The Sweet Success of I Love Chamoy: Annie Leal’s Journey to Revolutionizing the Chamoy Market
A Personal Connection to the Sauce
One of Mexico’s most popular sweet sauces is chamoy, a blend of dehydrated fruit, chili powder, salt, sugar, and citrus. For Annie Leal, the connection to chamoy went beyond a love for the flavor. Her father’s diagnosis with diabetes forced her to reevaluate the sugar content in her family’s diet, including the chamoy sauce he loved.
From Passion to Product
Leal’s father was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after the family’s move to the United States from Mexico. Her father’s decision to control his condition through lifestyle changes, including a sugar-free diet, sparked Leal’s determination to create a sugar-free chamoy sauce. With a background in marketing and content creation, Leal saw an opportunity to revolutionize the chamoy market in the U.S.
The Journey to Creating a Sugar-Free Chamoy
Leal spent months testing different sugar-free sweeteners, trying over 40 different formulas. The journey was long and arduous, but she persevered, driven by her vision of making chamoy more accessible to those with dietary restrictions.
Success and Growth
I Love Chamoy’s popularity took off when Leal posted a video on TikTok, which went viral. The initial goal of selling 750 bottles was surpassed, with the product selling out in just six days. The success continued, with the company expanding its reach and offerings.
Lessons Learned
Q: What was your next step after getting the idea for I Love Chamoy?
A: I didn’t have any idea what the next step should be. I told my parents this idea. Surprisingly, they were not like, ‘That’s a bad idea.’
Q: How easy or hard is it to build your first formula? How long did it take?
A: It took a long time. We tested many different sugar-free sweeteners. It took us about six months to get the final formula.
Q: So then you have your product. What’s next, are you ready to sell?
A: I wanted to make 500 [units] and then somebody convinced me to make 750. The goal was to sell them in a span of six months. The day our product was ready, I posted a video on TikTok. The video goes viral. We sold those 750 bottles in six days instead of six months.
Conclusion
Annie Leal’s journey with I Love Chamoy is a testament to the power of determination and a passion for innovation. From a personal need to a business venture, Leal’s story demonstrates the impact of entrepreneurship on the fast-growing Latino community in the United States.
