Catch The 96

Did you know that it takes Safeway just one week to do as much business as Whole Foods does in 30 days, or what Wal-Mart does in 60 seconds? Often, when talking with people about our tortilla company, there eyes light up, and they'll say, "You know what you should do? You need to get into Whole Foods!" This is a little humorous, because they will make the statement with the conviction that the idea has never surfaced ever before.

We have a healthy product, that has a niche in Whole Foods or Trader Joes, but our tortilla is also for those that have never stepped foot into a Whole Foods Market. There is a thriving industry outside of the growing 108 billion dollar organic and health market. 96 percent are currently not buying natural, organic, or healthy products. Now the question is, why spend all the energy and effort marketing to 4 percent when there is a huge potential of people outside of that need to be reached?

These people that fall into that 96 percent may not be engaged in the natural or organic markets, not because of disinterest, but because of mis-information, cost, convenience, or dare we say, taste? We are firm believers that healthy products don't have to taste like health (i.e. cardboard tortillas or tasteless entrees). What's great is our tortillas can fit into both the health food markets and the mainstream markets, and the plus side is, we don't have to educate people on what a tortilla is, because everyone has heard of a tortilla.

Zappos has created a thriving business of selling shoes, along with other items, online. Shoes, historically, are a product that people want to try-on, but Zappos has skirted that issue through free returns, great customer service, and their tag line of "selling happiness." Some companies are capable of telling consumers what they need, for example, take Apple. No one knew they needed an iPad until Apple told them, and iPod is now synonymous with MP3 player. These companies have not followed the historical way of business, but have created a better way that works. This is something to admire.

An idea for us is to heavily market Created Whole tortillas through our online store. When you think of where to buy whole wheat tortillas, the first place probably is not cyberspace, but why not? It's convenient, cuts out costs that the consumer won't have to pay for, and at this point gives us more of a direct relationship with our customers. We hope to be the Zappos of online tortilla sales while developing devoted followers like Apple.

Check out these interesting articles:

The Future of Wellness: Lessons From The 96 Percent
A World of Consumers Exists Beyond Whole Foods Market

Order your tortillas online at http://www.thebesttortilla.com/

Never Say Never

The woman sitting across from Kara stretches her arms wide, as to create emphasis. "Kara," she says, "Do you realize that, on one hand, you are completely spontaneous, facing what many people fear with excitement and enjoyment, relishing the unplanned adventures, and on the polar opposite end, cling to a suffocating control and structure that has wanted to choke out any and all of the beauty in life that you so desperately are searching?"

That would be a quite accurate observation.

Kara is an anomaly, not following the normal post-college life that many of her friends have chosen with marriages, homes, kids, and office jobs. "I thought I wanted all of that right out of college, but really, I had no idea. In God's wisdom, I didn't get what I hoped for, and how I thought my life would be is very, very different from my current reality. I am very blessed and thankful that God knows best and that my plans didn't happen," she says.

If you told Kara four years ago that she would be a flight attendant, living in Los Angeles, in a quaint beach apartment, having traveled to Haiti, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Hawaii, British Columbia, Germany, Czech Republic, Amsterdam, Belgium, Guatemala, all in the span of one year, as well as developing a strategy to take a little tortilla company mainstream, she would have looked at you and asked if you were feeling ok...or if you were smoking crack.

She never wanted to be a flight attendant, had no desire to live in LA, and traveling that much seemed too unbelievably awesome. "I remember flying out of LAX as a passenger years ago, taking a red-eye out, noticing the flight attendants, and thinking, 'I'd hate to do that job.' It's crazy for me to think of how I actually love my job, how I like LA, and how lucky I am to have made a great community of friends."

To Kara, flying is still "just a job," and her passion, and what she knows to be her future, is Created Whole. Her creativity, enthusiasm, and natural interest in people, combined with a degree in Marketing, have created a natural fit as Lead of Marketing and Promotions. "I believe in our company. I can't imagine my life without tortillas, and honestly, I don't know how other people live without them either. They shouldn't have to. My personal mission is that people no longer be without an awesome tasting whole wheat tortilla," she says with a laugh.

In Kara's "fun time", she enjoys riding her Cannondale road-bike, spending time with friends, and dreaming up the next adventure. The "Must-See List" includes Italy, Chile, Israel, and Thailand, and the chart toppers for the "Must-Do List" are learning Spanish, sky-diving, and biking from Canada to Mexico.

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

"In your face" marketing...

Talked with a delightful woman at the Redondo Beach farmers market that had an interesting story to tell. We have developed a habit of presenting a platter full of tortilla samples for the passing shoppers perusing the market. After what I think was the second pass by the booth, she tried the sample. Based on that sample, she bought her first dozen.

The next week, she talked with Brenda at the booth and bought her second dozen of the famous Created Whole tortillas. This past Thursday, I was there for her third purchase, another 1 dozen tortillas. She says Created Whole tortillas are so good we eat the whole dozen in nearly one meal. She also said; "He [Tim] just stuck the samples "in my face", so I had to try it. I love them!"




Sometimes a little "Holy" boldness is good for business!




Commit to a little boldness this week, and then share your own story!

Tortilla Talk

It's a little bit small as the upload, but I was working on a half-size flyer for the farmer's market. This is what I've come up with so far. I still have another side to finish. I haven't decided yet if this will be the front or the back. The whole point of this flyer is to get the people that see us at the market to become connected with Created Whole online. The goal is for people to like us on facebook and read our blog, AND we are Twittering as BestTortilla too. So thanks to all of you that are connecting:)

Has Anyone Told You How Special You Are?

There's an interesting article about how specialty food product sales have swelled this past year. Sales within the specialty food market are still growing, even with the economic times. This is good news for our extra special tortillas. Retailers are also buying local. Another plus. They reported that 23.4 percent of the foods they sell are local, made within 250 miles of the store. The article has other interesting facts about growth trends and opportunity. Take a look at the article here.

Logo Brilliance

We're excited because we finally have a logo!!! Yea! Gary Manly, who is a creative genius, designed the logo for us. Let us know what you think!