant, my parents are immigrants, my kids are first generation here, and the dream is to own a home. Why am I gonna lose my home? You know, this is you know, you want to build a security for your kids, you know. So I said, no, I cannot lose that foundation for them. So I jumped in and it was a struggle. It was a struggle because one, I'm Mexican and you know, women do what the men say or used to do what the women say. And you know, when you when there's an issue and there's a problem, and I'm gonna, you're in a way gonna ask me to jump in and help and fix it. Um, I'm gonna jump in and try to fix it and do everything that I can, but you cannot question what I'm doing or how I'm doing it. So 10 years ago, that's what I decided to do. I took over the catering business because the other one, I felt like it was gonna be a little bit more of a challenge for me to bring it out from, you know, and I'm still 10 years later, we're still having, you know, the the what do you call it? Um, I still feel, you know, the the the back of it because it was such a huge hole that, you know, we dug ourselves in. So I took over changing the face of the business, um, the chev coats, you know, the setup. Um, you know, my husband, you know, when I met him, he will grab his pots, go set up a table, put the pots on top of the table and serve the plate as people came. When I took over, I'm like, no, that's not gonna happen. I don't do simple. So we started, you know, having uh tablecloth. We did the simple shaving dishes, and then I said, okay, I love to decorate. You know, I've been, I was 12 when I threw my mom her baby shower and she didn't even know it. What? Yes, so planning, decorating my flowers. I can see them, yeah. Like we're like so. You know, it's it's always been a passion of mine. You know, I'm not the best, I learn every day, but I love to decorate. So I'm like, I grabbed, I took what he knew how to do because we're all born with a gift, and that's his gift. Cooking is definitely his gift. My gift is bringing everything together. What let me take A, B and make it work so we could get to C. That's how I saw it. So I started decorating, I started adding little things here and there to incorporate the client's, you know, event. If it's a quinceera, like their name, and all those little details, you know, the clients we're already doing a great service, you know, customer service. We're we're known for that. We have you know good food, not because I'm saying it, it's because the clients say it. And you know, 10 years later, here we are, and this is our bread and butter. This is all we do, you know, this is our nine to five, if you will, or our 24-7 when you're a business partner. So um, you know, I added my touch. Well, was it easy? No. And this is what I think. If I want to leave today with a message, is this for every woman out there, you know, that wants to take that step, go for it. Go for it, but understand that as a Latina, I was childish. This is only my story, and I'm sharing it. If it resonates with anybody, then you know, take take what I learned. Um, 10 years later, I'm still struggling because why? Because it's his business, you know, his family is like, you know, she took over. Like, what do you mean it's hers? You know, what do you mean she's the one now, you know, because if you if you ask everybody, oh, it's her face, your face is everywhere on the page. Yeah. I told them a long time ago, I cannot stand there and justify to everybody or explain to everybody how our business and how our household is run. I had to really, really like put my big girl tonies on and tell him this if we want to succeed, you have to be my partner in crime. Lit, you have to be my partner in crime. If you want to start a business as a Latina or as a Latino or as anybody, you have to start at home. You have to start the roles. You know, we all have roles in the house, you know. And you can't come and tell me when we're out at a catering and something goes wrong, you can come tell me, hey, hey, hey, I said, no, right now I'm your boss. And it happens because you know, we're family owned. Yes, we do have employees, but you know, the face is my husband, my daughter, and I. But when I'm talking to my daughter at a catering, we're business partners, we're working, it's not a mother-daughter relationship. And I think that's the hardest challenge that I've had for them to see like she is the face of this, she is the owner of this, you know. And even if my husband, yeah, he's he's the uh, you know, he's the chef. I told him, No, you're not a cook, you're a chef. Yeah, you didn't went to culinary school, but you've been in the kitchen since you were five. In my eyes, you're a chef. You have to own what you are. And I told him you have to, and I've been telling him you have to own it. Now, don't let that get to your head, you know, don't let that get to your head. We're a team, you know, like you have a gift. I want to say I found my gift, and my daughter's finding her gift. Between the three of us, you know, we're unstoppable. And if you ask me, no, 10 years later, I'm still struggling with this because you know, the whole woman movement, you know, we shifted something, something was shifted, something was moved. Then a lot of men, especially coming from the Latino background, they they're like, wait a minute, you know, like, what do you mean my boss, my wife's the boss? What do you mean, like, you know, ella es la que manda? It's not about who's the boss, and it's not about, you know, quien manda. No, it's I don't have a roommate, I have a partner, I have a husband. You know, there's that's what I've learned. Something that I went, you know, uh, to a woman's because you know it's women's national, international woman month this month. And on Sunday I went to an event and there was a speaker there, and I felt something in my core. Like, I don't know if it was good, I don't know if it was bad, like it put a fire under me, to be honest with you. Um, very successful lady, and she was talking about how she has food trucks, how now she has three restaurants, and I'm sitting there like, that's what I want. It's been 10 years. Why the heck am I not there? What is going on? And I took a step back and I said, okay, take a step back, let your emotions on the table and bring your entrepreneur, you know, lady into the table, what's going on and why. Well, it's because I am dealing still with the well, it's my husband's business, and I still sometimes feel like I have to explain myself. And after Sandem's, no, like we have to set the role straight. I have a vision, I know what I want, and I cannot get distracted on what I want and talk to him and tell him like, and why this why what she said like stuck with me is because she said, if it wasn't for my partner, and she said something that I will never forget. She said, the first time she said we had a food truck and it was a rented food truck, she says, and we went out there and we sold $80. I'm like, oh my gosh, I've been there, like I've been there where we had an event and we only I think it was exactly $86 that we sold. And I'm oh my gosh, what am I doing? You know, you question yourself, but here they are, you know, I don't know how many years later, because I don't think she shared that part. I don't know how many years later. And she has multiple trucks, three, three restaurants. And I said, Okay, why? And then she mentioned why. She said, because that was one of the questions. Who inspires you? And she said, My partner, he didn't he never let me quit. He never let me quit. And he, you know, he was driving the truck and I was doing the food, and and I said, It's the partnership. And that was for me, was the aha moment, I think for me, 10 years later, you know. Um that was it, you know, it's the partnership. So anyone out there that wants to go into business, get your roles straight. That's the best way I can say it. Get your roles straight. It's not that who's the boss, it's not who wears the pants. No, why? Because here we are 10 years later. Yes, we're successful, yes, we have a great business. I'm very thankful every day. I'm very thankful that I'm able to do this and I'm able to touch lives and I'm able to talk to people, every client, a lot of them become my friends, you know, a lot of them become my friends. And but I think still 10 years later, I've been, I want to say, afraid to actually say, no, enough is enough. This is what we need to do. These are the roles, and you know, stay with your gift and just do because if you try to do too much, then it's it's not gonna work, you know, it's not gonna work. You're trying to balance too many things out, something's not gonna work. You know, my husband has uh has his gift, I have mine. I never thought I was gonna be in the kitchen cooking. If you would have told me 10 years ago, 15 years ago, Eva, one day you're gonna run a ketone business and you're gonna be in the kitchen cooking, I would have been like, you're right, you know, because I did real estate, I I I was in the financial world, you know, I was a life insurance agent. Um, I you know, I did all that. So you would have never thought that I was gonna be doing this. If you would have told me Eva, one day you're gonna cook pasta for 200 people, I would have been like, yeah, right. But you know, again, for the love of my family, and I wasn't gonna let that boat sink and I refuse to, I I went in the kitchen and my family is the biggest critic, food critic you will ever, ever find out there. Every dish, every dish. My dad, my dad is that's another that's another topic for another story. But you know, you know, my mom was a stay-home mom. So my dad is like, you know, the breadwinner, el que manda, you know, he's there. But you know, I've I've built that relationship with him. You know, it took me a long time, you know, for me to also work on yourself. If you're gonna be a business owner, work on yourself, please. You know, um, work in that inner child. I've been working on it for 10 years, and oh my gosh, the last week I've had so many aha moments. I'm like, okay, work on yourself. Yeah, a lot of reflection. And and a lot of reflection. So, yes, if you would have told me, you know, 10, 15 years ago, I would have been like, nope, that's my husband's job, you know. That's you know, but you know, men sometimes need direction, you know, in this case, and I always tell them your gift, and I cannot, I I cannot implement this enough. Your gift. We're all born with the gift, yes, you know. And I I I read somewhere um how to identify your gift, and I said, Oh, this is a this is a good one. I want to know how. And whatever is easy for you and not for others, that's your gift. I don't know how this man could go in the kitchen and cook for six, because he's done it for six, seven hundred people, and you know, I I and I tell him that's your gift. Like, I don't, I don't know, yeah, I could cook for pasta for two, three hundred people, no problem. But you know, that's that's about it. You know, that that's about it. But him, you know, he could cook birria for six, seven, eight. We've cooked for a thousand people before. And for him, it's like, and I tell him, like, you're walking around here like it's nothing, but you know, that's his gift, you know, his gift that like he could taste something and tell me, Oh, they used too much uh um garlic, oh, they need them or this. And I'm like, how do you do that? It's his gift, you know. But if I send him, you know, but if I tell him I want you to decorate like this, like this, and like that, and do this and that, he tried to do pastries away my time, and I'm looking at him like, mm-hmm, you have your gift. Yeah, I want to say I have mine. And I think, you know, once you uh discover that gift, you know, that you have, because you know, a lot of people, you know, can say, Oh, I like, you know, your cooking is so good and everything, but then you're gonna go out there and do it all on your own, you know, the marketing, the financial part of it, and everything. You need a team, you know, you need a team. And you know, yeah, you could start on your own, but once you start, you know, doing it, then start delegating things. You know, like my daughter, she does all my social media, you know. I tell her, I'm gonna feed you for free. So do all the social media and then you know, and that's and that's what's helping her. That's what's helping her. And you know, just setting those, just setting those tasks and those um places, you know, everybody has a place, everybody has a task, and I haven't taken my eye, you know, from the goal that that that I want. And I don't think I'm I don't think I'm gonna stop because you know it's here. And and I've have I wanted to quit? Yes, I have wanted to quit many, many, many times. But then I quit and then I get like three deposits. I'm like, what? People that I spoke to give quotes and they're sending me deposits. Okay, Lord, this is what I'm supposed to do. I get it. Let me keep going.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Let me keep going.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Customer said, Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Yeah, no, that's amazing. No, you've shared a lot of the things that I I've I've come across as well. A lot of people don't take a look at their inner self and like, really, what is my gift? You know, and and I, you know, I've met with people and they're like, Oh, because you're just so good at this, or or that person's so good at that. And I'm like, yeah, and that's good. That means that you are good at something else. And when you're not, and when you're not, you lack the other gifts. I mean, you can do it, but you're just gonna be like, you said you're gonna be stressed out, you're gonna be like, this is just fighting it. Then that allows you to be like, okay, give me a minute. Like, what is my real zone of like, I call it the zone of genius, you know, as well. Like, what is my zone of genius? Like, what is that? And then you'd be like, I like that. Yeah, and you'd be like, Oh, well, it's you know, talking to customers. I love being out in the field, like I want to do business development. And you see a lot of business owners doing all the speaking, doing all the network, like they love that, you know, like that's who they are. And um, and they don't want to be in the back end, like doing all the paper financials and stuff, and you know, but they, you know, like I always say, you should you should always look at their numbers because you know, obviously that's gonna help you at least be aware. Be aware, yeah, right. Um, but I said, but it's okay, like, but then hire somebody else that also believes in your company, that believes in, you know, helping your customers so that they can also drive the same way you do, and you can delegate a lot easier because you build that trust, right? So it's very important. I and I love that you say that. And to your point as well, like having that support, especially for for married women and starting a business, it's so important. Like, I myself would not be here talking to you in this business if it wasn't for my husband. Like, you know, I decided to quit my corporate job, and I was like, Are you sure? Because that's that's a big chunk of money that we're not gonna be getting a monthly, you know, payment anymore, pay pay anymore. And I still have like debt, and you know, and I have loans to pay, and I have, and he's like, you'll figure it out, you know. And that was a trust that for the first time, kind of like what you said, it was a that thing like that maybe you didn't believe it in yourself for a very long time, but when somebody else believes in that, somebody else is like your partner, right? You're doing your life, like you're like, okay, I can do this, right? And obviously, God, like I always say, you know, thanks to God for everything He He's given me. But um, you know, having his my husband's support and like how you were saying it's so important, you know. And my kids see it, right? Too. I mean, they're little, but you know, they see mommy working and then and then they they're like, oh mom, like um, I'm working too, you know, like they'll pretend like they're they're in the little laptop and stuff like that. And so, so you know, it's like everybody's watching, you know, but at the end of the day, it's like you want to just focus on and not to be like selfish or anything, like, but it's like, no, like, but what do I want? Because this is not just for me, but it's for my family, right? And it's like we have gold, but it's our family, like nobody else is gonna pay the bills, like they can talk all they want, but it's like it should just rub off ourselves because it's like, well, they're not they're not paying my bills at the end of the day, so who cares, right? And and if anything, we just like kind of move away. Like, you know, we're not coming this weekend. We have a lot of things to do because we're not gonna be sharing those thoughts. But uh, but yeah, no, you you brought a lot of the those key points and and you know, that are very important to uh also bring a lot of self-awareness, right? Like you said, and growth. I think one of those things that I've learned, and I think you're you're seeing as well, is like just keep learning more about yourself, like digging deeper, like you know, and going back to that child, you know, like you grew up, that a lot of that still stays with us, good, bad. I love everything you were saying. I was just like, oh my gosh, this is like yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

