Melly Barajas has become known as the “queen of tequila” among industry circles when she started hiring for her company’s launch in 2000 and only women showed up for the interviews. “That was my fuel to keep pushing when things got tough, that I trusted other women, and they trusted me,” she told Forbes reporter Maria Gracia Santillana Linares.
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Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00🎵
00:30I love it, yes
00:32Yes, nothing to do with what I'm doing, right?
00:36But one day, being in a small cabin here in the Sierra de Jalisco with my dad
00:43I saw a magazine saying that Europe is giving us a name of origin
00:49and it said the magic words that changed my life
00:53How I would like to have a tequila with my name to take it
00:59And I said, yes, look at my tequila, you know
01:03So, imagine, for me it was my prince, it was like what he wanted, I had to achieve it
01:12So, imagine, at that moment I started to investigate
01:17I went to many tequilas, how can you make a tequila
01:21I thought I was going to be able to do everything, give classes
01:24my little factory, my clothes, and apart from making a tequila for my dad, of course, why not, right?
01:31The truth is that, well, that's how it all started
01:35The truth is that it is a very absorbent market, it is a very absorbent business
01:42So, suddenly, I started to leave the clothing factory a lot
01:48I stopped giving classes to the children and I started trying to make my dad's tequila
01:55So, I was knocking on many doors, obviously the best tequileros that I knew or of renown
02:04And the truth is that it was difficult, it was difficult
02:07A factory did open the doors for me to make a small production of tequila
02:15But then I wanted to change, I wanted to grow
02:18There came a time when I saw that they could not meet what I needed
02:25So, what I said is, why not, let's make a factory, how difficult is it, right?
02:31So, I started to investigate, suddenly I managed to buy a little bit of land
02:40I made the winery, and I started little by little
02:45The truth is that when I opened my eyes again, I already had a tequila factory, I no longer had the clothing factory
02:53I no longer gave classes, and all the money I had everywhere, I no longer had invested in this
03:00So, I had to continue
03:03Unfortunately, my dad died, when he died, he still did not find the treasure that I was going to give him
03:12The surprise of his tequila, you know?
03:14And the truth is that I broke down when my dad died
03:18I said, what am I doing here?
03:20No one is going to open the doors, it's a world of men
03:25When I started, there were no tequila women
03:28There were no women, not even in the meetings, in nothing, it was the only one
03:33I felt like it was not worth it
03:35But the truth is that I said, well, let's continue a little, let's see what happens
03:40And suddenly, the years passed, I loved it
03:44The truth is that making tequila for me is like taking a piece of Mexico to all the people who try tequila
03:54I think a lot about that, when someone asks for tequila, they think of Mexico
04:00So, I wanted to do things very well
04:03I started looking for people in the town, it is a small town in the highlands of Jalisco
04:11Pure girls arrived, pure girls, mothers, grandmothers, ladies
04:16Not a single man came to ask for work with me
04:20So, for me it was going to be super difficult, I didn't know what was going to happen
04:25But I said, why not? If I can, everyone can
04:28And we started teaching ourselves how to make tequila, pure women
04:32When I opened my eyes again, I was already making tequila
04:37I already had the responsibility of the families, of the girls
04:41And all that, and so I opened my eyes again
04:44I'm already 25 years old with the company, Maria
04:47Exactly, 25. Tell me a little bit about that time when you were just growing up
04:52And not trying, ok, I want to produce with this factory
04:56I want to produce here, I want to produce there
04:59When was the moment for you when you said, ok, I want to grow this
05:04I don't want to depend on other people and I want to bring the whole process within my company and a name
05:11The question is very good because the truth is that for me it was very comfortable
05:19Going to a tequila factory, I want so many boxes and I sold them and that's it
05:23The problem was when I committed to deliver a production
05:28And they didn't deliver it to me in time and shape
05:31So, for me it was an impressive anguish
05:36How, if I already have my clients and because of a third party I can't deliver
05:42You know, so I said, I'm going to make a small kitchen
05:46I make up in other places and I also make a little production in my tequila factory
05:52So, because of the responsibility of giving the clients what they asked for
05:58I wanted to do things myself
06:01Because I say, depending on a third party, the truth is that I was very anxious
06:05And to look bad, even more
06:08So, that's why I said, let's try
06:11Of course, obviously
06:14Especially when it's something that is under your name, I imagine
06:18To look bad is to look bad
06:20The client doesn't care that someone else forgot the product or didn't deliver
06:25Yes, for me it was super stressful
06:28They trusted me, they liked my tequila and then I didn't deliver it
06:33So, it was that, right?
