The Rags to Riches Story Behind Lao Gan Ma, the Famous Chinese Chili Sauce

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What's a business site without talking about rags to riches? Sure, I could keep focusing on Filipino rags to riches stories but I'd like to talk about an item that's selling worldwide. It's called Lao Gan Ma--which literally means old godmother. It gets interesting because Lao Gan Ma can be used in different types of cooking. But what wasn't too surprising is the rags to riches story behind Lao Gan Ma. In fact, the founder herself Tao Huibi, who's currently 79 years old, came from a poor background and never learned to read and write. Last 2017, when she was 70 years old, she actually drove a Mercedes Benz, two Rolls-Royces, and a BMW. 

The story was actually pretty tragic. Tao herself lost her husband where she had two sons, and to work multiple jobs to survive. However, this poor widow rather than play the blame game, decided ot open a small noodle shop in Guiyang in 1989. This is where her fermented soybeans and chili sauce became viral in the analog age. She was probably not expecting it. However, rather than have the success trap, she chose to let it grow.

By 1990, Tao became quite a thinker. She started budgeting the hot sauce. She gave some limited free samples to truck drivers. This was word of mouth marketing in the 1990s. She probably wanted her success in the noodles. Instead, the success was in her sauce. The chili sauce took over production that the noodle shop closed. Some businesses began with this but ended up with that. This is the case of what happened with Lao Gan Ma. By 1997, at 49 years old, she opened the Lao Gan Ma.

This woman who grew from poverty didn't stop. She could've let her past success get into her head. Instead, she didn't. She knew what it was to be poor. She got called as Lao Gan Ma or "old godmotehr" because she was a charitable person. She may never have had a formal education. However, she helped struggling students and customers in her neighborhood. I believe she also made sure her children finished school when times changed. 

In fact, reading through the official Lao Gan Ma site, this is their commitment, and this is also helps gets one from rags to richest to maintaining the riches concering their commitment:

Our Chili Sauce can enhance the flavor of any food with a simple dash.

LGM is a trusted brand in the food industry.  

We started LGM business in China in 1997.  Ever since, we have never stopped moving or rested on our laurels. We are always looking for fresh ideas, simple solutions, and new ways to serve our customers, while using the knowledge we’ve gained to streamline our operations and processes. That’s why our customers not only count on us for safety and efficiency, but also to show them what’s coming next.​

We are committed to provide the excellent customer service and quality of products. 

So really, what's the excuse of staying poor because it's definitely not the fault of the rich!