Meet Our Mentor Patricia Gallego!

An important part of the team that makes up Tara for Women are our mentors. Since the foundation was born, it was very important for us to create a comprehensive support network for our entrepreneurs. A support that would provide 360º support that would nourish each pillar of our entrepreneurs' ventures. That is why for Tara, the Mentors are fundamental pillars of both the Foundation and the support for our women.

Today we want to introduce you to one of our mentors: Patricia Gallego.

Patricia is the founder and CEO of Shukran Foods and mentor of the RENACE TCA project. We wanted to invite Patricia to this space, because we know that her career is extremely valuable for any entrepreneur.

Ready to meet her? We invite you to read the interview we did with her!

What would you say is your area of ​​expertise?

My expertise lies in launching business projects. I identify the idea, it is important to detect that there is a market niche, once we have it, I develop the concept from scratch, look for financing and put it into operation.

How did you become Tara’s mentor?

I received the proposal from someone I really appreciate and I felt very flattered. Anything that involves helping young talents develop their career and/or grow their brand is something that all CEOs and managers should do at some point in their lives.

Connecting with the new generations is a benefit for both of us, it helps us open our minds, it connects us with their way of thinking. In turn, they learn from our experience, our achievements and we guide them to follow the best path.

What is the biggest mistake you have made that you would be willing to make again to get to where you are now?

Personally, I don't like to talk about mistakes, mistakes bring negativity and I think that some decisions that are made can be better than others. However, they are all valid, because we learn and they take us to where we are now. Looking back to regret seems like a waste of time to me, the past is the past, we must always look to the future and better yet with optimism.

What business decision has been the most important in your career and why?

When I changed from catering to making hummus. In Shukran we had restaurants and they were profitable, but I discovered a market opportunity: hummus. A product that was starting to be sold in Spain and that was going to have a great success. I decided to put all the machinery into operation and focus on this new product that has already conquered the Spanish palate.

Now, we are proud to say that we are one of the main market leaders and that our products are sold in more than a thousand points of sale, in Alcampo, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Froiz, Grupo Más, Ahorramas, Dia, etc.

What is the secret to successfully leading a team?

Transparency and trust. A CEO always needs his team and to do so he must take care of them. The team must be united and always know the steps that are going to be taken in the company. In this way, the commitment to the company will always be greater.

Is there anything you should be afraid of professionally?

Fears don't exist in the business world, there are challenges. The adrenaline that runs through your veins when you are looking for financing, when you are about to launch a new product, when you make a strategic decision. CEOs face these challenges every day, but it is our job.

What leadership skill has been the most difficult to cultivate?

Patience! I would like everything to be more agile, but against the environment and the situations that surround us it is very complicated. These have been hard years that have helped me to be more patient and understand that not everything can be controlled. COVID, Filomena, the war in Ukraine, are situations that have caused a lot of personal and material damage, but from which we have emerged stronger because they have taught us the fragility of the world in which we live and the need to keep a cool head to make the best decisions.