July 12, 2025 • 25 mins
Mari shares her entrepreneurial journey from solving her own health problems to creating Yes2Detox, a business offering natural juices, smoothies, and gluten-free treats while maintaining her full-time job as an educator.
Marisabel Gonzalez
- Tel: +1 954-397-9588
- Website: http://www.yes2detox.com/
- Email: info@yes2detox.com
- Email: marisabelgonzalez@ymail.com
• Started making detox juices when commercial products failed to meet her needs
• Built business primarily through word-of-mouth referrals and Instagram (@yes2detox)
• Originally named her business "Munchie" after a childhood nickname from her brothers
• Creates products free from refined sugar and gluten using natural ingredients
• Recommends ginger, turmeric, and root vegetables to combat inflammation
• Struggles with time management while balancing full-time teaching and business
• Emphasizes the importance of movement, good nutrition, and surrounding yourself with supportive people
• Believes internal cleansing reflects positively on external appearance and overall wellbeing
• Focuses on educating customers about healthy choices rather than just making sales
• Plans to potentially return to original "Munchie" branding and open a storefront in the future
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Follow Marie on Instagram @yes2detox or visit www.yes2detox.com to learn more about her natural products.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voiceover (00:03):
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:35):
Do you have you built a website and what is the
website?
Mari Gonzalez (00:39):
Yes, I do have a website.
It's www.
yes2detox.
com.
People order through there, butI find that it's most
convenient or most popular toorder through Instagram, which
is yes2detox.
com.
A lot of people have found meon Instagram.
(00:59):
I have clients that keep oncoming back.
I have clients that do specialorders, like Tanya.
I try to accommodate all myclients because, like I said, I
love to create.
If you have something in mind,let's you know, talk about it.
Do you have any concerns thatyou want to target or address?
(01:20):
Let me see what I have for you.
You, you know, to help you outin that area.
Um so, yes, through Instagram,through the website.
Um regular text people, peoplethat have my number share oh, I
know this lady.
She sells amazing juices andthen I get orders through
(01:40):
through text.
Um word of mouth has been mybest friend when it comes to
advertising.
Um, people tell others and youknow they reach out yeah, mine
too yeah, you know what'sinteresting is?
Tanya Scotece (01:55):
um, when you asked shireen, we actually met
through bni.
That's how we actually met,because we did a one one.
Yeah, that's how we actuallymet back in the pandemic days.
Are you and me?
Or you talk about you and marie?
No, you and I, you and I that'sright.
Yes, I agree, yeah.
So, um, and I know I've met,I've invited uh, there's so many
(02:15):
like different networkinggroups, right, and I'm like the
marketer's dream, like I go toall the marketing, like you know
, different chamber groups andbni and stuff, but you know
that's where shireen and Iactually initially met.
So we, we both belong to a BNIchapter and that's a it's like a
closed chapter, meaning one perprofession, another way just to
kind of expand.
But but I always appreciate you.
(02:37):
I mean, you've taken me fromiron anemia.
Female changes, woman changesevery, every, every couple of
days I'm texting her.
Okay, what about this symptom?
What about that?
So I'm very appreciative ofyour expertise and, just you
know, making me feel better so Ican personally attest to her
juices and treats and foods andbaked goods and gluten-free
(02:58):
items and smoothies and shotsand everything else that you
offer, right?
So, and every day she mustthink like, like, as if she's
creating stuff overnight.
I'm like anything new this week.
Mari Gonzalez (03:10):
No, but if I could, I'd be in the kitchen
from sunrise to sundown, if Icould.
But I do have a family, I dohave a full-time job, but every
time, every time that I havefree time, let's go to the
kitchen, let's create something,let's do something.
So this summer I worked on acarrot cake Amazing.
I also worked on a sweet potatochocolate cake, the garbanzo
(03:35):
marble loaf bestseller,incredible.
And these are all good-for-youingredients no refined sugar, no
gluten.
Um, you know, we use better foryou ingredients that are
natural yeah, and the farmer'smarket's another um well, yes,
the farmer's market.
I did the farmer's market earlyon, I would say a couple years
(03:58):
ago, um, but it's just so hot,it's hot, um, and then again you
build that community and oncepeople have your information,
it's just a matter of you knowtexting or dming and and you
know we deliver, we, you canpick up, we can meet.
Shireen Botha (04:16):
It's very flexible you know, the one thing
that stuck out to me whilewe're chatting here is the fact
that you are running a businesswhile having a full-time job,
and I think a lot of people havedone that.
Some people, they have thefunds flexible funds that
(04:37):
they've saved up to resign fromtheir job and start a whole
brand new business, and theymake it and they succeed.
Some don't, but they try again,they get up.
