Today’s special guest is Annie Leal. Many of you may already know her from her appearance on Shark Tank. She is the CEO & founder of I Love Chamoy. We have already covered I Love Chamoy Shark Tank Update separately, so you can check that out.
Recently, I contacted Annie Leal for a short email interview. I’m happy to say that she was responsive and answered my questions. I appreciate her for taking the time to provide such thoughtful responses. I hope this short interview will prove to be helpful for our audience. This conversation is a great chance for us to learn more about her journey and get some valuable advice from her experiences.
Introduction and Background
Sara: Please tell me about yourself, your background, education, experience, and position in the company.
Annie: My name is Annie Leal and I’m the owner and founder of I Love Chamoy. I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. I studied Marketing and Communications in a university in Mexico and moved to the U.S. with my family around 12 years ago.
Pre-Shark Tank Preparation
Sara: Can you describe the journey and preparation that led up to your pitch on Shark Tank?
Annie: A lot of it was technical work. Getting all of the numbers right, doing my own research on my company. Figuring out how we wanted the stage to look like and best represent chamoy and Mexican culture. And a lot of it was also me repeating my monologue to my mom and dad again and again and having them question me about numbers and stats every day. It was a really fun experience…with a lot of work too!
Valuation and Strategy
Sara: How did you decide on the valuation you presented to the sharks, and what was the strategy behind your initial ask?
Annie: The valuation was based on our sales and seemed pretty fair based on everything we’ve seen in the CPG industry. I went back and forth many times in my head around it being the right decision and I was ultimately happy with it.
Post-Shark Tank Impact
Sara: What happened to your company after appearing on Shark Tank in terms of investments and business growth?
Annie: From a business standpoint it was amazing. So many people heard about chamoy for the very first time because of our appearance on the show. It was a wonderful thing and brought in many customers and many sales. It took us weeks to be able to fulfill all orders from that day and it definitely gave us a mountain of followers, emails, and messages.
Current Valuation
Sara: What is your company’s net worth today?
Annie: We prefer not to disclose at this time.
Additional Investments
Sara: Have you secured any investments from other investors since your appearance on Shark Tank?
Annie: We have not looked for any other investments aside from our appearance on Shark Tank. Going on Shark Tank was more of us wanting to partner with the right Shark and learn from them vs just seeking financial support. So at the time, we’re not pursuing any investments unless the right partnership comes along.
Business Strategy Evolution
Sara: How has your business strategy or operations changed after your appearance on Shark Tank?
Annie: We’ve expanded our customer service arm and invested much more in R&D.
Challenges
Sara: What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced since your appearance on Shark Tank, and how have you addressed them?
Annie: Research and development of new SKU categories. I would have loved to partner with someone like Daniel Lubetzky because of this issue. His experience in CPG would be really helpful. Mr. Lubetzky, if you’re watching, we want you!
Long-term Objectives and Influence
Sara: What are the long-term goals for your company, and how has Shark Tank influenced these goals?
Annie: We want to be in every household in America and Mexico. We have so many exciting products coming out and the excitement and encouragement we received from the Sharks has definitely had an impact on those goals. 2025 will be our most aggressive year yet with a whole new product line and I can’t wait to share that with everyone who watched our episode.
Advice for Future Contestants
Sara: What advice would you give future entrepreneurs considering applying for Shark Tank?
Annie: DO IT! It’s a scary experience but there’s nothing like it. Being able to passionately talk about your business on such a giant stage is so special. Especially if your business means something to you emotionally or culturally.
Fro anyone applying, learn your numbers, know your boundaries, and have so much fun. It will go by fast and you’ll wish you remembered every step.
Hello everyone, I’m Sara Javed. I’m an IT professional expert with project management and design skills. Besides writing, I love playing video games, designing digital art, and reading books. I love Shark Tank due to its innovative business idea and unpredicted reactions of Sharks. This keeps me glued to the screens to watch the next catchy moment. Read more About me.
