Envision a Better Planet - Foods From The World

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mauricio Robleto, Founder of Foods From The World, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Foods From The World is a company I founded with the commitment written on its mission, "Foods for a better planet." The two brands that are being offered under this company are Jungle Pulp and Dulu.

Jungle Pulp offers artisan purees made in a jungle and brings native local taste into recipes. Their purpose is to remind their customers of the treasures rainforests have to offer and the importance of protecting them.

Dulu, which translates from the indigenous Bri-Bri language as Turquoise or Intense Blue, is the brand of our Hearts of Palm and features a Morpho butterfly. It promotes the healthy foods of the forest and brings awareness of the declining Bri-Bri culture.

Tell us about yourself

On a random day after the 2008 crisis, my mother in Costa Rica sent me a bottle of puree mango made locally. She said with a Costa Rican excitement tone, "está buenísimo!". I opened it and was immediately brought back to my childhood eating small mangoes that fell off the tree in our front yard. I have been passionate about business since I can remember, but these purees gave me focus. The local taste was certainly great fun to bring to the rest of the world. And working with my fellow Costa Ricans has been a real honor. I have met amazing people that proudly want to share the good taste of their land but yet guard the resources where it comes from

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I don't have a very inspiring response to this question. I am driven and do not look back often, but I can say I am proud to have built a business honoring those important issues that matter to the world, such as ecology and ethics.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

I've had many struggles, and they're still coming. There is a saying that goes, "The biggest challenge is oneself." I don't think this is just a cliché. Any obstacle in the way of our goals is only as big as we make it. Really. People react differently to the same situation, so why be the person who panics the most? Ultimately the calm and collected person is much more likely to make smarter decisions. That said, I've never had it go smoothly for a long period, but keeping an eye on my larger purpose makes the journey feel more real and even a bit easier.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

If you can, find in your heart what is it that you can give to the world and that you are already built for. The bigger the problem you take on, the more fulfilling life you will have and those around you. That is not something people know about themselves right away, and money is needed to live our daily lives, so don't let this stop you, either. Get started but make it your business and responsibility to answer that question. When the answer lines up with what you do for a living, nobody will be able to stop you. You will be on fire. My last piece of advice is to stop thinking success is for others. We hear on the news names, over and over, of billionaires and think that are out there in some other realm, but it is where you are too. You don't have to be money driven, but you also don't have to miss out if that is something you want to have. Be open to the idea that you can make an impactful difference in the world with your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website (Foods From The World): https://www.foodsfromworld.com/
Website (Jungle Pulp): https://www.junglepulp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Junglepulpofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junglepulp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricio-robleto-67912619/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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