I I have surprised myself and I'm still surprising myself. And I I saw this Netflix series about tacos, right? And about where the different type of tacos and how oh my goodness, I saw that too. I I was hungry the whole time. Yes, I know, and I cannot sit there and watch this, you know, without having a snack or eating something because I'm like, okay, but one thing out of the whole series, you know, is they interviewed this gentleman because my husband is from Saguayo, Michigan. We're the carnitas. Yeah, from the carnitas. You know, uh if if if you say, Oh, you make carnitas, where are you from? Sawao, Michigan. I gotta try them. They must be good because that's where the carnitas come from. So they interviewed this gentleman, and the only thing I remember from that whole episode was what he said, and it stuck with me since then. He said, How long have you been uh making carnitas? And he says, I've been learning to make carnitas for 50 years now. So for me, it was like, yes, uh, you know, you don't know everything, you know, you never stop learning. Uh yes, going back to the whole um husband thing, that's a priceless fuel, I say. It's a priceless fuel, you know, fuel that the encouragement, and then we're paving the road for our kids. You know, my family, you know, like I I have my parents around the corner, you know, they live around the corner and they are my biggest supporters, you know. And I'm showing my mom, you know, that she had such a oh my gosh, she has a gift. She's a great cook, okay? But she has the gift, she would have been a great nurse. She would have been a great nurse. But, you know, for you know, for her, the way she was brought up, you know, and and I know a lot of us could understand this. The way she was brought up is you get married, you take care of your kids, you take care of your husband. And if your husband says no, well, then it's no. You know, there's so many times that we go out to dinner and my dad's order for her, and and you know, I'm looking at her like, ugh, but I have worked on understanding that that's her process, but that's not me. There's been times that I told my husband, I'm not my mom. You know, I have a voice. I just want you to remind you of that, you know, like in a nice way, you know, like of course, yeah, you know. But yeah, I mean, I feel like I have my daughter there's watching and hearing every step and everything that I say. And I want to teach her and leave her. You know, if I'm gone tomorrow, what am I gonna leave her? That she has a voice, and at the end of the day, she's gonna do what she wants to do, you know, and that's what I'm teaching her. That's that, you know, we're paving the way for all these, you know, amazing women for our generation that know if you want to do something, do it, you know. And yeah, I mean, I mean, I don't know what else we should say, but just you know, like do it, you know. There's so many amazing women out there, like, oh my gosh, I meet so many ladies. And I tell them, some of them I tell them, you know, like, oh my gosh, like you will be so I have a friend, you know, she's a holistic uh uh coach. And I tell her, you need to like this is you. Like, I a few years now I told her, no, don't do anything else. Obviously, she had to do other things, she's a single mom, you know, to you know, to bring like I I get it, but I told her, don't ever lose sight of this. This I could never meditate, I was never able to meditate, like the way she has taught me to meditate. Oh my gosh, I've done constellations with her.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

