Sandra Velasquez is the founder of Nopalera, a Mexican Botanical Bath & Body line based in New York City that is currently sold in Nordstrom, Credo Beauty, Free People, and over 300 independent retailers nationwide. Prior to launching her company, Velasquez worked as a sales & distribution manager for several CPG brands across multiple categories including food.  Sandra also works as a mentor to emerging CPG brands and teaches online classes about sales strategy.

During this episode of The Food Means Business Podcast, we discuss:⁠

• Sandra’s transition from musician and college administrator to working with CPG brands before eventually launching her own
• The importance of sharing your knowledge, especially the truth with others
• Launching a brand the celebrates her culture and identifying  “brown space” opportunities
• Using empathy when communicating with others
• Why she took a year to develop her brand’s mission and core values and how this foundational work informs the decisions she makes in her business

Connect with Sandra:

Instagram:

• @officialslv 
• @nopalera.co

Sandra on LinkedIn

Websites: 

• sandraliliavelasquez.com
• nopalera.co

Mentions:

• Distro 101: How to Talk to Chain Stores and Distributors 
•  Sandra in The New York Times: How A Musician Turned Cosmetics Executive Spends Her Sundays

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