There's so many differentstories and journeys that we've
Tanya and I have heard being onthis podcast with all the
different guests we've had onthe show, but I think it's
(05:00):
important to hear this storybecause this story is saying hey
, you know, I don't have theflexible funds sitting in my
back pocket that I can justresign from my job and start a
business on my own.
Or it could be I actually likemy full time job as well and I
(05:24):
also enjoy my business that I'vestarted on the side, and I
think it's important toacknowledge the different
journeys that each entrepreneurand business owner are doing it
themselves their own way, and Ithink it's important to actually
highlight that.
So, thank you, marie.
Marie, your name for yourbusiness was Munchie right, and
(05:49):
you were mentioning it, andplease share with the listeners
how actually the name Munchiemeans something to you.
Uh, but why the change then?
Mari Gonzalez (05:59):
so Munchie was a nickname given to me by my
younger brothers.
There's two, wad and Anwar, andwe grew up so close.
I was a little tomboy justplaying football, soccer with
them all the time Outside,riding our bikes or skateboards.
(06:20):
I love that, but at the sametime I was a girly girl, you
know like.
I did my curls and my jewelry,my nails, and my sister is three
years older than me and at thattime we were more like arch
enemies than friends or sistersor best friends.
Now it's a totally differentstory.
(06:42):
Friends or sisters or bestfriends Now it's a totally
different story.
I love my sister, we talk allthe time and share stories and
stuff like that.
But the nickname Manchi camefrom my two brothers, my two
younger brothers.
As in every day, I don't know,marissa Bell is my name, but for
some reason they call meMunchie, munchie, munchie, come
(07:04):
here, munchie, let's go play.
So it's got meaning, you know,it's got that emotional
connection.
So I find that when you havethat emotional connection to
something and you share thatwith the public, there's a
connection.
You're connecting with theworld outside of yours.
(07:26):
The change came later because ofthat, because it was so
personal, I started listening tosome advice and people told me
if you want to one day make thisa big business or have your own
storefront, you know it can'tbe so personal.
At the time I agreed and thenwe brainstormed, my husband and
(07:48):
I you know it was mainly myhusband's um calling to say yes
to detox.
He was like you have to put theword detox in there because
that's that's the main product.
But I said, but there's so muchmore.
I feel like detox is going tolimit us to just detox and a lot
of people associate that withum.
(08:09):
It's not very positive if I putit that way.
Um, so I said yes, yes, yes todetox.
I'm like, okay, that soundscatchy, yes to detox, so we kept
it, believe it?
Or that sounds catchy, yes todetox, so we kept it, believe it
or not?
I am thinking about going backto Munchie, just because it's
(08:30):
personal and there's nothingwrong with that, and we have so
many items today that yes todetox.
Sometimes I don't share onInstagram.
I'm guilty of not sharingenough of what we do, and it's
because of that.
Because if I were to share,let's say, a sourdough loaf that
(08:52):
I'm making, what does that haveto do with the juices.
What does that have to do withthe detox?
So I want to inform the public,share what we do, but also be
true to who we are.
So possibly in the near futurewe would either change the name
(09:14):
one more time or go back toMunchie Blends, because the idea
is to one day have a storefront.
You know where you can come andyou can buy the gluten free
bagels and the shots, and justyou know where you can come and
you can buy the gluten freebagels and the shots, and just
you know.
Come in and out and get whatyou need.
You know, yeah.
Shireen Botha (09:28):
I love that.
I love that.
Just before we continue, I justwant to jump in here with a
little bit of a buzzsprout adfor the listeners.
You already know this, butFriends from Wild Places is a
place to share stories, justlike we're doing today, from
other business owners andprofessionals from all over the
world.
It is a safe space to showsupport for other business
(09:50):
owners and entrepreneurs as well.
We do also feature nonprofitsevery month to try and make a
difference and give a helplineto someone in need, to someone
in need.
So if you have a message youwant to share with the world, or
maybe you just think it'll befun to have your own talk show,
podcasting is an easy andexpensive and fun way to expand
(10:11):
your reach online.
To start your own podcast,please follow the link in the
show notes.
This lets Buzzsprout know thatwe sent you and it helps support
the show.
The team at both sprout ispassionate about helping you
succeed.
You know, uh, marie the, the onething that I I find so
(10:31):
interesting about fruits andvegetables is there's something
I struggle with and that'sinflammation inside of my body.
Um, I, I feel it.
If I'm hiking a lot, um, and Idon't, I'm not a.
I think that the word I'm goingto use is incorrect.
(10:52):
Um, I'm not an extreme gym goer.
I don't go to gym.
Uh, I.
My form of activity comes frombeing out in nature, comes from
hiking, backpacking, and for meto be able to do what I love out
(11:12):
in nature, I do need to do acouple of bodyweight trainings
for about 30, 45 minutes fromhome or from wherever I am, but
I try twice a week, so it'sreally not a lot of activity.
