We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mara Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Inspiro is the Spanish word for “inspired.” I named the company in honor of two women who inspire me, my grandmother and my mother. From a young age they gave me the confidence to believe I could do anything. I never questioned whether I could make it even in industries where there are not a lot of women,

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a mother of three and a former attorney and corporate strategist. I began my legal career at a large law firm in Chicago before joining the corporate strategy team at a Fortune 500 Company. My corporate career came to a screeching halt when I was put on emergency bedrest while pregnant with my twins. After my twins were born prematurely, I made the difficult decision to stay home and I became CEO of my home..

I never stopped thinking about what was next. I always envisioned running my own company and in 2020 I set out on my journey to create a new tequila brand.

I started drinking tequila when I was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into my active lifestyle. I searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste and aroma that appealed to me and thoughtful female consumers like me who care about what they eat and drink and the brands that they support. That perfect tequila did not exist, so I decided to create one.

The goal was not just to create a one-of-a-kind tequila, it was also to bring another female voice to the spirits industry. Women are involved in every aspect of Inspiro Tequila’s process from having the legendary master distiller, Ana Maria Romero Mena, meticulously the tequila to the women responsible for getting it on the shelves. Inspiro Tequila is proudly distilled, owned and led by women.

In addition, as a female founder it was important to me to pay it forward. We provide grants and mentoring to other female founders getting started on their entrepreneurial journeys.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I reentered the workforce and into an entirely new industry after being home with my children for years. The most major obstacle I faced was my own mindset. I kept questioning my ability and if I would be taken seriously. I looked at my years at home as stagnant. Like a lot of society, I also did not place much value on the role of being a caretaker. I needed to reevaluate and change my perspective. First, I still had the skills I had before I left the workforce and more importantly I honed new skills that are very helpful in the startup world. I had preemie twins and I had learned to multi-task like the best of them. This is definitely a necessary skill as an entrepreneur wearing multiple hats at all times. With three children in multiple activities, I was extremely efficient with my time. Again, learning to be efficient when running a company is crucial. I also learned to become more flexible with children. No day ever goes as planned. Before being home, I had schedules and plans, and everything about my day could be extremely organized. As the founder of a new company, there are constant hurdles and I am always problem solving and coming up with Plan B or Plan C. My newfound flexibility allows me to manage problems that come up much better.
I now look at my years at home as a time of significant growth that allow me to be a better business owner and leader.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have always been really determined and driven. I worked extremely hard to reach the next goal and I truly never contemplated leaving the workforce. It was an exciting time in my life. I had left the law and started working in a corporate strategy group. We were studying trends and consumer insights and we were ideating new concepts. For the first time my entrepreneurial spirit was sparked. I kept thinking of business ideas that I would want to pursue. I became pregnant with my oldest children who are twins, and at twenty weeks I was put on emergency bedrest. My corporate career came to a screeching halt. I then had preemie twins and I decided that they needed my attention at home. I am extremely fortunate that I could make the choice to stay home, but it is nothing I ever contemplated. I don’t think anyone who knew me would have seen that coming. This was the biggest pivot in my life. Going from full speed and myopically focused my career and success to staying home to raise my family, was a major change for me. I am so happy that I made the choice but it really took a lot of adjusting for me. This was both a life and a career pivot. The time at home also gave me to the opportunity to really reflect on what it is I want to do, and it became clear that I wanted to start my own company. So, now another pivot and this one is reentering the workforce again as the owner of my own tequila brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inspirotequila.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/enjoymmmmwines/3059930523300375995/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-smith-9109031a1/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@inspirotequila

Image Credits
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