episode 0066- i ditched college to make hot sauce with homero gonzalez

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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