And then I do try and run forstamina to keep my stamina up
(11:33):
once a week and that'll bebetween 8 to 10 Ks.
And the reason why I'm tellingyou this is not to show off
because I'm actually I'm reallynot even close to some of these,
the other people that you seethat go to gym two hours a day
and the professional sportsmenthat really take what they do
seriously.
(11:53):
I'm quite on the the lower side.
But my point being is I dostruggle from like pain in my
knees and inflammation in mybody.
I mean, I woke up on Saturdayto go for a run and I just felt
like my shin was hurting, middleof my back was paining for no
(12:18):
good reason.
It's not even like I worked out, I missed my workout, you know,
the few days before that.
So do you have anyrecommendations when it comes to
what specific fruits, whatspecific vegetables and, more
specifically, what could weorder from your menu that would
help with inflammation?
Mari Gonzalez (12:41):
So anything that you can give your body that
comes from earth is going tohelp you with that.
The inflammation is caused byeveryday movement, lack of
movement.
The toxins that we breathe inthat come into contact with our
skin because they're all over,they're everywhere.
(13:02):
Mainly fruits and vegetablesnourish and repair our bodies.
So there's certain fruits thatare targeted for that.
There's certain vegetables, soespecially the root vegetables,
like the beet, the ginger, theturmeric, the radish.
(13:24):
They have amazing propertiesthat heal our bodies.
There's been research done thatpeople have been diagnosed with
cancer and terminal illnesses.
They change their dietscompletely.
They don't eat meat anymore,they don't eat fats like oils
(13:45):
and stuff like that.
They consume fruits andvegetables, sort of like the
Daniel's diet I don't know ifyou guys are familiar with that
and they live, they heal theirbodies, they fast.
You know they have a processthat they follow for days and
their bodies have healed.
(14:05):
So I always go back to thatginger.
Ginger is your best friend.
I try to consume my ginger shotevery morning on my empty
stomach.
Sometimes I do it before myworkout, then I do the workout,
I work out at 5 am beforeheading out to work here at home
.
I don't go to the gym anymore.
(14:26):
I have a home gym and I do itwith my daughter.
She's 25 years old, she's mypartner, so we work out together
, motivate each other to do so.
But, yes, the ginger, theturmeric is magic.
It's magic.
But again, again, you cannotexpect to have a shot and
continue doing everything elsethat you're doing.
(14:47):
There has to be change.
You have to move.
You have to move with purpose,you know.
Move with purpose, eat withpurpose.
What's the goal?
You want to heal, you want torestore, you want to lose fat,
you want to lose weight, youwant to longevity?
What is the goal?
So there has to be a purpose,uh, in everything that you do.
(15:08):
But yes, um, there, myrecommendations are um, the, the
ginger, the turmeric, the shots, also, the, the milks, I, I
milk almonds, I milk cashews.
We all know these nuts aresuperfoods, they have natural
healing properties.
Dates are superfoods.
(15:29):
Again, cinnamon, all thosethings are going to, you know,
stop that inflammation, helpwith inflammation in your body
and help you move, which is whatwe need more of.
Shireen Botha (15:42):
That's so good.
It's just I struggle becauseI'm not really the healthiest
person.
So I like a good old burger andfries and pizza and probably
all the stuff that I shouldn'tbe eating, and I know that
there's nothing wrong with that.
Mari Gonzalez (15:56):
You can have your finger.
Just, you know, omit the oils.
You know, try to do the 93.7lean meat, turkey meat, when
possible.
Instead of having a bun, have asweet potato, bake a couple
slices of sweet potato and usethat as your bread, or do a
(16:17):
lettuce bun bun.
It's so satisfying and and youfeel amazing after you had your
burger, which is what you reallywant that you know satisfaction
.
I had a burger, but you had ahealthier, you know, burger.
That is actually good for you,with benefits.
Shireen Botha (16:37):
That's true.
I just I've got to try and justmake better choices.
I think when you talk aboutradishes and beetroot, my little
nose just wants to scrunch uplike that's not my fave.
But it's just better choices,and you're right, I should just
make better choices when itcomes to what I put in my body.
(16:57):
But my next question for you iswhat is one of the biggest
lessons you've learned on thisjourney as an entrepreneur and
how have you overcome thatlesson learned?
Mari Gonzalez (17:10):
Yeah, so, like we mentioned earlier, I do have a
full time job and it's a highdemand job.
It requires a lot of me.
I a lot of times come home andcontinue working from home.
I have to lesson plan, I haveto grade.
You know, we have meetings, wehave trainings, and I do love my
(17:31):
job, my full time job.
I like making that impact, notjust in the kids and the young
kids, their lives, but also alsoin the families.
You know you, you build thatrelationship with the parents
and, till this day, I have ummoms that follow me on Instagram
and we've been in touch.
Every now and then we hang outand I get to see these kids are
(17:54):
growing up and they remember.