I've huge I get anxiety from just like trying to think, like, I mean, unless I'm praying, you know, like whenever I do my prayers at night, you know, I do like, but if I'm like trying to meditate, I can't, I'm like, like I think my my neuro neurological systems like always on high alert that I'm like, I can't I can't control myself.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

One of the times I was meditating by myself, I actually had a mini panic attack. I'm like, okay, I'm like, am I gonna be able to come back from this meditation? What's going on? What is because you know, my co my inner controller, me was like, okay, like I want to control the situation. Like, no, but she has taught me how, and I've done wonderful exercises with her. I've healed so much. That's why I go back to work on yourself, you know. Yes, but uh, I told her, no, I don't want to hear that you're gonna want to do anything else. This is what you're meant to do. This is her gift, this is your gift, and she was she's doing so great right now. She oh, she's growing so much. I just talked to her yesterday, like, every time I talk to you, I get so inspired. I'm like, because you need to keep doing what you're doing, she needs to cover, you need to send her over here to me. So oh my gosh, I can have her on, please. So she has I told her, I told her you have so much to offer, and she says, Eva, I have a dream and you're in it, and we're gonna do it. I'm like, I don't know what it is, but I'm there, I'll do it with you because I feel like we there's so much awakening that needs to be done. There's so much healing on your own.

