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Meet Mario Esparza of The PB Love Company in North West Denver

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Esparza.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My real food journey has been an incredible and fulfilling one. It really all started when I was 19. I had made the decision to make a major lifestyle change and begin exercising, learning about real food, and losing weight. It took me 14 months to lose 100 pounds.

My weight loss success ultimately began my entrepreneur life as I ended up starting my first business at 21 called The North Dallas Boot Camp. We were a natural weight loss company offering movement classes, personal movement training, and real food education for natural/holistic weight loss. We sold our classes online.

During this time, I became obsessed with food and where it came from, how it was made, etc. I started reading the cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon – I still use it today and it is one of my food bibles.

Now, I ate peanut butter every day (and still do) and learned that what I was purchasing from Walmart was not in fact real food. That is when I found Sally’s almond butter recipe. I had never had almond butter before, and I can remember what I made was one of the most delicious foods I had ever prepared and eaten! I never stopped making my own nut butter since then!

I had ultimately decided to close my business in Dallas and move to Denver. My business was a success and it was surely growing… I suppose you can say I had a major change of heart and I no longer wanted to be in the weight loss industry.

Fast forward and now I am 30 years old. I went back to college at CU Boulder and when I received my second semester’s bill, I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it. So, I had this idea of starting another online business on the side to help earn some extra cash to pay for school… I was fortunate enough to never had acquired student debt, and I certainly was not about to start. So, I am brainstorming “what would I sell on the internet?”

At the time, a close friend of mine gave birth to her first baby boy (we just celebrated his 6th birthday in May 2019) and as we were taking a walk around Sloan’s Lake after her release from the hospital, we pulled over to have a snack.

I had my homemade peanut butter with me and some apples – that day we ate what is now called Salty Peanut, our Good Food Award winner!

My friend had never had my peanut/almond butter before and as soon as she tasted it, she said, “Holy shit Mario, what is this? You should sell this I would buy this!” And there it was… the idea of The PB Love Company was born. I said to myself, “this is it, I am going to put this stuff in a jar and sell it on the internet!”

Now, I had never intended for this idea to become my whole life and a full-blown business… obviously, the idea of college didn’t stick, and here we are now having just celebrated four years in business this past April 2019! PB Love has been my full-time job for a year and nine months now.

Today, I can give many thanks to all the people I have had the opportunity to work within the food industry. I waited tables and bartended for 20 years! Yes, even during the time I was in TX with my first business.

My service industry experience brought me to Snooze here in Denver where I began to learn more about sustainability within the food business. Snooze, as it has done for many many people, changed my life! I also had the opportunity to work for Steubens and Work & Class; some major players here in this foodie city. What these jobs did for me is incredible… they ultimately connected me to the people and players that are now helping The PB Love Company thrive. As well introduced me to a different perspective of food that I had not connected with while living in TX.

Now, I have many wonderful and impactful advisors that help me along the way. The struggle is certainly real, and my own actions to bettering myself as a leader, teammate, and entrepreneur, and a man are incredibly challenging while fulfilling.

I suppose that is my story, so far! In a nutshell, of course.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Hell no! But sometimes, it is.

I can of course list many, many challenges… I’d have to say some of the biggest has been the learning curve in technology and food manufacturing. There is so much I don’t know… I started a business I had no experience in.
I always say, that if I had opened up my own restaurant, I would be golden! I know exactly what to do in that space.

Another major challenge would be my own personal development. Managing people and being responsible for their income and well being is scary as shit! My education in leadership development has proven to me that I have lots of work to do and lots of space to grow into.

Money, of course, is a challenge… having the cash to handle our growth, the knowledge necessary to understand our financials and all the operations of this business.

My first business was easy… we were a service. We did not produce anything.. a totally different ball game.

There is also, of course, the challenge of selling a food product online. How to market it, fulfill orders, etc. Technology is great once you learn how to use it. This said, our business model is very different than traditional CPG products… meaning we are direct to consumer model and not pushing for major retailers or grocery stores.

This approach has proven a challenge but with much more benefits than the old, traditional business model.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The PB Love Company – what should we know?
The PB Love Company produces handcrafted, premium nut butters. Our purpose is to feed people real, delicious food and spread smiles!

We have three peanut butters and two almond butters, with plans to adding new flavors and new nut blends in the future.

What makes us different from other brands is a simple answer, it’s the taste! Our premium nut butters us all real food ingredients which means we use high quality, nutrient dense foods.

Also, our stone grinding process is what yields a rich flavor and unique texture we like to call ‘smunchy’.

So with our real food ingredients and stone grinding, you get a ridiculously delicious real food experience. Our products really are incredible.

What also makes is different is how you buy PB Love. Buying it directly from us from our online store or farmers markets/events, you are guaranteed a fresh product.

Our retailers are small, boutique or specialty food stores. No major retailers or mainstream grocery stores sell our product.

What I am most proud of is our ability to put a food experience in a jar… and to have so many people fall in love with our product. We are fulfilling our purpose of feeding people real, delicious food and spreading smiles!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I give credit to my investors for playing a big role in helping us grow financially.

Danny Pacetti is one of three founders at Adthrive.. a digital publishing and advertising agency, and Jon Schlegel is the founder of Snooze. With both of their networks, knowledge, and support, I and PB Love is on the path to success.

The Small Business Development Center here in Denver also gets lots of credit. I am frequently there monthly almost consulting with their business services and participating in many of the classes and programs they offer.
They are such a great cheerleader for PB Love and the people involved are incredibly dear to me.

Of course, our customers and PB Lover’s deserve great credit. Without them helping us spread the PB Love, providing feedback, and coming back for more, we would be nowhere.

My teammate Jennifer Marti has such a pleasure to work with and have her support. We, of course, play many roles in the company and both participate in all areas of operations. One day, we will have many more teammates to thank and praise!

Pricing:

  • All of our peanut butters are $8.
  • All of our almond butters are $11.
  • We have discounted three packs and variety packs on our online store
  • You can also build a personal subscription and save even more!

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Adam Wells, Matt & Jess Photography, Ashton Rey Hansen

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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