06:35So, I already had a little money because I had sold the machines and everything
06:40And I started playing, that's the truth
06:43Of course, and that was more or less how long ago?
06:47I think it was like
06:52It was about 5 years, 4 or 5 years
06:57Yes, more or less, 4 or 5 years since I started
07:01I saw that I couldn't depend on other people if I wanted to look good
07:05So, I started looking for a little piece of land
07:08I mean, I started investigating everything
07:11Because I was an educator, I was designing
07:16I didn't even know how to make tequila
07:19You know? So, it was a lot of research
07:22A lot of knocking on doors
07:24A lot of exclusions
07:27But I wanted to achieve that dream for my dad
07:31So, really, my motivation was to think that my dad
07:36Was waiting for me to make my tequila
07:41So, when I was 5 years old I started
07:44I remember that at that time I only had one mill
07:48You need 5 mills to grind well
07:51I only had one mill and I hired one person
07:56Because she was the only one who could be with me
07:59For more than 8 hours
08:01And I would grind
08:03I would grind, I would take a cart, I would return it
08:07I would grind again, I would return it
08:10And I would wait a week to make a few liters of tequila
08:13Since I saw that it was possible
08:15So, I started doing the tramithology
08:18To be in the CRT
08:21To have a NOM
08:23To have the permits you need to start
08:29Yes, tell me a little bit about the experience
08:32Of looking for that information, investigating
08:34Getting, consulting consultants, mentors
08:37When you were growing up in the company
08:39Especially in an industry that is so dominated by men
08:44Tell you what, the truth is that it took me a lot of work
08:47A lot of work, why?
08:49To begin with, I was totally dominated by men
08:55They had abuelos, their fathers, their grandfathers, their great-grandfathers
09:00They had an abuelo and well, what can I tell you
09:03They carried it in their blood
09:05And suddenly they turned around and came to a little girl
09:0819, 20 years old
09:10Wanting to play tequila
09:12The truth is that I had a lot of problems
09:17A lot of people who didn't believe in me
09:20And they even made fun of me
09:22They left me waiting, I don't know, an hour, an hour and a half
09:27Disgusting things
09:29But well, it wasn't their fault
09:31The truth is that in their world
09:34Well, a woman and then a little girl
09:36They were going to waste their time
09:38What are you doing here, you know
09:41But that, more than bad, gave me the strength to continue
09:45I mean, for my personality, I said
09:49Why are they doing this to me?
09:51I mean, if I can
09:52Do you want to see if I can?
09:54Well, then I investigate and knock on the door here
09:56And here and here
09:58It was funny because there were people
10:01Who gave me different information than what it was, you know
10:05They were like
10:08It's that you're going this way and it was going that way
10:11And it's that you're going that way and it's not true
10:13It was the other way, you know
10:15So that gave me a little bit of courage
10:18And it gave me more courage to continue
10:20I said, let's see, if they don't want to
10:23It doesn't matter, I'm going with someone else
10:26And investigating, internet
10:28I went to the association
10:30I mean, a lot of things
10:33After a while they saw
10:35That that girl
10:37That woman, girl
10:39Who was knocking on doors
10:41It had been two or three years and she wasn't leaving
10:43So there were some tequileros
10:46Who turned around to see me
10:48And they supported me
10:49Let's see, Melly, no
10:50You're doing things wrong
10:52You have to go with someone else
10:53You have to do this
10:54So there
10:56When I proved that I wasn't going to leave
10:59So there were tequileros
11:01Who helped me and helped me a lot
11:03Especially to give me a little confidence
11:06You know, because
11:08I felt overwhelmed
11:10Overwhelmed because
11:11I mean, to get very simple information
11:15I liked a lot of work
11:17But well, what can I tell you
11:20Women and all women know
11:22Sometimes we have to work double or triple
11:25To show who we are and what we can do
11:28So since I was a girl, my dad told me
11:31Daughter, you have to do it
11:33You're a man, a woman
11:35You can do it
11:37So that helped me, you know
11:39It helped me
11:41And also on the way
11:43I met a lot of women
11:45Who went through the same thing I did
11:47I said, no
11:48I'm going to show them that you can do it
11:50And so little by little
11:52Little by little
11:53When I opened my eyes again
11:55I already had my kitchen
11:58Sure
11:59And tell me a little bit about that process
12:01I mean, going through what you've gone through
12:03Personally
12:04And then saying
12:05Okay, I'm going to hire people
12:06I need them to come
12:07And the majority, if not all the people who came
12:10Were women
12:11Who wanted to work in a distillery
12:13How united
12:14Or how
12:15Sure, how united do you think the brand is
12:17With that feeling of empowerment
12:20To the woman
12:21At the same time of making a good tequila
12:25Yes, look
12:26To start, definitely
12:28I had to be better
12:30Or have
12:32All the best
12:34Of what I wanted to do
12:36That was clear to me
12:37Sure
12:38So to start
12:39I knew that if I was going to be in this environment
12:41I had to make an excellent tequila
12:44Of a lot of quality
12:45That surpassed a lot of things
12:48Because I was in the eye of the hurricane
12:50Sure
12:51Everyone saw me
12:52Everyone pointed at me
12:55So I had to do things right
12:58So
12:59I mean
13:00The quality
13:01That's why from the beginning
13:03Maria, you tell me
13:04Don't you have someone to help you?
13:06Sometimes
13:07I feel that if I'm not there
13:09A lot of things can happen
13:10It took me so much work
13:12That sometimes I can't let go
13:14Because
13:15I feel that the quality is going to go down
13:18Or that something is going to happen
13:19So I started working
13:21Another of the strengths I had
13:23Is that
13:24They started working
13:26Purely women with me
13:27Not because I decided
13:29I mean
13:30There were men
13:31But more so
13:32In the towns of Mexico
13:34You know
13:35That most men
13:36Go to the United States
13:37Or other places
13:38To look for
13:39Other opportunities
13:41So the town was full
13:43Of daughters
13:44Mothers
13:45Grandmothers
13:46That wanted to do something
13:48So
13:49The fact that they believed in me
13:51I mean
13:52It gave me the feeling
13:53That now you do it
13:54Now you do it
13:55Why?
13:56Because
13:57She, she
13:58And she believes in you
13:59So
14:00We joined together
14:01Because really
14:02Women have a power
14:04And a magic
14:05Incredible
14:07I mean
14:08Really, really
14:09I mean
14:10The energy of a lot of women
14:12Was what helped me
14:13To move forward
14:14Because sometimes
14:15I wanted to throw the towel
14:17And they would come
14:18Oh lady
14:19I already knew how to distill
14:21And look
14:22And she
14:23Visited my son
14:24And they had never told me anything
14:26And I would say
14:27Oh my
14:28I mean
14:29I have a social
14:30Responsibility
14:31Of course
14:32Moral
14:33I explain
14:34So
14:35When I want to throw the towel
14:36That was the engine
14:37To continue
14:38The women
14:39Who trusted other women
14:41And I had to teach them
14:43To have
14:44Strength
14:45And believe in them
14:47Because
14:48It was also very difficult
14:50Because I would come
14:51What do you want to do?
14:52No
14:53I know how to sweep
14:54And mop
14:55But what else
14:56Would you like to learn
14:57From this machine?
14:58No, no, no
14:59I won't be able to
15:00And teaching them
15:01That they can
15:02And that
15:03Despite
15:04What they say
15:05Behind
15:06They can
15:07So
15:08That
15:09By giving them
15:10A little
15:11Strength
15:12I gave it to them
15:13Myself
15:14You know
15:15And that's how
15:16We grew
15:17The truth
15:18Is that
15:19I wanted to be
15:20A
15:21Tequila
15:22Really
15:23Like a gift
15:24From Mexico
15:25As I told you
15:26So I had to be
15:27A tequila
15:28That spoke
15:29Of Mexico
15:30And it occurred to me
15:31I love
15:32The legends
15:33Of my country
15:34The legends
15:35Are beautiful
15:36So that's why
15:37We're going to be
15:38Legends of Mexico
15:39Why not?
15:40You know
15:41So
15:42I started
15:43Looking for
15:44Very old legends
15:45Where they spoke
15:46Of magic
15:47Of love
15:48Of women
15:49Of
15:50What they could
15:51Do
15:52Because
15:53Always
15:54Women
15:55Of all
15:56Years
15:57Since
15:58Women have existed
15:59They have tried
16:00To get ahead
16:01That sometimes
16:02They couldn't
16:03It's something else
16:04But then
16:05Starting
16:06To look for
16:07Things
16:08That spoke
16:09A little
16:10Of us
16:11I started
16:12To look for
16:13The legends
16:14And that's how
16:15Legends of Mexico
16:16Came out
16:17Of course
16:18As a good woman
16:19I mean
16:20I don't know
16:21If it's
16:22The sun and the moon
16:23When they meet
16:24And if
16:25The
16:26The
16:27The
16:28The
16:29The
16:30The
16:31The
16:32The
16:33The
16:34The
16:35The
16:36The
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16:38The
16:39The
16:40The
16:41The
16:42The
16:43The
16:44The
16:45The
16:46The
16:47The
16:48The
16:49The
16:50The
16:51The
16:52The
16:53The
16:54The
16:55The
16:56The
16:57The
16:58The
16:59The
17:00The
17:01The
17:02The
17:03The
17:04The
17:05The
17:06The
17:07The
17:08The
17:09The
17:10The
17:11The
17:12The
17:13The
17:14The
17:15The
17:16The
17:17Nada de químico, nada de aditivos, lo cosemos en unas cuevas o cuartos si quieres llamarle de postería de tierra.
17:27O sea, estás oliendo cuando estás quemando el agave, estás oliendo la tierra.
17:34No, no, no, es una marquilla. Teníamos que hacer las cosas bien.
17:38En términos de tamaño, ¿más o menos cuánto tequila estás produciendo ahora por mes o por semana, o digamos al año?
17:47Mira, muy buena pregunta. De repente hemos crecido gigantescamente hace como 5 o 6 años empezamos a crecer muchísimo.
17:59Ahorita estamos haciendo un contenedor diario más o menos.
18:03Entonces, antes hacíamos, no sé, dos o tres tarimas y fuimos creciendo.
18:08Pero fíjate que chistosamente, después de la pandemia, que a mucha gente le costó mucho trabajo levantarse,
18:17no sé por qué, pero nosotros a partir de ahí nos fue muy bien. Muy, muy bien.
18:24Entonces, después de la pandemia empezamos a crecer, gracias a Dios y al espíritu de todas las niñas y todo.
18:31Nosotros nos cerramos como muchísimas tequileras, porque cerraron casi, no sé, 50 tequileras de nuestro tamaño.
18:39Y nosotros sobrevivimos, y sobrevivimos para ser más fuertes.
18:44Y a partir de la pandemia yo creo que hemos crecido 5 veces más.
18:49Wow, wow. Impresionante. Impresionante.
18:52¿Y ese contenedor diario más o menos son cuántos galones, para poder visualizarlo?
18:58¿Para qué, perdón?
19:01¿El contenedor diario que producen tequila, más o menos cuántos galones o litros?
19:07Galones, mira, son por ejemplo 15 tarimas de 66, no, pues déjame, te digo, más o menos.
19:16O sea, bueno, una cosa es lo que mandamos al extranjero y otra cosa es lo que hacemos.
19:22Estamos produciendo alrededor de unos 20 mil litros diarios.
19:27Wow.
19:28Y lo guardamos, lo empezamos a guardar.
19:32Hacemos extrañejo, añejo, reposado.
19:36Y siempre tenemos todas nuestras barricas y todos nuestros tanques llenos.
19:42Entonces nosotros no paramos.
19:44Aunque se va un solo contenedor por el momento, que de todos es mucho, nosotros seguimos produciendo.
19:51Porque la verdad, cuando empezamos a crecer así tan rápido, yo decía, ¿qué va a pasar?
19:57Tengo clientes que yo les maquilo.
20:00¿Qué va a pasar con esa gente que está haciendo su esfuerzo en el extranjero para vender su producto?
20:06Y yo que diga, no, pues es que ya vendías 10 y no puedo hacerte 50.
20:12Entonces eso me dio un poquito de crecimiento, de pensar que teníamos que crecer.
20:20Y entonces ya crecimos, te digo, cinco veces más.
20:24O sea, es impresionante.
20:26Ahorita estamos con marchas forzadas también con las chicas, enseñándoles a nuevas chicas.
20:34Porque empezamos a crecer hace poquitito, te digo, después de la pandemia, muchísimo.
20:39Increíble, cosas extrañas de la vida.
20:42Porque yo volteé a ver a mis compañeros y íbamos a las juntas y, ¿cómo va?
20:47No, pues no estoy mal y que esto y que lo otro.
20:50Y me decían, ¿a ti cómo te va?
20:52Me da pena decir, ¡súper bien! ¡Estamos 10 veces más!
20:56¿Ya sabes?
20:57Sí, claro.
20:58No sé por qué la gente empezó a ser un poquito más selectiva.
21:05La gente empezó a pensar un poquito más en su salud.
21:10Entonces busca productos que realmente no tienen químicos,
21:15que realmente saben o ya lo investigan más.
21:20Yo estoy feliz, feliz, porque yo sí noté un gran cambio después de la pandemia.
21:26No sé si la gente, por estar desocupada en su casa o encerrada,
21:32se metía a internet y hacía investigaciones.
21:35Yo creo que de ahí, ¿verdad?
21:38Es que todavía no sé, no sé, porque no vino una mala madrina y me dijo.
21:44Claro, como que ahí es donde tienes que estar.
21:47¿Ya sabes?
21:48Me encanta, me encanta, porque la gente tiene mucho más, ¿cómo te diré?
21:55Como que necesita o tiene la necesidad de ser más sana, de hacer cosas diferentes.
22:04Y la verdad es que si nos investigan, ven nuestros premios, ven nuestras certificaciones y todo,
22:10pues sí saben que nosotros de veras hacemos las cosas bien.
22:13Sí.
22:14¿Verdad? Además, el tequila, María, el tequila es un elixir de dioses.
22:19O sea, no te puedes imaginar.
22:21Ay, bueno.
22:22Sí.
22:23La verdad, mejor cambiamos tema.
22:25Claro.
22:26Pero a ver, ¿a ti siempre te gustó la tequila o fue algo que después de que te contó tu papá,
22:31era como que, ok, me voy a enamorar del tequila ahora que lo estoy haciendo?
22:36¿Sabes? Que no, ni siquiera tomaba.
22:39O sea, realmente a mí no me gusta tomar casi no como.
22:43Esa es la verdad, no tomo.
22:45Pero al ver todo lo que tenía, todo lo que tenía el el agave,
22:52a la hora que estás destilando, los olores, las experiencias que tienes y todo,
22:59realmente me encantó.
23:02Porque es crear, y a mí me gusta mucho crear, ¿sabes?
23:06Claro.
23:08Empezamos a comer, cosé, y empezaba a oler el agave, yo decía, ¿qué onda?
23:13O sea, este olor en un trago de tequila, antes se tomaba, ya sabes, como aguarra shot.
23:19Claro.
23:20Era el cielo más rápido, ¿no?
23:22Y ahora ya no.
23:24Entonces, a la hora de destilar, estar oliendo que huele a manzana, que huele a piña,
23:30que si lo dejas fermentar un poquito más, tienes otros aromas, otras notas.
23:36O sea, en lugar de mi tequila, estoy enamorada.
23:41Exacto.