SPEAKER_01 25:40

There's a lot of healing. Oh, yeah, I yes, yeah. I mean, I yeah, well, that could be a whole nother story, but it's just still a lot, you know. It's it's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Healing, I'm just gonna go really just very small into this. This is and this is why I cannot uh push this enough about the healing and working on yourself. I had I can't believe I want to say this, but without crying, but I had something there with my mom. My mom, when I was four years old, and you know, I was in Mexico, she left us for a whole year to come here with my dad. And I thought it was fine. Uh no, I was not. So when I started in my you know healing process, I worked on that and I didn't know how much anger I had toward that situation that I've carried. I'm about to be 50 that I have carried, you know, all these years with that. I, you know, my my great friend, you know, the Marlene, when I'm talking who I'm talking about, she helped me and she was even surprised. But of course, I've been I've been working on this for 10 years. Uh, she was surprised how what a change I did. And you know, my mom and my dad are retired, so they go back and forth to Mexico, they're over there now. But I did this exercise while she was over there before she would go. I wouldn't even want to call her because that that inner child, that four-year-old, was mad that my mom was gone again, you know, and she's not here to whatever is going on in the family. I just need her here, yeah. Like she wasn't here for my daughter, for my daughter's birthday this year. Like, like, what the heck? And I was upset, and now it's like I understand her. Yeah, it's a lot of things that I'm not okay with, but as a mom, I wouldn't do that. But that's what that's teaching me. Okay, she had her limitations, she did what she did with the information and the knowledge that she had. She only went to second grade, you know, like that's that's that's all that she knew. I I can't blame her for that. And you know, and now I miss my mom, you know. I call her once in a while, hey, how are you guys doing? Where are you guys going today? And oh, you know, like, and finally she told me, Oh, I I just want to go go home. And I'm like, You never said that before when you're over there because you're having so much fun. But I think like once you start healing those, you know, inner child issues, you know, there's something in the universe that does move, and you don't have to have your mom in front of you to heal that. And that's what I, you know, that's what I've learned. And I can't wait to see my mom. And I'm actually planning to sit down and having a conversation with her and telling her, I understand, you know, because I'm a mom now, I understand what you did. I don't want you to, you know, to hold that against you or me. Like, I just want to move on, you know. I just want to like move on and and and and she's helped me, you know, she's helped me with the business. Oh, my family has helped me with the business. That's another thing. Speaking of a business, going back to business, yeah, family support, the family support. I'm I'm sure you know this. I mean, yeah, the family support is huge. I cannot speak for my husband's family, but I could speak for my family. My family has they've been there and they're there. I'm telling you, they're around the corner. If I'm at an event and something went down and I needed something, I have called my dad and he has dropped everything he's doing to go and help me. Uh, my mom has gone to help me, my sisters help me all the time. So that family support, I've been so blessed and thankful for. And they seen me grow and they support what I stand, you know, because at the end of the day, it's for them too. And my mom, I had a conversation with my mom that not that long ago, actually, because you know, the family in Mexico, they follow us on social media and they told her, Oh, like she's busy, she's all over the place. And I think my mom telling me that for her, she's not gonna tell me, but I know she's proud, you know, and it's like, okay, that's what I want my daughter to feel one day, you know, how how proud I am of what you know she's done and what she's doing. She didn't tell me, you know, oh, you know, because that's not, you know, they weren't taught that, you know, they weren't taught to say, I'm proud of you, but they have showed me with their actions and with their support. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

That's beautiful. That's so true. Yeah, I feel the same with my my family, my parents. Um, similar story actually to yours. And um, but like, you know, I I learned to just like move on. I'm like, you know, nobody's perfect. Nope. Um, and you know, I'm I have them here and I should be thankful, you know, and they've completely changed the way they are, you know, and are supporting me and are with me. And and that's what matters. Like the past is a past. I can't change it, right? But it's true, like you kind of have to take the time to reflect because it does eat you and it comes up in ways like I never even thought about it. Like I would be putting barriers on people because if that it's that um almost like abandonment type thing, right? Because you're just like, I I don't know if I can trust you. So even with my partners, right? When my husband, like when I met him, I was he's like, Why are you just like I love you? I'm like, I know, I know you love me, but you know, like it's just give me some time. Like, I'm working on myself. I'll get there.

unknown 30:32

I'll get there.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

Yes, all this trauma, you know. Like I was my parents made me like my trauma, but you know, and I play with with them and and I play with my parents. I'm like, it's all the trauma you you got me through, you know, you put me in the same, but we're laughing about it, it's like nothing, you know, because I I can't imagine not having them because just like you, I call them, they drop anything, and they're here with me, you know. Like, I need something like with the kids or or whatever, and they're like, Okay, like we'll figure it out, like whatever, you know, we help you. So, so it's that's what's so important. Like, family is so important to me. Um, and yeah, and especially in our culture, I think that's it's huge, you know. Whether we don't agree with everything, but we're like still like sticking together, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

