Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Flores-Makon.
Hi Natasha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story commenced very organically and continues to evolve as such. I was studying Real Estate Development in Australia for an exchange program in early 2020. I was walking by the South Melbourne Market when I noticed a Keto bread that caught my eye. To be specific, it called to me. As a bread enthusiast, but one that had too many dietary restrictions to ever think about reintroducing bread back into my life, I cautiously approached the bread. After reading the ingredients that seemed too good to be true, I picked up the bread already knowing in my mind that the bread would probably taste quite awful. I got home, and much to my surprise, it was absolutely incredible. It felt like eating real bread again – minus the stomach pain, bloating lethargy, and brain fog.
I’ve been around food my whole life. But not just regular, dinner-time food, rather the business of food. My father is in the private-label business for chocolate, gummies, and other sweets and from a young age, I spent ample time at his office eating and unconsciously taking note of all that was going on. I guess more stuck than I initially thought, and 30 seconds after my first bite, I called my dad exclaiming – “we have to get this bread to the US”.
Since then, my food company, Fullove Foods has been my baby. Fun fact: the name, logo, tagline, and overall message of the brand was created in approximately 30 hours when my products were unexpectedly accepted by Erewhon Markets within three days of submitting them in plain, clear packaging. I wanted Fullove Foods to show that even in this realm of allergen-friendly eating, we do not have to operate under the ‘free from’ narrative. I went Gluten and Dairy free at the age of 13 and when I navigated what felt like a restrictive way of eating, I would have loved to have been shown that these foods that are deemed ‘free from’ are actually ‘FULL OF’ so much more. My breads, amongst other products that I hope to have in the future, are filled with gut-nourishing ingredients, energy, and love, amongst everything else. This is the narrative I want to focus on – that we do not have to sacrifice or feel a sense of lack by taking care of our bodies and eating in a way that complies with its needs.
When initially embarking on this project, my dad made it very clear that he would support me in this journey but that it was in fact my project, my responsibility. Similar to my organic encounter with the product initially, my learnings in this industry and the growth of my company has happened both naturally and intuitively – an element I am actually quite proud of as someone who likes structure and a solid plan. To my friends, I say that owning and starting Fullove Foods has been a spiritual journey. I have learned more about myself, about other people, about patience and the laws of the universe than I could have ever expected at the ripe age of 22. Fullove Foods has given me a lense to see the world in a way in which I can make an impact both as a leader within my company and as a product supplier for my customers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Boyyy we’ve had struggles along the way.
Notably, my very first container that arrived at port that could have been the end of my business as I knew it!
My product was supposed to launch in mid-June 2021. Actually, it started off with an expected date of March 2021 that then got pushed back to May 2021 because of ocean freight transport issues which then got pushed back to June 2021 because of labeling issues. But mid-June 2021 is what almost took Fullove off the map, at least for a few months.
To give some back knowledge, when a product arrives at port, there is MUCH that can go wrong, especially through the chaos we are currently living through right now with way too much demand for far too little supply in the world of shipping and logistics. My container faced many issues which all began with a missed warehouse delivery appointment. No big deal, right? WRONG, very wrong! These warehouses receive so much product every day that proper staff, machinery, and availability have to be arranged in order to get it right. The delivery appointment was set up for a Friday, a notably risky day as if anything goes wrong, warehouse staff don’t work on weekends. I learned all these lessons the hard way.
Not only did my freight forwarding company miss the delivery appointment, but I learned later that my container was not actually attached to any sort of power (usually a plug-in or a genset generator) for over 24 hours – a crucial part of proper transport of my product as my containers are frozen.
A few hours later, I learned that not only was my product withering away, but the warehouse now wouldn’t be able to accept the product because of some clause in the Food Safety Act (or something along those lines) that claims that the product could become hazardous. I know the integrity of my product and we knew that the product was not compromised (as our breads can actually be at room temperature for up to 18 days), but that didn’t matter to the warehouse. I sat in my friend’s apartment and just balled my eyes out – I cried so hard the neighbors must have thought someone had died. I was overwhelmed, stressed, and frustrated. I was being told to run an insurance claim on the container, but since the product wasn’t compromised technically, we knew we could maybe get $1000 from the insurance company after months of pursuing the claim. No one wanted to touch this container – no warehouse in the city of LA seemed to be able to help me out.
Again, here’s where the spiritual journey of my business picks up again. Conveniently, I had a therapy session planned for this time. With thoughts of potentially canceling the meeting, I decided to attend but tell my therapist that I might quickly have to jump off our call and onto another if need be. By the grace of whatever’s out there that wanted to help me, during my therapy session, a gracious warehouse was willing to take in our container that night and palletize it with an overnight team. A few minutes later, my distributors arranged that if the product was to be palletized elsewhere, the original warehouse would actually be able to take in the product.
In the end, this whole issue became water under the bridge as our product is in perfect state and is being distributed around Los Angeles without a problem. BUT it did give me a run for my money, taught me a lot of lessons on how to better keep tabs on and follow up with the logistical process of my containers, and sure does make grateful for when things go right.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Fullove Foods?
At Fullove Foods, we are dedicated to creating products with nourishing ingredients and unbelievable taste. While our products may be free from major allergens and processed ingredients, our mission is to celebrate what health foods are ‘Full Of’ beyond what they are free from. We embrace the abundance of nutrients, energy, and love found in our carefully selected and health-enhancing ingredients and are mindful that when we feel our best, we show up Full Of Love!
We have started with two delicious grain-free breads that are packed with incredible, energizing, gut-loving ingredients. Being gluten-free myself, I didn’t eat bread for almost nine years because I didn’t like the taste of gluten-free breads or the way they made me feel. Our breads are easy to digest and with the added benefit of being grain-free, they don’t cause bloating brain fog or lethargy.
For much of my life, I have been extremely conscious about what I put into my body. When I entered this new world of health foods, I quickly noticed the narrative of deficiency permeating this space. This never quite resonated with me. Why did an industry dealing with food, an inherently abundant medium, focus on what products lacked?
I decided to change my own narrative to move beyond focusing on what foods are “free from” toward celebrating the nutrients foods are “full of”. My desire for a fuller relationship with food inspired me to create a judgment-free community that empowers everyone to prioritize their wellness. Fullove Foods is my personal collection of products that celebrate an abundance of nutrients, flavor, energy, and love. We hope that our consumers feel this energy as they enjoy our products.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Love: There is an absolute energy of creativity and a general hussle. Right from the moment I moved here and got off the plane, I felt that people come here and just do whatever they want – they make it work without giving into the fear of failure or of being different. I love this and it has inspired me to do the same with my life.
Like least: How disconnected we can sometimes be here in LA. We have everything at our fingertips with ease that we can get consumed in this bubble and a certain way of thinking. That’s why traveling and getting out of LA every so often is so important to me to contextualize and rekindle my sense of gratitude.
Pricing:
- Online prices of $10.49 per loaf (decreases the more loaves you buy)
- $10.89 at Erewhon
- $10.49 at Bristol Farms
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.fullovefoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullovefoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullovefoods
