Didn't Realize Tweets Could Be That Sweet?

Social media has given marketers and businesses a whole new way to quickly and quite effectively reach an audience that, frankly, doesn't have the time or interest to be reached. When we started Created Whole, we put up the website, made a Facebook page, began this blog, and shortly after, began Tweeting on Twitter. The website definitely needs help, but it does what we need it to do for now, which is directing customers to a place where they can place orders and contact us. Facebook has been an instrumental way for people to find us if they search for Created Whole Tortillas in the Google search engine. The blog is a way for us to give you more of an inside look at what is going on, as well as being one more platform of introducing people to "the best tasting tortilla."

But, what I am raving about right now is Twitter. Twitter is such an interesting and unique social media platform. It's a way to tell the world what is happening right now. Twitter lets you know what your favorite celebrity, gourmet food truck, or friend is doing at that moment. It's a way to have quick conversations with complete strangers. I started a tweeting for Created Whole Tortillas (follow us @BestTortilla). Without fully understanding how twitter could be used as a marketing tool, I purchased a book to help. Right now, I pretty much think twitter is the best thing ever! It's not only effective, quick, and easy, but also fun. Because of twitter, we have been able to connect with people on a much shorter timetable and in more of direct way. Instead of phone calls and leaving messages, or writing letters and never receiving a response, we've had success with an 140 character tweet. Recently, twitter has helped us get noticed. In our society where people can't live without their blackberrys and they don't have time to read billboards, let alone blogs, twitter is a very effective way to communicate.

So, start tweeting by going to twitter!!!

Follow us at @BestTortilla

Why don't you sample with Salsa?

We have had some customers ask or wonder why we do not sample our Create Whole Tortillas with some great tasting filling like salsa, humus, scrambled eggs or tofu.

Well... During our testing we found that even a horribly bad tasting tortilla is acceptable if you cover the flavor with a good enough filling. Sure our tortillas are fantastic with scrambled tofu, salsa or humus, but when we go head to head with nothing but the tortilla taste as the standard of comparison it is a more accurate test of quality.

There is one other issue about sampling. What filling will we use? Some might not like the sample because of the ingredients we have chosen. By sampling just the tortilla we have a better chance of gaining the customers confidence of our quality product.

Created Whole Tortillas... the original "eat it straight" tortilla.

Full-Time Tim

Tortillas eventually, or more like, initially enter most social conversations. It's so hard not to talk about Created Whole for us, because this company is something that we are so passionate about.

Tortillas travel everywhere with us. A couple of weeks ago, the flight attendants of the family (Brenda and Kara), were grabbing lunch at Baja Fresh at LAX, and the young woman in line just happened to ask, "Do you ladies know if they have whole wheat tortillas?" Smiling, Kara says, "No they don't, but I do," while rapidly explaining about the tortilla business, and frantically trying to find a business card. Not having any business cards and only two tortillas left, she handed over the tortillas with the website written on a napkin. This business has comical moments to say the least.

Tim received a phone call last week from a woman who says she's praying for us to get into Trader Joe's and praying that we will be successful. She loves the tortillas. Stories like this have been happening for us everyday. From the random people we encounter, to our regular customers at farmer's market, we need these affirmations.

This past week, Brenda was in Santa Barbara for work, and Tim was in Utah or somewhere, and Kara was enjoying the wonderful island of Oahu. Our lives are a little nutso. It's a challenge to build a business when there isn't someone dedicating all of their time to just tortillas. Three months ago, we set a goal that Tim would be our full-time employee by the end of the summer. We've needed him full-time for awhile, but he hasn't wanted to let go of the security of his job. So, it's the end of the summer.

Every time the three of us (Tim, Brenda, Kara) get together to talk about the future of tortillas, each one of us has a, "You'll-never-guess-what-just-happened-to-me-story." There some pretty exciting opportunities "in-the-works" right now that can't be shared at this time on such a public forum, but the one thing I can say, is that things look good. There's a lot to be done. So much so, that we had an intervention with Tim, and he's done working for anyone but Created Whole.

Congratulate Tim on his new position as full-time Director of Operations/Production!