You know, um, but one of thestruggles is finding the time,
finding the time to create,finding the time to prepare, to
do the orders, because you'rehuman and you do get tired, you
do get burned out, like Tanyathat you know she is a loyal
(18:20):
customer since day one.
I can't say no, morally, like Ifeel, like I can't.
I can't do that to Tanya.
Um, somebody reaches out at 10,30, hey, do you have juices for
tomorrow?
Like, I might not have juicesfor tomorrow, but I can
accommodate you for the next day.
(18:40):
So time is.
It's one of those things.
Something else is not having thedesire to do it because you're
tired.
You got to just push.
You have to push, keep pushing,and you know, once I'm down
there in the kitchen, I juststart going and one thing leads
to the other and sometimes Iamaze myself and I said, wow, I
(19:05):
was only supposed to do this,but I did all of this.
So you push yourself and youwill find that you do have it in
you.
You have that energy.
Giving up is not an option, andI know that sounds very cliche,
but, yes, we're not giving up.
It's not that we're quitters oryou know, we have somebody to
impress, or what are peoplegoing to say?
(19:26):
It's not about that.
It's about you, what the goalis.
People are counting on you.
Your family, my kids have seen,you know the growth, have seen
the work that we put, the umcommitment that we have.
Tanya Scotece (19:46):
So, yes, time, effort and you know, push
yourself and don't give up Ihave a question too, marie, when
you, when you first started andI think I met you, I know where
I met you I think it was nextdoor, the next app, right, right
, meet these two beautiful women.
Yes, serene was BNI and Mariwas um.
(20:07):
It was the next door app, whichis a local community app, and
that's that's where I met youinitially.
So when you described yourwhole journey about, um, you
know, not having juicesavailable for your own family,
how did you go from doing thatto turning it into a business?
Right, because, very easily,you could have just kept like,
okay, I'm just gonna make foodfor my own family, make juices
(20:30):
for my own family, make treatsfor my own family.
How did you take it to the nextlevel and what did that process
look like?
Mari Gonzalez (20:38):
So, like I said, I was my own customer.
Right, I had that need becauseI was feeling like shriek
inflammation.
I was feeling that I wasgaining weight, I was feeling
just not myself.
So I seek that through thedetox that I had purchased.
And since it did not work outfor me, I said, okay, this is
what we're going to be trying.
We tried it.
(20:58):
We developed the new recipes.
Fine, we tried it.
We developed the new recipes,um, and then they worked for me.
So after that I'm sorry, afterthat I started giving it to my
my gym friends and my co-workersand the rest of my extended
family and, little by little, oh, I got your number from so and
so-so I'm looking to do a detox.
(21:21):
A lot of people have questions,a lot of questions.
They're kind of afraid, like Iwas.
If I wish I had somebody totell me don't buy this detox,
buy this one instead.
Or, you know, go to this placeinstead of that one when I was
seeking for my own personal use.
(21:42):
So that's how it started.
It started with me having thatneed to cleanse my body, to feel
myself, to feel better, to losea few pounds along the way, and
word of mouth, and somebodytold somebody else, and then
that somebody else told somebodyelse, and then people would
come to the gym, people would goto the farmer's market, people
(22:04):
would call me, text me theystill do.
They write me.
I have questions.
Can you answer some of thequestions?
And a lot of times they end upnot buying, which is okay,
because I'm not here to make asale.
I'm here to educate you.
What is your goal?
I tell people all the timethese are not magical juices.
You're not going to be adifferent person from day to
(22:27):
night, but they will help youand a lot of the times that's
what we need.
We need that from the insideout.
When you're clean inside, itreflects on your skin, it
reflects on your hair, itreflects on the way you see
yourself, the way we smell.
Everything.
Everything comes from within.
So you are clean within, it'sgoing to reflect in your, in
(22:51):
your outside and yoursurroundings.
Tanya Scotece (22:54):
That's beautiful, beautiful journey and I just
imagine I mean women.
It seems like we just kind ofget the raw deal all over right,
I mean from young teenager,puberty, pregnancies, adulthood,
menopause.
I mean it's like we just can'tcatch a break the whole journey.
So if you had to share maybethree tips for our listeners out
(23:16):
there for any of thesesituations women related let's
just focus on women's health fora moment what would you say
that you see and or any words ofwisdom that you could share?
Mari Gonzalez (23:27):
So be active, move, hike, walk, surround
yourself with people that arelike-minded, like you or above
you.
There's nothing wrong with that, because if we stay with people
that are the same as us orbelow us in a certain you know
(23:47):
maturity level, professionallevel, there's no growth.
We might be taking them, youknow, helping their growth, but
we also want to grow along theway.
So surround yourself withpeople that are a good for you,
a good support system, um, move,exercise, take care of you.
