This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

 

Somos is on a mission to bring the best of Mexican food to the world, says Miguel Leal, Founder and CEO of Somos.

 

Authentic, contemporary Mexican cuisine is no stranger to restaurants - particularly in larger cities - but it's missing from store shelves, Miguel explains. That frustration led to the creation of Somos.

 

"I think there are great brands that do a really good job marketing Tex-Mex and Cal-Mex foods on the shelf," Miguel says. "And then there are other great brands that do a good value proposition for Mexican food. But we didn't see any brands that represented it the way we want it to come through on the shelf."

 

That vision was plant-based, non-GMO, gluten-free with simple ingredients and strong nutritional values, he says. The challenge was that the supply chain for those items didn't exist in Mexico.

 

"I almost feel like we were starting from scratch, and it took a lot of trust on our suppliers and our family farms, on our manufacturing partners to believe in this project," he says.

 

Once the products were initially created, Somos pushed its customers for as much feedback as possible to get the items as perfect as possible.

 

"Probably my favorite piece of feedback has been from people who have received our boxes, people that have tried our product have told me this reminds me a lot of what my grandma used to send me from Mexico," Miguel says.

 

The COVID pandemic caused several issues to the startup of the brand, Miguel says, as the founders were unable to have face-to-face meetings with suppliers and retailers - a vital strategy considering the brand's mission to sail uncharted waters.

 

In Part 1, Miguel talks about:

 

* Gratitude for symbols of support and love his family gave him before he married.
* The mission of Somos.
* The disconnect between Mexican food in restaurants and on grocery shelves.
* The challenge of finding the right ingredients through a reliable supply chain.
* How the COVID pandemic affected the business.
* How the Mexican labor market has helped on the supply chain side.

 

Join Ramon Vela and Miguel Leal as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

 

For more on Somos, visit: https://eatsomos.com/ 

 

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, now through May 5^th, all SOMOS meal kits on eatsomos.com  – including the Cinco de Mayo Taco Kit – are 50% off with code CELEBRATECINCO at checkout.

 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

 

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