We had the good fortune of connecting with Veronica Westlake and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Veronica, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My Work-Life balance has changed considerably since March. Describing my work-life balance would go like this: High Energy, Type A personality business owner that is constantly trying to construct my abstract and random thoughts into a workable system where I can accomplish all of my tasks in a timely manner. To say the least, just accomplishing what I described requires me to find that delicate balance between my personal, work, and business life. Is it easy? No Way! I am constantly reprioritizing to ensure that I meet all of the daily demands. Is it stressful? Absolutely, but I am alive so I welcome the stress. Honestly, I get antsy when I am not working or I am not busy. Can I relax? You Bet…..Once the daily to-do list has been accomplished. Who can relate?

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a small business owner, educator, and former elementary assistant principal, I understand and know that every person in the organization matters. Ownership starts with the entry level position and goes all the way to the CEO – it takes a team to accomplish goals. I’ve learned that being respectful and kind to all people is the only way to proceed in life and business. Maintaining that point of view drives much of my decision making. There are always professional decisions that require investigation and time to ensure that the right decisions are made; however, I don’t have a crystal ball to predict the outcomes. In today’s economic culture, business is a bit of a gamble and it takes guts and resilience. Have I made mistakes? More than I care to talk about, but it’s the ability to learn from those mistakes and not make them again that counts! No matter what, keep on keeping on.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s always a great time to visit Dallas! We’d visit the local Dallas destinations that have defined our great city. The top 5 would include touring the new Cowboys Stadium and visiting the Star in Frisco, spending the day in downtown Dallas visiting the Dallas Museum of Art and the Perot Museum, shopping and dining in Deep Ellum and Bishop Arts, and spending as much time on some great Tex-Mex patios as possible! Want to get outdoors? The Dallas Arboretum is perfect this time of year. The possibilities are endless!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A group that deserves recognition is the Texas Department of Agriculture Go Texan program. The GO TEXAN program promotes Texas-grown and Texas-made goods to consumers around the world. I am very grateful for these folks that are readily available to help me meet my business goals. Also, my own community of Royse City and Rockwall. I don’t know how I would make it without community support and our local Rockwall Farmers Market that meets each Saturday from May-September. On a much larger scale, the Kroger Company at the local level gave me a chance to be successful in their stores. While we are not widespread in all Kroger stores, I appreciate the grocery leaders in the Dallas office for giving me a chance to share La Casita Hot Sauce with Kroger customers.

Website: www.lacasitahotsauce.com
Instagram: @LaCasitaHotSauce
Linkedin: @Veronica Westlake or @La Casita Hot Sauce
Twitter: @LaCasitaSalsa
Facebook: @La Casita Hot Sauce

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