Meet Linda Fitzpatrick of Wild Wife Natural Mexican Foods Arizona

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Fitzpatrick.

Linda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When my three of four children were still in diapers (yes, they were 17 months apart!), I started to imagine a food business. The kids were watching cartoons when a really cute 1953 Warner Bros. cartoon came on, it was called Wild Wife. It was about a woman who could do it all. She had two children, mowed her own lawn, cooked, cleaned, ran errands, etc. She also kept up her girlish figure! She was the perfect wife and mother until one day her husband came home (she served him a martini) and asked her what she did all day! She told him all the things she had done, he asked her if she had picked up his dry cleaning. To this, she answered, “Oh, gosh I forgot!” The out of shape husband remarked, “oh you women, with all the time in the world and you can’t get anything done!” She hit him on the head and said, “Little man, I’ve had a busy day!” My kids started screaming, “Mommy, that’s you!” Hence the name Wild Wife!!!

I started cooking my Chile Verde and Chile Colorado at home (completely illegal), had labels made, and began “bootstrapping” my wares from my Chevy Suburban with my children strapped to their car seats. I sold to CVS, deli’s , farmer’s markets and to anyone who would buy my products. I had finally accrued enough money to have a factory cook my products for me, Whew, what a relief! After a year or so, I ran into some really good luck and got my products into 1200 Safeway stores across the nation including Hawaii and Alaska! It wasn’t about the money, It was about pride and accomplishment. Now, it is about the money! ! (LOL)

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s never a smooth road in any business! One of my products is a tomatillo based sauce, and as luck would have it, one year Mexico, where the tomatillos come from lost almost all of their tomatillo crop to floods. I was scrambling for canned tomatillos, grocery store tomatillos, anything I could get my hands on. That was a difficult episode in Wild Wife history! Then there was the time that the manufacturer forgot to put the expiration date on all the bottles. The store sent them back to me (at my expense) and I had to resend them also at my expense. How about the time that another co-packer added water to my Verde jars because he was losing his business and couldn’t afford enough tomatillos, or the time that yet another co-packer in Fresno, CA. added powdered coconut milk to my curry product instead of coconut milk and it became a gelatinous blob! Or a co-packer who said he would not work with me because I was too opinionated!

I could go on, but now they are just hurdles, nothing insurmountable!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am the Founder and CEO of Wild Wife, that means I take the credit and the blame. I do all the sales and marketing, and sometimes if necessary, I even deliver. My specialty is flavor, I believe that you can make Kraft Mac and cheese into a restaurant-quality with flavor and presentation.

My products are definitely superior because they are made with 100% fresh ingredients, they are fat and preservative-free as well as certified gluten-free. Also, my prices, I don’t gouge the distributors or the retailers. I come into the negotiations with my cost on the products. I tell them what my cost is and for the most part, they are so stunned by my tactic, that they give me a fair quote. Works every time!

I’ve lost faith in myself many times but I’ve never lost faith in my products!

What were you like growing up?
I was born in Medellin, Colombia. My mom was Colombian and my dad was an American airline pilot who flew for Avianca Airlines in Colombia. My siblings and I were born in Colombia, Spanish was our first language.
Growing up was so much fun, we traveled to so many interesting places and learned to enjoy so many different types of foods, like Indian, Caribbean, Guyanese food etc. For me, the hotter the better!

As a child, I guess I was super tenacious. My dad used to tell me I was “terca,” stubborn in Spanish. I think I still am, but also I would have to describe myself as an incurable optimist, yup, that’s me! I could also say that I was then and still am an inventor at heart. I have so many ideas that run through my head, my favorite is my Smooth Neck Wrap. I’m still in the process but I do have several prototypes.

I absolutely adore taking care of my vegetable garden but especially my herbs, in Arizona it’s not so easy. And finally, I love, love, love cooking! I travel far and wide (Mesa) to the international stores for unusual fruits, veggies, spices, fish. Sometimes I have to ask the customers what a certain product is because the employees don’t speak English LOL! I love it!

Pricing:

• A 24oz jar of Chile Verde and Chile Coloradoare about $9.99 to $11.99
• They are both mild for the whole family to enjoy
• They are Authentic Mexican Cooking Sauces, just add your favorite protein

Contact Info:

• Address: Wild Wife Natural Mexican Foods Arizona
  Fountain Hills, AZ
  925 876 4332
  Wildwife464@gmail.com
• Website: www.wildwifenaturalmexicanfoods.com
• Phone: 925 876 4332
• Email: wildwife464@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Linda (Owner) Fitzpatrick with a summer papaya salad marinaded with Wild Wife Chile Verde
Family Christmas card with husband Jerry lf, Linda, daughter Clare, son Casey and wife Hannah, son Jerry 3 and finally Kate with doggie Marley. RT

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