And it's it's taken it's taken a while. I'm not gonna share a quote that it's taken a while to get where we're at. I know there's more work to be done. I am the oldest, you know, of all the kids. And yeah, and all my all my siblings, they kind of look up to me as a mom. And the other day my husband was saying, Well, you know, you're oh, because I made I make crepes and I send my sister because you know, she's around the corner, and my husband was gonna go pick up something at my mom's house. He said, Oh, you know, take my sister this. And he was like, Oh, yeah, your daughters. I'm like, No, they're not my daughters. Oh, but they see you as your daughters. Well, they might see me as their mom, but they do have a mom, you know, and I am their sister and I love them, and I have extra crepes. So guess what? I'm sending them extra creps. And I think for the longest time, like, you know, I did feel like the that mom responsibility, but again, you know, because that four-year-old, you know, it's still there, you know, that your inner child never leaves, it's still there, but now I have an agreement with her that yes, you're there, but now I'm here with you too. You know, you're not alone, you know. I know you're not gone, I know you're still there, but you know, I got you, you know, like I got you and we're okay. And I told them, no, you know, they're my sisters and I love them, and that's why I'm doing this. You know, they have their mom. So when I did all these practices, you know, when I'm healing, is I gave my mom her place back, you know, because yeah, they all come to me. Like I I talk to all of all my sisters about their menstrual cycle, about their boyfriends. They all come to me about, you know, for everything, but because they they know that my mom was built different, she was raised different, you know, she's all about whatever your dad says, whatever your dad does. Oh, look at the papa. And for me, it's like, oh lord, but now I get it, you know. That's that's all she knew, that's what she knows. Yeah, but you know, again, you know, places. That's true, that's true. So but the love is there, the love is there, the love is there. That's all the love is there. Once you understand that the love is there, I feel like you could accomplish anything. The conversations that I have with my dad now, I couldn't have with my dad 25 years ago. There's no way I could have had these conversations with my dad, and now it's like I sit down with him and I tell him no, no, no, dad. Like, look, like look, this, that has okay, what? And they're like, you'll pet like like now they're different types of conversations, but again, it took work. Again, work, work on yourself.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

Yeah, no, it's true, it's true. But love is key for sure. Love is key.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Money will come. We're talking about business, Anya. Money will come. Money will, yeah. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm rolling in it. No, the money will come, the success will come. Yeah, you know, that I I I I heard it. I really don't like to read, I'm gonna be honest with you, but I I hear audiobooks, audiobooks. Yes, I hear and I watch a lot of podcasts. I I do you know now, like even my son walks by, he's like, Oh, she's watching a podcast. Because you know, he's always like, Oh, read, read. Oh, like okay, fine. But I'll watch a lot, you know, watch a lot of podcasts. I love the YouTube that I can see. Oh, that you can see the people, yes, yes, yes. In that way, I'm old school. I'm sorry, I'm old school. I like to talk to people, I see the tell, I like to hear their voice, their expression, you know, like it's nothing like sending a text to like talking to you on the phone. So I'm old school in that way, but I understand also. I understand, you know, AI is gonna take over pretty soon, or app's taking over. I understand that part, but um, I think that the sort of soul connection. All right. And I think being in the industry that I'm in with the catering and the service industry, that's very important, you know, for them to feel that.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

And you're in a safe zone, you know that, right? Like AI won't be taking over you. Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Oh, I know. I'm I'm chilling, don't worry about it. I'm good.

unknown 34:39

Yeah, you're good.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

I actually need to become very good friends with AI because AI will help me to the next level where I need to get. I did see a podcast on that. I did see a podcast on that. That you know, a lot of people are afraid of it. We're afraid of the unknown, you know. Change is always yeah, we've been using AI for years, you know.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

It's I mean the internet was AI. I mean, really, yes, yeah, it's like in the 90s, so it's it's been there, it's been there, it's just been there.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

It's not really like now. I went to uh Hollywood uh in the weekend on Saturday, and I for the first time saw the cars that drive themselves. I was like, wow, yeah, they have them in LA now. Yes, they're all over the place. All over the place. I was in uh was Hollywood, I think it was. I went to drop on my daughter at an event, and okay, I'm gonna you know drive around, hang out, do something. And I saw them everywhere. I'm like, okay, we're here now. I don't I don't know if I'll be comfortable with that. I know I yet to um write one of them, but for me that was very interesting to see. Imagine my parents. Imagine my parents. So my what is this? I know, I know, but you know, um, the universe is gonna throw things at us, yeah, and either you embrace it or you let it pass, and then you're it's gonna be hard for you to catch it. So I think it's with everything. You know, I think it's with everything. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

So true. So tell me what's what's next for Ava in catering business.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