(24:08):
Take care of you, um, by eatinghealthy, by giving your body
what it needs, it needs, uh,nourishment.
You need fruits, vegetables,you need healthy foods that are
just going to help you be yourbest you know version, your best
version.
I find that when I do that, I'mbetter for my family, I'm
(24:28):
better for my students, I havemore clarity, I feel more rested
, more focused and a betterperson overall.
Shireen Botha (24:38):
Tune in next week for part three of Friends from
Wild Places.
Voiceover (24:44):
You've been listening to Friends from Wild Places
with Shireen Botha.
Be sure to subscribe to thepodcast from the links to catch
every episode and unleash yourpassion.
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:35):
Do you have you built a website and what is the
website?
Mari Gonzalez (00:39):
Yes, I do have a website.
It's www.
yes2detox.
com.
People order through there, butI find that it's most
convenient or most popular toorder through Instagram, which
is yes2detox.
com.
A lot of people have found meon Instagram.
(00:59):
I have clients that keep oncoming back.
I have clients that do specialorders, like Tanya.
I try to accommodate all myclients because, like I said, I
love to create.
If you have something in mind,let's you know, talk about it.
Do you have any concerns thatyou want to target or address?
(01:20):
Let me see what I have for you.
You, you know, to help you outin that area.
Um so, yes, through Instagram,through the website.
Um regular text people, peoplethat have my number share oh, I
know this lady.
She sells amazing juices andthen I get orders through
(01:40):
through text.
Um word of mouth has been mybest friend when it comes to
advertising.
Um, people tell others and youknow they reach out yeah, mine
too yeah, you know what'sinteresting is?
Tanya Scotece (01:55):
um, when you asked shireen, we actually met
through bni.
That's how we actually met,because we did a one one.
Yeah, that's how we actuallymet back in the pandemic days.
Are you and me?
Or you talk about you and marie?
No, you and I, you and I that'sright.
Yes, I agree, yeah.
So, um, and I know I've met,I've invited uh, there's so many
(02:15):
like different networkinggroups, right, and I'm like the
marketer's dream, like I go toall the marketing, like you know
, different chamber groups andbni and stuff, but you know
that's where shireen and Iactually initially met.
So we, we both belong to a BNIchapter and that's a it's like a
closed chapter, meaning one perprofession, another way just to
kind of expand.
But but I always appreciate you.
(02:37):
I mean, you've taken me fromiron anemia.
Female changes, woman changesevery, every, every couple of
days I'm texting her.
Okay, what about this symptom?
What about that?
So I'm very appreciative ofyour expertise and, just you
know, making me feel better so Ican personally attest to her
juices and treats and foods andbaked goods and gluten-free
(02:58):
items and smoothies and shotsand everything else that you
offer, right?
So, and every day she mustthink like, like, as if she's
creating stuff overnight.
I'm like anything new this week.
Mari Gonzalez (03:10):
No, but if I could, I'd be in the kitchen
from sunrise to sundown, if Icould.
But I do have a family, I dohave a full-time job, but every
time, every time that I havefree time, let's go to the
kitchen, let's create something,let's do something.
So this summer I worked on acarrot cake Amazing.
I also worked on a sweet potatochocolate cake, the garbanzo
(03:35):
marble loaf bestseller,incredible.
And these are all good-for-youingredients no refined sugar, no
gluten.
Um, you know, we use better foryou ingredients that are
natural yeah, and the farmer'smarket's another um well, yes,
the farmer's market.
I did the farmer's market earlyon, I would say a couple years
(03:58):
ago, um, but it's just so hot,it's hot, um, and then again you
build that community and oncepeople have your information,
it's just a matter of you knowtexting or dming and and you
know we deliver, we, you canpick up, we can meet.
Shireen Botha (04:16):
It's very flexible you know, the one thing
that stuck out to me whilewe're chatting here is the fact
that you are running a businesswhile having a full-time job,
and I think a lot of people havedone that.
Some people, they have thefunds flexible funds that
(04:37):
they've saved up to resign fromtheir job and start a whole
brand new business, and theymake it and they succeed.
Some don't, but they try again,they get up.
There's so many differentstories and journeys that we've
Tanya and I have heard being onthis podcast with all the
different guests we've had onthe show, but I think it's
(05:00):
important to hear this storybecause this story is saying hey
, you know, I don't have theflexible funds sitting in my
back pocket that I can justresign from my job and start a
business on my own.
Or it could be I actually likemy full time job as well and I
(05:24):
also enjoy my business that I'vestarted on the side, and I
think it's important toacknowledge the different
journeys that each entrepreneurand business owner are doing it
themselves their own way, and Ithink it's important to actually
highlight that.
So, thank you, marie.
Marie, your name for yourbusiness was Munchie right, and
(05:49):
you were mentioning it, andplease share with the listeners
how actually the name Munchiemeans something to you.
