Today we’d like to introduce you to Moises Bonilla.
Moises, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador along with all of my family. I am the oldest of two siblings. My dad worked very hard to be able to come to the U.S. and bring his family, so we could have a better life and achieve the American dream. My parents always taught me that by going to school and earning a degree, I could earn a decent paycheck. At 12 years old, I discovered that I loved working on computers and I took a course on Computer Repair and Maintenance. So I graduated from middle school and earned a certification in Computer Repair and Maintenance.
School in El Salvador is a little different. Basically, from first grade up to ninth grade, students attend the same school unless they move out of the area. When they begin high school, they can decide if they want to choose a high school that offers basic, general courses or one that offers courses that are more suited to their desired career path. Since I loved computers, I chose a technical high school because I was interested in pursuing a career in Software Development. I had general classes such as math, Spanish, and science technical classes like Intro to Programming. After three years, I graduated third in my class with honors. However, I could not attend my graduation ceremony because it was held in May of 2015 and I moved to the U.S. on January 27, 2015.
January 2015 was a fresh start and the beginning of a new life. I was 18 years old! The first thing I had to learn was proper communication. I learned a little bit of English in my country, but I was still like a baby trying to say their first words. Thankfully, when I moved to Utah, I had my uncle that lived in the Herriman area and everybody spoke English and which helped me to learn it a lot faster. I got my first job working at Wendy’s. At first, I didn’t talk much, I would just listen to people because I needed to learn how the words sounded. Having an accent did not help! I started to make changes to learn English as fast as possible. My first change was changing the default language on my phone to English. I also started watching movies and listening to music in English as well. Speaking the language was difficult; I knew it was not going to sound great, but practice makes perfect. Later on, I decided that I wanted a job in my area of study. I submitted my resume to a few places, but I didn’t get a callback. Back in El Salvador, I was offered to work in technical support in telecommunication like Comcast. So, I thought it could be possible here too!
After six months of working in fast food places, I needed to make a change because it was stressful. I applied to different places and was able to get a job at Ken Garff in car detailing and then I worked in a warehouse. Meanwhile, I still wanted a job in the field I had been studying and thought it would be a good idea to complete a degree at a University. I applied to Utah Valley University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. They accepted my high school papers from my country and the GED test, which I passed with the lowest score possible to enter English college courses. Once I started English 890, I thought my English class would be full of people from different nationalities but to my surprise, my classmates had Americans as well. So, I didn’t feel too bad that I was still learning. The first two semesters were great, but things got a little difficult afterward. I still managed to pass all of my classes.
After the first semester, I applied for work-study and was given the opportunity to be a math teacher for older adults that wanted to pass their GED test. I also worked in the IT department for one year. Some of my coworkers had been working there for over 10 years and I thought that could be me in the future, but I did not enjoy it. I started to gain a lot of weight and felt shortness of breath by walking three flights of stairs. It was caused by the lack of healthy options from the cafeteria and not being active. To put things into perspective, I weighed 210 lbs in 2018.
I looked for healthier food options before class and found a smoothie shop. I had a great first impression. The guy who worked there gave me an energetic greeting and happily explained the menu options. I ordered a shake and small tea. Over the next few months, I lost weight and felt so much better by learning about living a healthy lifestyle. I applied for a part-time job in the smoothie shop in September of 2019, while I was still working part-time in the IT Department and attending my classes. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to take a semester off, which worked out perfectly because the rest of my classes were going to be online. Personally, I don’t like online classes because they consume more time and you have to teach yourself the material. I was still employed by the University but it was going to end in May 2020.
In the smoothie shop, they invited me to attend business seminars and after the third one, I decided to become an entrepreneur. One of the guest speakers said, “If you want to have money, you have to study money.” That phrase stuck with me because I never thought about it that way. It was always, “If you study, you’re going to get a job that pays well.” While that can be true, my decision was based on having a job with good pay but no time to enjoy it. I wanted both. I kept working in the smoothie shop and attending business seminars and another phrase that stood out to me was “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job or business.” Working on yourself is what’s going to attract people to your business. It is a reflection of who you are. Sure enough, through hard work and discipline, I had the opportunity to open West Valley Nutrition, which brings nutritional balance options to the community.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I look at obstacles or challenges as opportunities. Opportunities are going to help you learn. Learn to improve yourself or your business and in some cases, both at the same time. I had been working in my friend/mentor’s smoothie shop so I thought the plan was going to be easy enough to make it on my own. Marketing wasn’t my strong suit, but it was a good skill to learn to attract more customers.
The most difficult part of any small business is for people to know that you are there. The strategies you learn and put into practice, the discipline you acquire, and the work that you put in every single day to make it work will overcome those challenges. One day, a customer asked my friend, “Hey are you afraid that your business could fail?
She said, “Of course not,” with such confidence, “ because I am doing the work, I don’t sit around waiting for customers to come. When I had a job, I worked hard and this business is mine and I have to work like any employee and sometimes work extra hard to make it work, but the feeling of working for myself and no one else is special.”
That set a really big example for me because I applied the same principle in my business: Work like an employee that my boss would be proud of.
As you know, we’re big fans of your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
West Valley Nutrition is a family-owned business dedicated to helping people live a healthy and active lifestyle by making nutritious handcrafted drinks and food that taste good! We specialize in high-quality smoothies and shakes, nutritionally balanced food and drink options low in calories, carbs, and sugar. Most people know that you need a protein shake after a workout, but in fact, we need protein throughout the whole day and that’s where we come in.
Our protein shakes are a meal replacement that has protein and all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
We also offer healthy teas that boost your energy with three specific categories. All of them use a natural source of energy such as green tea, oolong, and guarana.
They also include vitamin B. Our first category, also called Loaded Teas include teas and aloe vera for better digestion and absorption. The second category, called Beauty Drinks, includes collagen & biotin that help with your skin, hair, nails, etc. Our Specialty Drinks category includes collagen and protein which are considered healthy snacks because they are low in calories, carbs, and sugar-free, and contain 17g of protein. To maintain a competitive edge with big companies, we create seasonal menu items. I am most proud of our smoothie/shake items.
They fit into most lifestyles, diets, and meal plans. Our most popular food options are the protein waffles, which are made with the same high-quality meal replacement protein as the smoothies and shakes, decorated with non-dairy whipped cream, fruits depending on the flavor, and sugar-free drizzles. Another food option we have are smoothie bowls or most commonly known as acai bowls, made from the same meal replacement protein, blended with fruit and toppings of your choice. We would love to see people from all over Utah enjoy the unique, friendly environment and the delicious smoothies, drinks, and foods that we have to offer.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
During the Covid-19 crisis, I was still working with my friend and mentor who taught me to be resourceful and creative at a time when everything closed down.
We started to make deliveries leaving them at the doors. More items were developed such as protein donuts, protein cookies, and immunity shots. They include a lot of vitamin C and vitamin D, Zinc, and Epicor. We also made our community aware of the importance of incorporating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Pricing:
- Protein Smoothies 8$-10$
- Protein Acai Bowl 9-10$
- Protein Waffle $9-12$
- Healthier Energy Drinks $8-9$
Contact Info:
- Website: https://west-valley-nutrition.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westvalleynutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wvnutrition
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/west-valley-nutrition-west-valley-city
- Google: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en&cs=0&output=search&q=West+Valley+Nutrition&ludocid=8041873609575744936&gsas=1&client=safari&ibp=gwp;0,7&lsig=AB86z5VBI5BH5_KbjNLVW1AUBgqq&kgs=cb82c2c4d7cccb52&shndl=-1&source=sh/x/kp/local/3
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@westvalleynutrition
