Meet Vanessa Sanchez | CEO & Mom of 2

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind my business was simply an idea that my husband created after we went to a big chain store that sold the most common Mexican “Antojitos” or “Snacks” & one of the things we tried was an Esquite or Corn in a Cup. We were not satisfied by flavor and since my husband knows how much I enjoy cooking and he loves to challenge me to recreate certain foods, he asked me to make an esquite. My husband said “you should be selling these, they’re so good.” That is where the idea to start a small side hustle started.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business focuses on bringing the Authentic Mexican flavor in our “Antojitos” that you have in Mexico to the US. My recipe and my products come from Mexico including the corn our corn vendor supplies us and we say that with pride. Although I was born in the US, one my best childhood memories was eating corn outside my house with my cousins from our favorite street vendor. I wanted to bring that same feeling to my community but with a MODERN touch to it. My husband created a cart for me to begin doing catering events which has made my business stand out the most, (aside from our delicious Antojitos of course!) I started off selling in my home, to building my first cart, and catering for private events in a matter of 2 months. Once I started doing pop-ups at SHOP SMALL SOIREE my business began to grow even more. The journey has definitely not been easy, I still come home from pop ups and catering events with bruises on my legs and my hands with blisters from cutting corn, but at the end of the day the passion I have for what I do makes all of the hard work I do worth it all. Some lessons i’ve learned is that if you truly love what you Do, use it as fuel to keep going & working hard everyday to be a better business owner. I want people to know that even as a mother of 2 children you CAN STILL DO IT, if you have the passion and determination, YOU CAN. Our culture has always been about women “staying at home with the kids” while the man works, but I decided to stop that stereotype beginning with MY FAMILY. Just because we are women, with children, does not mean we cannot chase our dreams and run our own businesses. I want to stop that cycle, starting with me and my children.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When it comes to living in LA, small hole in the wall restaurant and bars are the best. THE FOOD here is absolutely amazing. I love how diverse the food is in LA. Pupusas, Tacos, Pasta, Pizza, you name it. Id definitely check out my favorite Mariscos place “CALLOS LA ROSCA” in Huntington Park Mexican Seafood is amazing. Tacos from “pinkandboujeeLA” she is located in Los Angeles. Id also visit museums because we have so many amazing historical museums in LA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this to Erika Gonzalez (@casualallure) the Owner of the pop-up events “Shop Small Soiree” Without her, I would not be where I am now as a business, She is a mom as well, runs a business, and dedicates most of her time to helping small businesses grow. She is a huge inspiration to me & she has helped my business grow so much this past year and I am truly grateful for all she does.

Website: www.antojitosbyvee.com

Instagram: instagram.com/antojitos.byvee

Facebook: www.facebook.com/antojitosbyvee