Merfs Condiments

I’m learning to hold the ocean— to understand what humility really means, defined in one of my favorite books as a clear recognition of what and who I really am, followed by a sincere attempt to become who I can be.

People often describe me as vibrant, playful, effervescent. Those who truly know me would agree—and add that my feelings run deep and wide as the ocean. They are wild, overflowing, uncontainable. And it’s true.

For a long time, I felt ashamed of taking in all the world and tasting it. I’ve been told I’m too much more times than I can count. But this container was meant to hold the ocean, to truly peer into the depths and come out renewed.

Feelings are simply proof that we’re alive. They’re invitations to understand our own nature—to listen, to learn. Every time I turn inward, I find a story. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes it isn’t, but always, it reveals me to myself.

That’s the quiet work of humility: meeting ourselves in the dark. Remembering that both life and feeling are temporary. And knowing that if we slow down long enough, we’ll find what we’ve been seeking all along—profound self-love.

I started Merfs in 2014 with a couple of hot sauce recipes and a belief that I could make it work—as long as I stayed organized and was willing to work hard.

The first six months were setup: forming the business, designing the brand, handling regulatory compliance, and finding a commissary kitchen. Once all that was in place, it was time to sell.

Every Monday, I’d pick a Denver neighborhood and make a list of 6–8 restaurants I wanted to work with.
Every Tuesday, I’d drive around with a car full of samples and cold call that list in person.
Every Wednesday, I’d follow up with the restaurants from the week before.
Week after week. Year after year.

I learned it takes, on average, three to six in-person visits to get one account.

By 2017, Merfs was in 150 restaurants. I was making every bottle, doing the books, deliveries, invoices—everything—while still working two restaurant jobs just to survive. I was exhausted and losing my mind working 100+ hours a week, but I couldn’t stop.

I knew I needed food service distribution, and I knew I had earned it. I emailed the local buyer for Shamrock Foods twice a week for six weeks. She never replied—just sent me a calendar invite.

When I showed up to that meeting, she said, “You’ve got a lot of tenacity. You’ve been driving me crazy with all your emails. What do you want?”

I told her I had 65 restaurants using Shamrock for distribution—and all of them were already buying Merfs hot sauce. I said I needed her to onboard four SKUs immediately because I couldn’t handle deliveries anymore. She was absolutely FLOORED.

They onboarded Merfs in less than a week, and I went on to expand into more than 700 restaurants.

Tenacity is showing up no matter what—because you know success is the only way out, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

If you’re ready to take control of your future by starting a business and leveraging your time and talents, I can teach you how. DM me for details!