Uh, but why the change then?
Mari Gonzalez (05:59):
so Munchie was a nickname given to me by my
younger brothers.
There's two, wad and Anwar, andwe grew up so close.
I was a little tomboy justplaying football, soccer with
them all the time Outside,riding our bikes or skateboards.
(06:20):
I love that, but at the sametime I was a girly girl, you
know like.
I did my curls and my jewelry,my nails, and my sister is three
years older than me and at thattime we were more like arch
enemies than friends or sistersor best friends.
Now it's a totally differentstory.
(06:42):
Friends or sisters or bestfriends Now it's a totally
different story.
I love my sister, we talk allthe time and share stories and
stuff like that.
But the nickname Manchi camefrom my two brothers, my two
younger brothers.
As in every day, I don't know,marissa Bell is my name, but for
some reason they call meMunchie, munchie, munchie, come
(07:04):
here, munchie, let's go play.
So it's got meaning, you know,it's got that emotional
connection.
So I find that when you havethat emotional connection to
something and you share thatwith the public, there's a
connection.
You're connecting with theworld outside of yours.
(07:26):
The change came later because ofthat, because it was so
personal, I started listening tosome advice and people told me
if you want to one day make thisa big business or have your own
storefront, you know it can'tbe so personal.
At the time I agreed and thenwe brainstormed, my husband and
(07:48):
I you know it was mainly myhusband's um calling to say yes
to detox.
He was like you have to put theword detox in there because
that's that's the main product.
But I said, but there's so muchmore.
I feel like detox is going tolimit us to just detox and a lot
of people associate that withum.
(08:09):
It's not very positive if I putit that way.
Um, so I said yes, yes, yes todetox.
I'm like, okay, that soundscatchy, yes to detox, so we kept
it, believe it?
Or that sounds catchy, yes todetox, so we kept it, believe it
or not?
I am thinking about going backto Munchie, just because it's
(08:30):
personal and there's nothingwrong with that, and we have so
many items today that yes todetox.
Sometimes I don't share onInstagram.
I'm guilty of not sharingenough of what we do, and it's
because of that.
Because if I were to share,let's say, a sourdough loaf that
(08:52):
I'm making, what does that haveto do with the juices.
What does that have to do withthe detox?
So I want to inform the public,share what we do, but also be
true to who we are.
So possibly in the near futurewe would either change the name
(09:14):
one more time or go back toMunchie Blends, because the idea
is to one day have a storefront.
You know where you can come andyou can buy the gluten free
bagels and the shots, and justyou know where you can come and
you can buy the gluten freebagels and the shots, and just
you know.
Come in and out and get whatyou need.
You know, yeah.
Shireen Botha (09:28):
I love that.
I love that.
Just before we continue, I justwant to jump in here with a
little bit of a buzzsprout adfor the listeners.
You already know this, butFriends from Wild Places is a
place to share stories, justlike we're doing today, from
other business owners andprofessionals from all over the
world.
It is a safe space to showsupport for other business
(09:50):
owners and entrepreneurs as well.
We do also feature nonprofitsevery month to try and make a
difference and give a helplineto someone in need, to someone
in need.
So if you have a message youwant to share with the world, or
maybe you just think it'll befun to have your own talk show,
podcasting is an easy andexpensive and fun way to expand
(10:11):
your reach online.
To start your own podcast,please follow the link in the
show notes.
This lets Buzzsprout know thatwe sent you and it helps support
the show.
The team at both sprout ispassionate about helping you
succeed.
You know, uh, marie the, the onething that I I find so
(10:31):
interesting about fruits andvegetables is there's something
I struggle with and that'sinflammation inside of my body.
Um, I, I feel it.
If I'm hiking a lot, um, and Idon't, I'm not a.
I think that the word I'm goingto use is incorrect.
(10:52):
Um, I'm not an extreme gym goer.
I don't go to gym.
Uh, I.
My form of activity comes frombeing out in nature, comes from
hiking, backpacking, and for meto be able to do what I love out
(11:12):
in nature, I do need to do acouple of bodyweight trainings
for about 30, 45 minutes fromhome or from wherever I am, but
I try twice a week, so it'sreally not a lot of activity.
And then I do try and run forstamina to keep my stamina up
(11:33):
once a week and that'll bebetween 8 to 10 Ks.
And the reason why I'm tellingyou this is not to show off
because I'm actually I'm reallynot even close to some of these,
the other people that you seethat go to gym two hours a day
and the professional sportsmenthat really take what they do
seriously.
(11:53):
I'm quite on the the lower side.
But my point being is I dostruggle from like pain in my
knees and inflammation in mybody.
I mean, I woke up on Saturdayto go for a run and I just felt
like my shin was hurting, middleof my back was paining for no
(12:18):
good reason.
It's not even like I worked out, I missed my workout, you know,
the few days before that.
