We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lizette Franco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lizette below.

Lizette, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

I know that one of the most important problems I had during the growth of the business was the lack of sufficient knowledge to undertake. At the beginning I faced different obstacles precisely because I did not have the experience or adequate access to information.

However, as the business progressed during these five years, I have managed to learn, improve and overcome those limitations.

Now I can say that during this time I have obtained three business certifications, in addition to a certification in computing, marketing and distribution. I learned all this on the go, driven by the need to acquire this knowledge to continue moving forward.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I would like to start by saying that I am a 45-year-old immigrant woman, mother of four children: one of 24, another of 12, one of seven and my five-year-old girl. In this adventure, my 24-year-old son has been a great support for me in the business; we have undertaken together and this has strengthened our path.

El Trompo Loco is a food truck of traditional Mexican food, where we offer fresh products with a homemade touch, to provide our community with the authentic flavors and traditions of our culture. It is a completely family business, built on values that we want to transmit to each of our customers: gratitude, respect and honesty.

Our mission is to provide authentic, fresh and excellent quality Mexican food, prepared quickly and served with genuine attention. We seek to offer a delicious and efficient experience so that each client enjoys their event without stress, feeling good

In addition, in El Trompo Loco we have a clear vision:

“To be the most reliable and appreciated Mexican food company in our community, recognized for serving with gratitude, respect and honesty at every event. We aspire to transform the experience of our customers by offering authentic and high quality products in the shortest possible time, guaranteeing an efficient service that values their time and allows them to enjoy more every moment with their families and friends.”

What we are most proud of is being able to contribute to our community. All our suppliers are local, and with our expansion we seek to continue generating employment and growth opportunities for families in our area.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Throughout the development of my business, resilience has been one of my greatest strengths. Entrepreneurship has not been a simple process: I have faced obstacles, uncertainties, lack of resources and moments when it seemed easier to give up than to move on. However, every difficulty became an opportunity to learn, adapt and grow.

We started the business in 2020, exactly in January, and just two months later we faced a tough test: in March the COVID-19 pandemic began. Everything became uncertain, plans stopped and the economy became unstable. Even so, we decided to stand firm and look for solutions to sustain our work.

A short time later I faced one of the biggest losses of my life: my mother, who was a great support for me, passed away just 20 days after my girl was born. That moment was a very hard blow for our family, a pain that deeply marked my life. But even with a broken heart, I went ahead for my children, for the business and for the dream we had begun to build.

Despite all this, I continued to face challenges along the way. Every obstacle, whether personal or professional, forced me to strengthen myself, to reinvent myself and to continue fighting with more determination. Resilience, for me, has meant getting up after every fall, trusting myself even in the darkest moments and finding the strength to move forward.

Today I can say that my resilience has not only allowed me to sustain and grow the business, but has also transformed me as a woman, mother and entrepreneur. Every challenge overcome is a reminder that I am able to face adversity and turn it into learning and strength.

Have you ever had to pivot?

How El Trompo Loco began

In 2018, my son had just graduated from High School. I had some savings, it wasn’t much, approximately $7,000, and I decided to give them to him so that he could think about what he could do with that money. He shared several ideas with me, and among all the options, I told him that perhaps the best thing would be to invest in his own business.

He agreed, and that’s how, without knowing it, we took the first step towards what is now El Trompo Loco.

It all started as a dream, but the reality was that we had no idea how to start a business. As the days went by, we began to encounter barriers, procedures, requirements and challenges that we had never faced. We didn’t know anything about permits, accounting, marketing, costs, distribution or operations. But instead of giving up, we decided to move forward little by little, learn everything we need and continue building.

Realizing that we lacked knowledge, I made the decision to formally prepare myself. I started with a business certification, then I continued with another additional certification, then I obtained a certification in business, digital marketing and distribution, and finally I completed a certification in advanced computing, learning to handle programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, Google Docs and others.

Every step, every course and every challenge helped us better structure the business. It was a process full of learning, sacrifices and a lot of effort, but also of growth, family union and shared dreams.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Eltrompoloconwa
• Facebook: El Trompo Loco LLC
• Linkedin: Lizette Franco