Meet Jasmine Alvarado of Two Spicy Mamas, LLC.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Alvarado.

Hi Jasmine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Jasmine: I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and became a mother at the age of 14. This life-changing event forced me to mature quickly and take on responsibilities far beyond my years. Throughout the toughest periods of my life, cooking has been my sanctuary. Cooking connects me to cherished family memories, my Puerto Rican heritage, and the diverse flavors of various cultures. I am a proud mother of three children and a grandmother to five wonderful grandchildren. I have been in Nashville for over 25 years. My enthusiasm for flavor is deeply rooted in my love for food, serving others, and my admiration for cultural diversity. After meeting Beth, we discovered we had a similar love for food and family. The rest is spice history.

Beth: I began cooking as a young child in Tuskegee, AL. I always tried new recipes and ways of cooking. In my 30’s, I moved to Nashville and met Jasmine. She and I both loved to cook and loved food with full, bold flavors. One day we were sitting around cooking at her house and developed our Magic 7 blend. The rest is history!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Jasmine: The road hasn’t been smooth for us, especially since we juggle jobs outside of our business. We’ve had to learn a lot on the fly, from scaling our business and bookkeeping to social media and a crap load of other tasks. Personally, the biggest challenge for me has been navigating social media. The pressure to be trendy and emulate the strategies of more “successful” entrepreneurs to gain followers or views is overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like the more you engage with social media, the more you risk losing your originality. I won’t even get started on the negative comments we will eventually have to handle as we continue to grow.

Beth: Are you kidding?!?! Smooth road, Beth and Jas?!?! Neither of us lives the smooth road kind of life. We literally have to work for everything we get. We have had issues with:
– our suppliers selling out of the bottles we need
– finding spice suppliers
– having to use our personal income for start-up capital
– people discounting us and our abilities because we are black and brown
– scaling our business to serve present and future demand
– and, negative people that are extremely rude to us at events
However, we would not trade all of these growing pains for anything. They have made us resilient. Through these tough times, we have learned to truly rely on each other and what our respective roles are in the business. Lastly, for every negative person, we experience two positive people who tell us to keep going, pressing forward, and who like our product.

As you know, we’re big fans of Two Spicy Mamas, LLC.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Well, what sets two Spicy Mamas apart from the rest is our unique blend of flavors and our personal touch. We infuse our heritage, creativity, and passion into every small batch we create, ensuring that our seasoning mixes are fresh and full of soul. Unlike mass-produced alternatives, our blends are crafted with meticulous care, using only quality ingredients with no artificial fillers or preservatives. As a Black and Brown (or Beige, depending on the season) woman-owned business, we proudly offer a diverse selection of seasoning blends and culinary influences. Our unique flavors bring a sense of comfort and adventure to your kitchen. So, when you cook with our seasonings, you’re not just adding flavor—you’re adding a piece of our story to your dish!

We are also extremely proud to have recently won the 2024 Music City Nashville Hot Chicken amateur cooking contest using our own seasonings. This achievement highlights not only our dedication to maintaining the tradition of Nashville Hot Chicken but also the versatility and richness of our seasoning blends.

How do you think about luck?
Jasmine: That’s such a great question! For me, I don’t really buy into “luck”—unless we’re talking about hitting the lottery! What I do believe in is blessings. I’ve been incredibly blessed with amazing children, my supportive partner Rush whose presence lights up any room, great friends, and wise mentors who I can lean on. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the choices we make and the hard work we put in to grow this business. It’s been a journey full of effort and sacrifice, both personally and professionally, to get to where we are today and it’s just the beginning. Our business launched in October of 2023, and we have sold over 1100 seasoning blend units! Now look at us answering interview questions for Nashville Voyager! That is a blessing!

Beth: I would not say it was luck. I would say it has been hard work, blessings, favor and dedication that have played huge roles in getting our business and our faces out there.

Pricing:

• $12.50
• $15

Contact Info:

• Website: https://twospicymamas.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twospicymamas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twospicymamas/