Today we’d like to introduce you to Danine Alvarado.
Hi Danine, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. One summer, I came up with the idea to sell breakfast and lunch to all the other kids left alone during the day. My mom always made sure we had things I could cook. My brother and I also started a bike washing business. This didn’t go well as we used Dawn dish soap. It rusted everyone’s bike chains. We got into so much trouble. Looking back, it was one of the greatest lessons I learned as an entrepreneur. It taught me the importance of research and how to take responsibility.
In my late 30s my small family moved to North Miami, Fl. I was a stay at home mom with two toddlers. It was the first time I had ever really been away from my family, my mother in particular. It was a struggle being that I live with BIpolar Disorder and Social Anxiety. I wasn”t medicated because I didn’t have insurance or a doctor. I was incapable of calling and advocating for myself.
When I was not medicated, my anxiety and depression would always get the best of me. I could barely leave the house. I made my husband do most things outside the home. It was so unfair to my children, I couldn’t even take them to the park right across the street. I hated myself.
It wasn’t until my mother came to visit and saw how bad I was. She made me walk with her and the kids to the Publix around the corner. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. I cried the whole way, silently of course, because I was holding my 4 yr old’s little hand. She talked to me the whole way there and I couldn’t hear a word she was saying. My ears were clogged with anxiety and I was trying so hard not to let her see me lose it. After that my mom helped me make the phone calls I needed to make in order to receive mental Health Services through the State of Florida.
We didn’t have a car at the time so the bus was our means of transportation. Luckily the bus stopped right outside our apartment building, it took me straight to the clinic and it was right down the road. When it came time for my first appointment I knew I had to go alone, this was the only way I was ever going to feel better. So I did it and it was the best thing I could have done for myself and my children.
After a month of taking my meds and seeing my therapist once a week, the cloud of sadness and fear had lifted. The beautiful Southern Florida Sun finally shone through. I could see how breathtaking my surroundings really were. The kids and I would take the bus and the metrorail to beaches, parks, museums, libraries and fun centers all over the Miami-Dade. We went grocery shopping with our red wagon and grocery cart once a week. It was the best. When we finally got a car, it was over! The kids and I were all over south Florida.
This is when I discovered Poshmark. So, in order to make some extra money for myself, I sold it all on Poshmark. Then I found the best thrift stores ever. You could find designer jeans like Paige Jeans, Mother, J Brand, Miss Me, and Adrieno Goldshmied. I’d buy them for about 10 bucks and resell them on Poshmark for about 30-80 bucks depending on the jeans. I became a Poshmark Ambassador and amassed over 100,000 followers. I loved it. We lived in Miami for a couple years before moving back to Houston In 2016.
Fast forward to 2018. I’m still a stay at home mom in Houston, still hustling, selling skincare, when I hear a knock at the door. It’s the sheriff telling me I have 3 days to leave the premises because we are being evicted for non payment of rent. I had no idea my husband hadn’t paid rent and that we were even behind. Every time I asked him how things were he would say it was fine and give me money to buy the kids what they needed.
Luckily for me, a friend allowed me, my kids and our dog to stay at her home in Rosenberg. I didn’t have a penny to my name and the kids went to school in the heights. It was tough sleeping on the sofa, waking up at 5 am and getting the kids to school everyday. I didn’t really have gas money so I couldn’t drive back and forth. I would sleep in the van at the park while I waited for the kids to get out of school.
After a few days of this. I decided to give Ubereats a try. I was able to make gas money and some extra money for the kids. Then, after working out a schedule with my parents. I was able to get a job at a restaurant called Goode Co kitchen and cantina. From that I was able to get us into a motel closer to the school. To make more money around the holidays my mom and I started making tamales in this tiny little kitchen in the motel room. I would sell them at work to my friends, online, and to anyone I met. I was able to give my kids a decent Christmas and save some money to eventually get outta the motel.
Then one day, one of my coworkers told me she had a rental property she was working on. It was eventually done in March 2019 and my kids, parents and dog finally had a place to call home. Fast Forward to the Pandemic, I became really interested in smoking meat and Social Media. I was posting all of the food I was making during the Pandemic. I was also building relationships on Instagram, supporting other mothers. Then one of my Insta Besties suggested I sell wine with her Online. It was perfect, because we were all stuck at home and the wine was ordered online and sent straight to your door. She also suggested I change my handle and Neen In La Cocina was born. I began posting wine and food pairings. I started building a following and started getting offers for collabs. I joined PR lists and collab apps. I now receive free products, get paid for content and get to try yummy food around Houston for free. The best part is that I get to post what I love anyway. During this time I also bought a little smoker and I became obsessed. I then decided to start selling all the extra food. It was a hit! Then I had a friend selling her 9ft smoker because she was moving and couldn’t take it with her. I then began to work towards making Tejanas Fumadoras Catering and Events a reality.
I sold food throughout the Pandemic. After the pandemic, I started branching out to catering thanks to a dear dear friend who asked me to cater her mother’s wake. From there I received more catering jobs. I then was able to cater a couple of weddings. They all went so well and I finally believed I could do it.
Then in Sept 2022 my daughter attempted suicide and things would never be the same. That same week I had a wedding I had to prepare for and I just couldn’t get it together. I was ill prepared and my clients were unhappy with the final product. I was so disappointed in myself and pretty shell shocked. I stopped catering all together but still sold food here and there when I needed to make some money. I focused most of my time on my daughter. It has been a long road full of therapy appointments, doctors, hospitals and some very scary moments. She is in a better place now which has allowed me more time to focus on my catering and a budding social media career. From there I began helping small businesses build their social media presence by creating content for them. Having done it myself I know how difficult it can be when you are a mom and pop or the sole proprietor to focus on all things, especially social media. It eventually becomes an after thought. But it really is the best free tool to build brand awareness.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have been obstacles. Aside from homelessness and divorce, the one that has been most difficult has been my daughter’s issues. During the pandemic stay-at-home order, my kids had to go online. This brought new responsibilities for me to deal with.
Setting up my business and doing the work has been bumpy but manageable.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently, I am focusing on building a social media company. I work with small businesses like my catering company. I’d love to focus on minority-owned businesses. I’ve also been growing my brand, Neen in La Cocina. I’d like to eventually have a cooking show on YouTube and Tik Tok. I have lots of friends who don’t know how to cook. I want to cater to those women who just want easy but delicious meals.
I’d like to teach women how to grill and smoke their own meats. I’m also focusing on rebuilding my catering company, Tejanas Fumadoras Catering and Events. One more obstacle to contend with, my smoker is at a friend’s house. We moved into an apartment, after the owner of the house I was renting decided he wanted to move in.
What sets me apart is that I smoke my meats and then incorporate them into elevated Tex-Mex dishes. I also think that because this particular industry (smoked meats) is known as a male-dominated field. Being female and Latina allows me to stand out. There is nothing like hearing a man’s surprise upon learning that I smoked their brisket. I’ve had men actually ask if my dad helped. So funny! Tejanas Fumadoras is really my pride and joy.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to grow my catering company by acquiring more party supplies such as tables, chairs, linens, and place settings. I’d also like to purchase some white bouncy houses and photo booths. I would like to eventually become a one-stop shop for all Fiesta needs!
I am trying to focus on more elevated Mexican-themed parties. I’m also planning on growing my Neen in La Cocina brand and creating merch like cookware and kitchen decor. Growing my social media company by offering a la Carte services would allow small businesses to pick and choose what best suits them and their pocketbooks.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Neen In La Cocina
