Passion, Motivation and Discipline: The Nemi Snacks Story

As I connect with graduates of our Accelerator for Local Goods, my goal is to share with you more of the ingredients that make up success in the highly competitive consumer packaged goods space. Regina Trillo, owner of Nemi Snacks, recently graduated from the Accelerator in Chicago, and shared this wonderful reflection: “You’ve got to have passion, or course. And then motivation, which is temporary. We constantly need to be looking for that, especially in difficult times.?

“But discipline is really what it’s going to take to keep growing. In my case it’s been just being very intentional: looking at the data and connecting with people that are going to tell me what I’m doing wrong, and what I can improve on. So then, when I have a difficult time - for example I had a really, really challenging month in June -? I know it’s a gift in disguise.”

Resilience is another quality that comes to mind in relation to every graduate. It’s even more significant for Regina, as she tells me about one of the key ingredients in Nemi Snacks: “I grew up in Mexico City. And when I moved to Chicago, the first thing I did was go to the grocery store and scout for Mexican products. But I felt unrepresented, because all I saw were brands rooted in stereotypes, featuring a Mexican, drunk, with sombreros or cooking. And I thought, there's just so much more to this country!”

Regina didn‘t have to wander far, for her ‘aha’ moment: “I went to the produce section, and I saw nopales, but as I was about to grab one, I noticed it had spikes! And at first I thought nobody's gonna pick this up! It’s intimidating looking, nobody knows how to clean or cook it. Yet it’s an amazing ingredient, needs very little water to survive, and doesn't need any pesticides. So I started thinking: how can I showcase an ingredient with these qualities?”

Nopales are not just a versatile ingredient. Right in the center of the Mexican flag, you can see an eagle perched on the nopal, devouring a serpent, symbolizing resilience. And that resonates strongly for Regina, in her ‘day job’ as a lawyer for the non-profit Heartland Alliance: “A lot of my clients while doing immigration law were farmers, forced to leave their own countries because of disadvantageous farming practices. I knew that I wanted to work with farmers and pay them what I believe is a dignified wage.”

To that end, Regina sources her ingredients from cooperative farms. There, she is able to educate farmers who are used to companies bargaining for discounts that don’t take their true costs into account. This strategy, rooted in building trust with partners, is inspiring. And it’s not the only example of Regina finding a way to lift up those joining her on her entrepreneurial journey.

“Besides the money that I received from the DoorDash Accelerator and other grants, I’ve chosen not to accept outside capital yet. I don’t think accepting outside investment is a bad thing at all. But the growth I’ve experienced so far is directly thanks to customers, mentors and partners like DoorDash. For me, the main benefit of the Accelerator was connection and mentorship. Being a solo founder can be lonely, so I’m still active in an iMessage chat with other graduates, to keep learning and connecting, specifically about distribution, about getting into bigger retail spaces.”

On the topic of loneliness, I wanted to know more about who motivates Regina: “Among others, I’m thinking of people like Jessica Spaulding, Owner of Harlem Chocolate Factory, who’s achieved amazing success, with very few resources. Partly thanks to her, I’m inspired to keep asking myself: how can I optimize, or automate? I look up to Ellen Marie Bennett from Hedley & Bennett, Sandra Velazquez from Nopalera, Karina Martinez from Avana House, Kaitlin Mogentale from Pulp Pantry, Daniel Lubetzky from KIND, Jaime Schmidt from Schmidt’s Naturals and many others who are paving the way. Of course I also look up to big names like Eva Longoria and Salma Hayek. But I don’t have the chance to interact with these entrepreneurs so easily.”

Our conversation turned to the topic of scale, because I’m always intrigued by partners who make choices that others dismiss as unscalable: “I’m one of the smallest customers that one of my farmers works with. But he’s also a pioneer in the production of vegan leather, working with a globally known brand that in turn works with luxury designers. He’s unlocking success for himself by diversifying, so you’ve got to be inspired by that! On top of that, the Accelerator allows me to scale the power of connection.”

I asked what Regina meant by scaling connection: “When women of color start a business without, maybe having the background that’s expected, I think that's when we're in this vulnerable situation. If we don't have the right team or mentors, or we're not asking the right questions, we can make some costly errors. DoorDash has been very intentional about “doing local” but also serving people of color - we’re seeing more of that elsewhere, but they are still leading in that space, and we need to see more of it, more of that desire to foster connection.”

You can’t help but be moved by how Regina applies her rules for success: “Maybe I'm not selling in every store nationally right now. But I know that I will get there, and I plan to be able to sustain my costs and continue growing in a very sustainable way.” Regina ships anywhere in the U.S.A. But if you’re craving a tasty, nutritious snack really quickly, and you live in the Chicago area, you can also enjoy the fruits of her vision, by ordering on DoorDash, available through DashMarts.

Next month, I’m honored to share with you the story of Astrid and Omar Thorpe, founders of the ice cream and sorbet shop, Creme and Cocoa. Astrid will share how their story began over a date, her experience of the Accelerator for Local Goods in New York, and why she’s as passionate now about creating new flavors from the Caribbean, as she was on day one.