In this episode of 10,000 Tacos, I am sharing a recent experience at a Denver taco truck that has been lingering on my mind for the past week. I met an older, humble taquero who instantly gave off a good, honest vibe and reminded me of my uncles from Mexico. The food was absolutely incredible—I had a barbacoa taco with a subtle, smoky flavor on the back end that you rarely find. Even though he used store-bought tortillas, his chile de árbol salsa used small, roasted tomatillos that gave off a natural citrusy flavor, tasting exactly like my mom's salsa.

As I usually do, I offered to make a free video to promote his business on social media, but to my surprise, he kindly said no. In a world where small businesses are usually clawing for social media attention, his rejection shocked me and left me feeling like I had been punched in the mouth.

I use this episode as a bit of therapy to figure out why this polite refusal hurt me so deeply. It made me deeply reflect on my own parents, who ran a food business in the early '80s. They faced a lot of abuse trying to assimilate into a culture that didn't really want them, while navigating a language barrier, but their amazing food ultimately bailed them out. Thanks to the life they gave me and the support of my wife, I am now in a position where I can afford to promote taqueros entirely for free—it's what I believe is my calling to honor my dad's legacy.

I also share some tough love and eye-opening advice I received from my support system. My brother pointed out that my approach sometimes makes it sound like I am "begging" businesses to let me promote them, which made me wonder if offering my services for free makes people assume the product is inferior. Ultimately, a good friend helped me realize that this taquero wasn't rejecting me; he was likely rejecting the overwhelming stress of sudden growth and having a line "50 people deep" that often comes with viral social media fame.

I am learning that a tortilla has two sides, and the best way I can honor a modest taquero is just to keep showing up, buying their tacos, and telling them their food is great.

Thank you for letting me vent, and for being part of this journey as I relaunch the podcast. If you enjoyed this bit of taco therapy, please be sure to rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

TAQUOTE: "The tortilla always has two sides!"

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