Oh my gosh, next. That's a very good question. That is a very good question. Um, this weekend was a big, like, okay, uh, what's next for you after you know, listening to I don't have to that event. I don't even remember her name. That's sad, huh? I need to go back to my notes. I don't remember her name, but I I I know what she looks like. I know her business, and I okay, that's what I want for me. I I think next um I would like a location. I I I really would, uh, because right now we work out of a shared commercial kitchen. So we're limited in what we could do because there's other chefs in there. And I think now it that's that's the next step for us. You know, I've been wanting our own location for for a while. So um, you know, I just already sent it to the universe, you know. You know, God knows what he's doing. And you know, when the time is right, you know, it will be.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Yeah, and I can't wait to see that. I'm sure it's it's coming in the near future. I can feel it.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

And you know, we've had it before. We we had one before. Um, we've had one for six months. The location was not it. The location was the wrong place, and but you know what, I learned a lot. I I learned a lot. That's when I started taking over the business. I I learned so much, and now I have the confidence to say if I did that under those circumstances, I could do another one. Yeah, I mean, we survived COVID. Hello, yeah, exactly. And actually, COVID, you know, short story, and COVID is when we actually got our name out there. We did a home delivery, we were doing menudo envy. Yeah, look at you.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

See, that was the best.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

Yeah, I could everything everything had our logo. Uh, we didn't have chef coats back then, but we had like our polos with our logo, our face masks, there were logo. We were like my husband wore his cap, it was logo, like everything that we did, our logo was out there. Our community responded like the first day we sold like a thousand dollars. I remember. I was like, oh my gosh, during COVID. Yeah, but we like my husband was doing one, I was doing another one. My sister helped us, like we kind of like broke it off so everybody could get their menus, like in time for breakfast. And all our family, our friends, and that's actually I've when social our social media started like you know, like getting popular because we were doing the home delivery and people were sharing, and so for us, COVID covet helped us.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:14

That's I um right after COVID, I did our first pop-up. I did our first pop-up, I remember, and I met a lady that uh owned a couple venues, and I started working with that with her, and that it's it just snowballed after that, like just you know, the social media tagging. That's when I learned, okay, you need to tag. My daughter was smaller at the time for her to actually help me with all this, but I started like tagging. I I learned, you know, I didn't know what Instagram was about, and I started learning and asking friends and and oh, how do I tag? And how do I post this and how to post that? And and you know, right now I know it's not a lot, but for us it's huge. We almost have 5,000 followers, you know. That's a lot. Yeah, I you know, I and without our clients, but we have the best clients. We have social media, and honestly, 90, I want to say 95% of our our business is still referral, you know. Yeah, oh, I went to party so and so sometimes they call me, oh, I went to party so and so and they refer me, oh my gosh, who's this person? You know, because we don't, you know, yeah, but you know, but I tell them, you know, you know, we always thank them and it's it's still referral based because you they will talk about your guests will remember what they ate at your party that they will remember for sure. They'll probably won't remember the decoration, they probably won't remember the colors or whatever, but they will remember the food, especially as Latinos. We're big uh, you know, on food. And you know, I I think you know that's that has helped a lot. Social media has helped a lot too. But I I want to say 95% of it is referral, it's referral based. Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:45

I believe it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

Thank you to all our clients. You know, I I can't thank them enough, you know, of everything, all their support for so many years, and we're still here. And you know, I I love our clients, and a lot of them have become friends.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

That's awesome. Yeah, no, oh, that's amazing. Well, thank you so much for your time today. And I want to know, I know you said they can find you on social media. So where you know, is there any other place they can find you? Is it usually on Instagram? I can put it on the show notes to share for for social media.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

Yeah, it's uh Banquetes Economicos Inc. And then my phone number is on there, and I have my phone number with me always. You could always call me, and yeah, that's the two best ways to reach me in. Awesome!

SPEAKER_01 40:24

Well, thank you so much, Ava, for your time. Thanks so much. You were gold. I knew like you you had something last time we spoke, it was like phenomenal. Like just you sharing so much about your story, and I was like, okay, this is this has to be the first you're the first person I have on the show, so I am so blessed to have you. I'm honored to be a good thing.