Meet Francisco Balseca of Huatl Marketing Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Francisco Balseca, a young entrepreneur from Mexico paving his way in the food business scene in Los Angeles.

Hi Francisco, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us—-to start, can you share some of your backstory with our readers?
Thank you so much for having me. I am an immigrant from Mexico who came to the U.S. in 2013 when my family’s soda business took off. I went to Arcadia High School, then I attended Azusa Pacific University and graduated with a double major in Marketing and Latin American Studies. Now I am pursuing an M.A. in Latin American Studies, as well as working toward making my marketing business my main source of income.

While in college, I noticed the need for marketing consulting and content creation for small to middle sized restaurants, so I started my business Huatl in 2021. I began by inviting my creative Latin American friends to implement their skills in things like film and graphic design, to kickstart Huatl. Sadly, they have moved back with their families and to other states after graduation, but we were definitely able to do some great work. I’m grateful I had that season of collaborating with such talented, likeminded people.

I decided to focus on food marketing because the content I get to create is often very colorful, and food is a large part of appreciating different cultures. Currently I have expanded my services into PR, activation events, and the content I’ve been doing from the start (i.e. pictures, video, stop motion graphics). My motto encapsulates what I can offer restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries: We bring the neighborhood to your table. Our micro marketing strategies help bring customers through their doors. At the moment Huatl’s team is myself and a graphic designer/content creator from my alumni network. We are visiting restaurant events, like the upcoming LA TIMES food bowl, in search of bigger restaurants/clients.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In my business-pitch college competition days, my professors taught us that it’s ok for start ups to shift—it’s necessary. You must adapt, or else you won’t survive. Since day one as a start up founder I have been learning more about local marketing. That’s not something they teach in text books. What makes my agency unique is that unlike big agencies that do nation wide campaigns, I take on zip-codes/community marketing strategies to help small businesses. I strive to learn as much as I can from successful business owners and marketers while learning as I go. I love getting to know more about all parts of the marketing process, from cameras and lighting, to direct mail advertising, and how to be a great boss. I started Huatl four years ago and I feel ready to start taking on family chain restaurants, and upcoming brands like my family’s soda beverages. While it hasn’t been all smooth, I’d say the challenges have only ever sharpened my abilities to get through difficult situations. If it were all easy I wouldn’t feel like I’m growing, so I’m grateful, even for the hard parts.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I would love for the LA independent restaurant world to know I am here to tell their story, promote them in a way that invites customers and communicates the restaurant business’s brand, ultimately  increasing sales for them. As a creative, my approach to marketing is not always the typical route, so owners must be ready to adapt and try the non-conventional strategies I’ve watched succeed. I specialize in artistically creating 3-5 second videos that capture attention, and influence people to try the coffee shop/restaurant/bakery they just saw on their Instagram feed. I love incorporating culture and lifestyle into the content I create, so feeds created by Huatl are organic, portraying more than just pictures of plain food. I take seasons into account, and do marketing campaigns highlighting special drinks/meals in the winter for example. I find that audiences are drawn to seasonal content.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is my family, my Latin immigrant friends, my faith in God, and my legacy.
My entrepreneurial and academic/creative goals are also very important and keep me driven. I aspire to make it to the 30 under 30 Forbes list with Huatl (currently 28, hopefully I make it!).

I also really love writing, which is why I’m pursuing the Master’s degree in Latin American Studies. I’ve been working on a manuscript, so I went back to school in order to understand Latin America on a deeper level. I am a creative who enjoys telling stories, both through Instagram posts about the incredible LA food scene, and through the books I’m writing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.huatlmarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huatl_marketing/

Image Credits
Joshua Fontal