We recently connected with Shachi Mehra and have shared our conversation below.

Shachi , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?

In my experience, there are many ingredients in the secret sauce to success. As entrepreneurs it’s important to be willing to take risks as well as be able to accept failure and bounce back with new ideas. It is crucial to listen to what our customers are saying and be nimble enough to make changes quickly when necessary. Sometimes our customers surprise us; if we’re listening and adjusting, we’re increasing our chances of success. When we first launched Shachi’s Spice Girls Sauces Tomato Chutney, I had a few ideas of how to use the sauce, and an idea of who would buy it – that changed quickly as our customers found many more innovative ways to enjoy the Chutney and wished for a larger bottle. I have also found through my entrepreneurial journey that, of course, hard work and persistence are crucial. Sometimes it’s persistence that gets us through to the other side of a problem, that helps find a solution. It is also very important to recognize our strengths as well as limitations and ask for help when faced with challenges; surround yourself with people who support you and believe in you and are also good at the things you’re not.

Shachi , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the Founder of Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces – we are a young CPG company with two sauces out right now, our Original Hot Sauce and Tomato Chutney. I am also Executive Chef and partner of ADYA – fresh Indian flavors, an award winning Indian restaurant located in The Packing District, Anaheim, CA. My journey with food and cooking has taken me from New York to Washington, DC, to Oakland and Orange County, CA. As a child of immigrants, I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and also traditional Indian foods. Comfort foods, for me, span the breadth of food, from simple grilled cheese sandwiches to ‘Kachori Chaat’ with tamarind and yogurt and mint.
My goal, as a chef, is to share the flavors, spices and culture of India with everyone. At Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces, I am creating sauces and spices that are rooted in Indian flavors and versatile enough to use with your everyday favorites – some favorite pairings have been potatoes, pizza, pasta, burritos, eggs and meatloaf to name a few.
Shachi’s SGS started as an idea to have a line of sauces and spices to share Indian spices with the masses. I had been teaching classes at the restaurant, cooking at events and sharing my love for Indian flavors and food in Orange County for about 5 years – we had won awards and were changing the perception of Indian food.
After winning on Food Network’s ‘Chopped’, I was asked what I would do with the winnings – and right there, the idea of Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces was given life – I had said it on national television and now I had to get it going. We are now made and bottled locally and available in local specialty stores and ship across the nation (www.spicegirlsauces.com). There’s a lot of changes and growth coming up for us in the next year, stay tuned for new product launches and to see us in your local store soon.
I have been able to create recognition and appreciation for Indian flavors, food and culture through our restaurant, ADYA and will continue my work there as well as with Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces,

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

When we first launched Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces, I had already established myself locally in Orange County, CA with our successful restaurant, ADYA – fresh Indian flavors. Over the previous years, I had attended events, won multiple awards, both personally and for the restaurant and taught classes at local schools as well as at ADYA. My win on Food Network’s Chopped opened the doors to a much larger, national, audience to my work as a chef and with Indian flavors. While the business of CPG is very different from a restaurant, having a built in audience and support certainly helped us launch in local stores and farmers markets.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the most crucial changes in my life was the decision to follow my heart in to the world of food and restaurants. I had decided from a very young age that I was going to be a doctor and followed this path through high school and entered college as a pre-med student. While in my first year, my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I went home to take care of him. My conviction to be in the medical field was further confirmed as I went to hospitals and therapy and managed medicine and care.
After his death, I eventually started working in a doctor’s office, still on the straight path towards medicine. One day, I looked at the Doctor with a patient and had a very clear realization that I would never be as happy as he was if I continued on this journey. While I am so grateful to have had that very specific moment of clarity, I was also unsure of what could possibly be next.
There is something to be said for the Universe opening doors and pushing forward when you’re on the ‘right’ track; while I started not knowing anyone or anything about restaurants and the culinary field, within a couple of years, I found myself working in Manhattan at the famed Tabla. I had worked hard, been sure of my decision and followed my heart to cook and over the last 20 years have worked in many cities, opened multiple restaurants, own my own successful restaurant (now in it’s 9th year!) and have started my next chapter in food with Shachi’s Spice Girl Sauces.
While pivots and changes in business and in life can be scary, it’s important to be nimble, flexible and open to whatever is coming next.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spicegirlsauces.com, www.adyaoc.com
• Instagram: @spicegirlsauces, @adyaoc, @chefshachimehra
• Facebook: @spicegirlsauces, @adyaorangecounty, @shachimehra
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shachimehra/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/adya-anaheim