In this episode, we sit down with Homero Gonzalez, founder of Harmacy Hot Sauce Co., who dropped out of college to turn a newly-discovered passion for hot sauce into a thriving business. What started in his kitchen as a way to save money on premium sauce has grown into a brand that has sold over 10,000 jars in just a few short years. Homero shares how he built Harmacy from the ground up, why he chose entrepreneurship over a degree, how COVID shaped his business, and many of the lessons he's learned along the way. If you've ever wondered what it takes to turn a side hustle into a full-time gig, this is a story you won't want to miss!
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Show Highlights:
1- Homero gives us the origin story and first initial steps to creating Harmacy. (7:55)
2- We discuss the transition from a kitchen experiment to dropping out of college to pursue this full time, including the impact of COVID. (20:00)
3- We discuss graduating from the home kitchen and moving into a commercial kitchen. (28:05)
4- What food safety hurdles did Homero have to overcome while scaling? (35:30)
5- We discuss how Homero came to specialize in mild to medium, and how he landed on a price point. (38:15)
6- Homero reveals why he set up a subscription option. (43:05)
7- How important is the logo in setting up a business? (45:25)
8- Homero shares details of each of his sacues currently on the market, and where we can learn more about Hamarcy. (51:00)
9- How is business going currently? (55:55)
10- Listener question: If you could go back and do one thing differently in your business, what would it be? (57:50)
11- What is the vision for Hamarcy? (59:55)
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Follow Homero on Instagram: @harmacyhotsauce
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