Episode 128 – Coffee N5 – The NOPALERA Story: From Kitchen to Millions with Sandra Velasquez
Get ready to be inspired by the incredible journey of NOPALERA, a clean beauty brand that was built around the customer and founder’s Mexican heritage from day one! In this captivating episode, Lara Schmoisman sits down with the visionary founder Sandra Velasquez as she shares her story of resilience and determination.
Be blown away as she reveals how she took on not one, not two, but THREE jobs in a single year just to make her dreams a reality. And that’s not all — Sandra turned down two offers from Shark Tank! Her unwavering commitment to her vision and her customers is truly inspiring. You won’t want to miss a single second of her incredible journey.
We’ll talk about:
- Recognizing when to hire team members strategically who will stick with you and help your brand thrive
- Rejecting two Shark Tank offers and fundraising like a pro
- Customer-based branding and resilient mindset branding can be more powerful than a big budget
For more information, visit Nopalera’s website.
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About Sandra Velasquez
Born and raised by Mexican immigrant parents near the US/ MEX border, Sandra Velasquez is a strong Latina role model that certainly uses her platform to celebrate and elevate Latino culture while additionally providing access and mentorship to her community.
She launched Nopalera, a Mexican Botanical Bath & Body brand, during the pandemic with no
outside funding or savings, while simultaneously working three jobs, being a single mother, at the age of 44. The brand is sold in Nordstrom, Credo Beauty, Free People and also over 400 independent retailers nationwide.
In 2022 she raised 2.7 Million in Series Seed funding and won Latino Startup Of The Year at the L’Attitude Conference. In 2023 she appeared on Shark Tank where she infamously turned down two offers, rallying the Latino community to stand in their worth. Prior to Nopalera, she worked as a sales and distribution manager for several CPG brands across multiple categories.
She is the host of The Nopalera Podcast which documents the journey of building her company in real time. Sandra was also the founder and bandleader of Pistolera, a Latin Alternative band that toured internationally and additionally, was featured on the NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
