La Catrina Mexican Shop Owner on Immigration and Business

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to turn a candy stand in a nearly empty mall into a full Mexican gift shop with a loyal following? Giovana, owner of La Catrina Mexican Shop, walks through exactly how she did it — and the identity questions she had to work through along the way.Giovana was born in Tuxpan, Zacatecas, and crossed into the U.S. with her family as a toddler. She grew up in Haltom City, Texas, spent five years working in human resources at Canales Furniture, and never planned on entrepreneurship — until her father, a former Dr. Pepper Hispanic market manager, started his own distribution business during the pandemic and asked for her help. That request turned into La Catrina Mexican Shop, which opened inside Ridgmar Mall in November 2023.The strongest story here is how little of it was planned. The shop started as a straightforward candy store. Customers kept asking for gift baskets, pottery, and trending items they'd seen on TikTok — like chamoy pickle kits — and Giovana adjusted the business in real time. She also talks openly about being told for most of her life that she "doesn't look Mexican" or "doesn't sound Mexican," and why she's chosen to speak proudly about being an immigrant instead of downplaying it.This conversation is for anyone thinking about turning a side hustle into a storefront, anyone who has felt caught between two cultures, and anyone curious about what it actually takes to build trust at vendor markets and turn strangers into regulars.What You Will HearHow a father-daughter distribution business turned into a full retail storefrontWhy the shop's original name didn't work and how "La Catrina" was chosen insteadThe vendor-market mistakes that cost her sales, and what she changedHow social media and TikTok trends directly shaped what she stocksWhy she sources pottery and artisan goods directly from families in Mexico rather than through wholesalersTopics DiscussedCrossing the border as a child and the years-long path to citizenshipGrowing up bicultural in Haltom City and navigating questions about her identityHer father's career at Dr. Pepper and his pivot into his own distribution business during the pandemicLeaving a human resources career to help run a family businessHow the name La Catrina was chosen and what it representsTurning a candy store into a full Mexican gift shop based on customer demandLessons learned from vendor markets, including what not to bringSourcing artisan pottery and goods directly from MexicoHosting her own pop-up markets to support other small businessesWhat she'd tell her younger self about building a businessGuest Information Guest: Giovana Professional Title: Owner, La Catrina Mexican Shop Business/Organization: La Catrina Mexican Shop, located inside Ridgmar Mall, Fort Worth Website: Website:  https://lacatrinamxshop.com/Before You Go Follow The Global Latin Factor Podcast so you never miss an episode, and if this story moved you, leave a rating or review — it helps other listeners find these conversations. Share this episode with someone building a small business of their own, and go connect with Giovana at @lacatrina_mxhop. For another Fort Worth small-business story, check out our episode with Eddie "Mr. Picoso."Follow the Global Latin Factor Podcast for more conversations with Latino entrepreneurs and community leaders.Support the showSocial Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGlobalLatinFactorPodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/thegloballatin1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegloballatinfactorpodcastTiktok: ...