Today we’d like to introduce you to Hector Valadez.
Hector, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
To begin with, we had no intentions of becoming anything. I’m not sure if we are even there. However, I did know that I loved sharing my food with friends, and during COVID, that opportunity presented itself. I started off smoking whole briskets in a tiny offset smoker and quickly had to upgrade to a larger cooker running two at a time! After deciding that what I was cooking was good enough, I posted on Facebook that I would be selling a couple of lbs. of brisket sausage, homemade salsa, really good tortillas, avocado, grilled onions, and cilantro on the side. The exact date of my first sale out of my backyard was July 9, 2020, and we sold out every weekend and decided to cook twice a week. From that time, when everything was on lockdown and restaurants were closed, we thrived. Fast forward a couple of years, and we now do catering events, family celebrations, and festivals. My wife and I are both full-time educators, so this business is a perfect fit for our busy lives with 5 active children in sports, church, and other extracurriculars. I enjoy being able to serve my customers with quality, homemade craft BBQ that reminds me of my childhood. I hope to give my kids the same experience so they can pass it down to their own one day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The name of our business is Trust, and that is for a reason. God knew what we needed and how we needed this thing to work. We simply trust that what comes our way is meant to be. Learning to run a business has been fun and challenging, but the wonderful people make up for any obstacles and make it all worth it. Learning how to adapt from cooking for a family of 7 to orders of 20 was not much of a challenge honestly. When we started getting requests for 2oo, the real fun began. I love the process way too much to not enjoy the final product and enjoy the grind. We also have a good team put together and when the familia gets to work with all hands-on deck, not much can get in our way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets Trust Tex Mex BBQ apart is that everything from rubs, salsas, sides, and meat is all made in-house and inspired by my influences from South Texas (San Antonio, Go Spurs Go!) I am most proud of the flavors and the inspiration of tex mex BBQ where rice, beans, salsa went perfectly with whatever fajitas, pork steaks, or brisket was coming off the pit. South Texas and Central Texas influence are the primary styles of food we offer. Our pork burnt ends, fajitas, BBQ chicken, and brisket are the most ordered, and our rice and beans are good on their own. We pair those with scratch-made salsas (we have 6 different ones) and fresh tortillas that set us apart from traditional BBQ experiences.
My full-time job is a Behavior interventionist with Mansfield ISD. I love this position because it allows me to work with students who need some support, families who need encouragement, teachers who need a cheerleader, and administrators who need to be reminded of the good they are doing. I am currently pursuing my Doctorate in Education from Abilene Christian University and hope to expand my influence in some capacity in the future. My wife is also in school working toward her License in Marriage and Family Therapy. We love families and plan on creating a family-focused non-profit that seeks to provide support in the areas of marriage, behavior, and academics.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid provided the opportunity for us to start doing what we do, and honestly, we are not sure that we would have taken this chance under normal circumstances. We took a chance, it worked, and we have not looked back since. I have learned to take life one step at a time and trust God with rest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.instagram.com/trusttexmexbbq
- Instagram: www.facebook.com/trusttexmexbbq
