Meet Angie Proaño | CEO of Budegas

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

Hi Angie, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
When it comes to starting a business, everyone knows that it is not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. That is one of the quotes that gets me through any obstacle with Budegas. I came to a point where after 6 months of R&D we got let down by our main supplier and literally had to start all over. At this point I wanted to give up, but I realized if I came this far why stop now. I believe at the point you should give up is when you have exhausted all your options and really reach a dead end. It is also helpful that when things fall apart to take a step back and analyze everything over again. This helps with seeing what other options you have or even can create! Again, at the end of the day I keep reminding myself ” If it was easy, everyone will be doing it”.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Budegas is a CBD brand that caters to customers that experience anxiety, stress and gastrointestinal symptoms. We are a family oriented small business whose main owners are part of the LGBTQ community and also Hispanic community. We are looking to serve our communities and change the stigma of hemp/cannabis. Being able to engage with Spanish speaking customers is something we look forward to as there are not many brands that cater to the Spanish speaking community. The best part about this is that my parents who are in their 60s, only speak Spanish and were very “old school” minded, are now our samplers and actually talk about CBD and the benefits to others. What sets us apart from others is that we focus on providing only the best quality and focusing on physical and mental conditions that we ourselves experience and know about. Most importantly we do not sell what we don’t use on a daily basis. To insure the best quality we always run a 3rd party test. What I am most proud of is that our customers absolutely love our products, to the point that a few have a weekly subscription with our Delta-8 gummies.

To get where we are today which to be honest its just the beginning, took a lot of work. As a business major and daughter of a business owner, I knew starting any business is not easy but I did not expect the hurdles we went through. After, graduating the Houston School of Cannabis Science in 2019, I knew I had to have my own CBD products out there. We did all the legality stuff like getting the LLC, Hemp handler license, etc. I then started writing a business proposal, we came up with our name, got our logo, did our research and the next step was look for a supplier and get some money! Many samples later, we found our supplier and we were ecstatic. This came to a quick end right before COVID started as after a business trip we learned that this company was not the right one for Budegas for many unfortunate reasons. At this point, I sort of gave up on Budegas ever happening and pushed it to the side for a few months. A talk with my dad and brother is what got Isabel and I back to working on Budegas. My brother Alex ended up becoming the investor and now with a capital, Isabel and I had to get everything else going: find a new supplier, R&D, the marketing, social media, labels, designs, etc. Thankfully we officially started selling in February.

Along the way the lessons I learned is to have patience, trust your gut and don’t give up easily. What I want the world to know about me is that when I become financially stable, I would love to help someone like “me” who has a dream and a passion in the industry that they want to build their own company in.

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.
I would take them to:

– Hot Bagels- for breakfast because New Yorkers love bagels and this is as close as it gets to home
– Axel Rod: for the hammocks, views, food trucks and drinks
– BB’s cafe: crawfish!
– Go to the Montrose area to walk around. Eat/drink at Pistoleros they have an awesome happy hour everyday. Dessert at Common Bond or Agora
– Get tacos from Taco Tec, El Toro Tacos in the east side, Gato Loco on Westheimer,
– BBQ food at the Pit on Richmond.
– Alabama Ice House for drinks and whichever food truck is there
– Eat at Wokker (underground hall) and at HokeyPokey (The Heights)
– Ice cream at Cloud 10
-8th wonder brewery
-St. Arnolds – especially for the view
– Hang out on Buffalo Bayou park
– visit the Graffiti wall
– Eat Whataburger – this does not exist up North
– Visit the waterfall park
– Discovery Green
– The Menil Collection
– Rothko Chapel
– levy park

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Dr. Davidson – Professor of The Houston Academy of Cannabis Science My partner & co-owner – Isabel Chapa
My investor/brother – Alex Proaño

Website: www.budegastx.com

Instagram: @budegasbrand & @angiebudegas

Image Credits
@houstonerapparel (picture of me and Isabel)