So do you have anyrecommendations when it comes to
what specific fruits, whatspecific vegetables and, more
specifically, what could weorder from your menu that would
help with inflammation?
Mari Gonzalez (12:41):
So anything that you can give your body that
comes from earth is going tohelp you with that.
The inflammation is caused byeveryday movement, lack of
movement.
The toxins that we breathe inthat come into contact with our
skin because they're all over,they're everywhere.
(13:02):
Mainly fruits and vegetablesnourish and repair our bodies.
So there's certain fruits thatare targeted for that.
There's certain vegetables, soespecially the root vegetables,
like the beet, the ginger, theturmeric, the radish.
(13:24):
They have amazing propertiesthat heal our bodies.
There's been research done thatpeople have been diagnosed with
cancer and terminal illnesses.
They change their dietscompletely.
They don't eat meat anymore,they don't eat fats like oils
(13:45):
and stuff like that.
They consume fruits andvegetables, sort of like the
Daniel's diet I don't know ifyou guys are familiar with that
and they live, they heal theirbodies, they fast.
You know they have a processthat they follow for days and
their bodies have healed.
(14:05):
So I always go back to thatginger.
Ginger is your best friend.
I try to consume my ginger shotevery morning on my empty
stomach.
Sometimes I do it before myworkout, then I do the workout,
I work out at 5 am beforeheading out to work here at home
.
I don't go to the gym anymore.
(14:26):
I have a home gym and I do itwith my daughter.
She's 25 years old, she's mypartner, so we work out together
, motivate each other to do so.
But, yes, the ginger, theturmeric is magic.
It's magic.
But again, again, you cannotexpect to have a shot and
continue doing everything elsethat you're doing.
(14:47):
There has to be change.
You have to move.
You have to move with purpose,you know.
Move with purpose, eat withpurpose.
What's the goal?
You want to heal, you want torestore, you want to lose fat,
you want to lose weight, youwant to longevity?
What is the goal?
So there has to be a purpose,uh, in everything that you do.
(15:08):
But yes, um, there, myrecommendations are um, the, the
ginger, the turmeric, the shots, also, the, the milks, I, I
milk almonds, I milk cashews.
We all know these nuts aresuperfoods, they have natural
healing properties.
Dates are superfoods.
(15:29):
Again, cinnamon, all thosethings are going to, you know,
stop that inflammation, helpwith inflammation in your body
and help you move, which is whatwe need more of.
Shireen Botha (15:42):
That's so good.
It's just I struggle becauseI'm not really the healthiest
person.
So I like a good old burger andfries and pizza and probably
all the stuff that I shouldn'tbe eating, and I know that
there's nothing wrong with that.
Mari Gonzalez (15:56):
You can have your finger.
Just, you know, omit the oils.
You know, try to do the 93.7lean meat, turkey meat, when
possible.
Instead of having a bun, have asweet potato, bake a couple
slices of sweet potato and usethat as your bread, or do a
(16:17):
lettuce bun bun.
It's so satisfying and and youfeel amazing after you had your
burger, which is what you reallywant that you know satisfaction
.
I had a burger, but you had ahealthier, you know, burger.
That is actually good for you,with benefits.
Shireen Botha (16:37):
That's true.
I just I've got to try and justmake better choices.
I think when you talk aboutradishes and beetroot, my little
nose just wants to scrunch uplike that's not my fave.
But it's just better choices,and you're right, I should just
make better choices when itcomes to what I put in my body.
(16:57):
But my next question for you iswhat is one of the biggest
lessons you've learned on thisjourney as an entrepreneur and
how have you overcome thatlesson learned?
Mari Gonzalez (17:10):
Yeah, so, like we mentioned earlier, I do have a
full time job and it's a highdemand job.
It requires a lot of me.
I a lot of times come home andcontinue working from home.
I have to lesson plan, I haveto grade.
You know, we have meetings, wehave trainings, and I do love my
(17:31):
job, my full time job.
I like making that impact, notjust in the kids and the young
kids, their lives, but also alsoin the families.
You know you, you build thatrelationship with the parents
and, till this day, I have ummoms that follow me on Instagram
and we've been in touch.
Every now and then we hang outand I get to see these kids are
(17:54):
growing up and they remember.
You know, um, but one of thestruggles is finding the time,
finding the time to create,finding the time to prepare, to
do the orders, because you'rehuman and you do get tired, you
do get burned out, like Tanyathat you know she is a loyal
(18:20):
customer since day one.
I can't say no, morally, like Ifeel, like I can't.
I can't do that to Tanya.
Um, somebody reaches out at 10,30, hey, do you have juices for
tomorrow?
Like, I might not have juicesfor tomorrow, but I can
accommodate you for the next day.
(18:40):
So time is.
It's one of those things.
Something else is not having thedesire to do it because you're
tired.
You got to just push.
You have to push, keep pushing,and you know, once I'm down
there in the kitchen, I juststart going and one thing leads
to the other and sometimes Iamaze myself and I said, wow, I
(19:05):
was only supposed to do this,but I did all of this.
So you push yourself and youwill find that you do have it in
you.
You have that energy.
Giving up is not an option, andI know that sounds very cliche,
but, yes, we're not giving up.
It's not that we're quitters oryou know, we have somebody to
impress, or what are peoplegoing to say?
(19:26):
It's not about that.
It's about you, what the goalis.
People are counting on you.
Your family, my kids have seen,you know the growth, have seen
the work that we put, the umcommitment that we have.
Tanya Scotece (19:46):
So, yes, time, effort and you know, push
yourself and don't give up Ihave a question too, marie, when
you, when you first started andI think I met you, I know where
I met you I think it was nextdoor, the next app, right, right
, meet these two beautiful women.
Yes, serene was BNI and Mariwas um.
(20:07):
It was the next door app, whichis a local community app, and
that's that's where I met youinitially.
So when you described yourwhole journey about, um, you
know, not having juicesavailable for your own family,
how did you go from doing thatto turning it into a business?
Right, because, very easily,you could have just kept like,
okay, I'm just gonna make foodfor my own family, make juices
(20:30):
for my own family, make treatsfor my own family.
How did you take it to the nextlevel and what did that process
look like?
Mari Gonzalez (20:38):
So, like I said, I was my own customer.
Right, I had that need becauseI was feeling like shriek
inflammation.
I was feeling that I wasgaining weight, I was feeling
just not myself.
So I seek that through thedetox that I had purchased.
And since it did not work outfor me, I said, okay, this is
what we're going to be trying.
We tried it.
(20:58):
We developed the new recipes.
Fine, we tried it.
We developed the new recipes,um, and then they worked for me.
So after that I'm sorry, afterthat I started giving it to my
my gym friends and my co-workersand the rest of my extended
family and, little by little, oh, I got your number from so and
so-so I'm looking to do a detox.
(21:21):
A lot of people have questions,a lot of questions.
They're kind of afraid, like Iwas.
If I wish I had somebody totell me don't buy this detox,
buy this one instead.
Or, you know, go to this placeinstead of that one when I was
seeking for my own personal use.
(21:42):
So that's how it started.
It started with me having thatneed to cleanse my body, to feel
myself, to feel better, to losea few pounds along the way, and
word of mouth, and somebodytold somebody else, and then
that somebody else told somebodyelse, and then people would
come to the gym, people would goto the farmer's market, people
(22:04):
would call me, text me theystill do.
They write me.
I have questions.
Can you answer some of thequestions?
And a lot of times they end upnot buying, which is okay,
because I'm not here to make asale.
I'm here to educate you.
What is your goal?
I tell people all the timethese are not magical juices.
You're not going to be adifferent person from day to
(22:27):
night, but they will help youand a lot of the times that's
what we need.
We need that from the insideout.
When you're clean inside, itreflects on your skin, it
reflects on your hair, itreflects on the way you see
yourself, the way we smell.
Everything.
Everything comes from within.
So you are clean within, it'sgoing to reflect in your, in
(22:51):
your outside and yoursurroundings.
Tanya Scotece (22:54):
That's beautiful, beautiful journey and I just
imagine I mean women.
It seems like we just kind ofget the raw deal all over right,
I mean from young teenager,puberty, pregnancies, adulthood,
menopause.
I mean it's like we just can'tcatch a break the whole journey.
So if you had to share maybethree tips for our listeners out
(23:16):
there for any of thesesituations women related let's
just focus on women's health fora moment what would you say
that you see and or any words ofwisdom that you could share?
Mari Gonzalez (23:27):
So be active, move, hike, walk, surround
yourself with people that arelike-minded, like you or above
you.
There's nothing wrong with that, because if we stay with people
that are the same as us orbelow us in a certain you know
(23:47):
maturity level, professionallevel, there's no growth.
We might be taking them, youknow, helping their growth, but
we also want to grow along theway.
So surround yourself withpeople that are a good for you,
a good support system, um, move,exercise, take care of you.
(24:08):
Take care of you, um, by eatinghealthy, by giving your body
what it needs, it needs, uh,nourishment.
You need fruits, vegetables,you need healthy foods that are
just going to help you be yourbest you know version, your best
version.
I find that when I do that, I'mbetter for my family, I'm
(24:28):
better for my students, I havemore clarity, I feel more rested
, more focused and a betterperson overall.
Shireen Botha (24:38):
Tune in next week for part three of Friends from
Wild Places.
Voiceover (24:44):
You've been listening to Friends from Wild Places
with Shireen Botha.
Be sure to subscribe to thepodcast from the links to catch
every episode and unleash yourpassion.
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