Club L&M Nutrition is a small-but-mighty shop owned and operated by a powerful Latina immigrant, Laura Castillo. Today, Laura’s business is flourishing, but that was not always the case since her path to entrepreneurship wasn’t smooth. It came with lots of ups and downs, but Laura’s grit and determination placed her where she is today.
When Laura was just a young girl, she came to the United States from Honduras to pursue the American dream. At a young age, she packed her bags and set forth on a new adventure. Since Laura was undocumented, she found it very difficult to find work, however, Laura’s life changed in 2012, when she moved to Philadelphia and was introduced to a health product that helped her find a community and fellowship of other ladies with similar fitness and career goals. This was what inspired Laura to start Club L&M Nutrition.
On May 11th, 2016, Laura opened the doors of Club L&M Nutrition. All she had at the time was a small table, 3 chairs, and a blender; but eventually her business grew.
When the pandemic hit, Laura decided to remodel the interior of the shop and expanded her menu. This caused Laura’s clientele to go up, allowing her business to become her primary source of income. While many businesses suffered during this time, Esperanza Housing and Economic Development’s team, which works with local businesses along three economic corridors in Latino North Philadelphia, was there to support Laura. Laura was able to secure a $10,000 grant from The Merchants Fund for Club L&M Nutrition. The grant will be used to pay for essential bills, buy more equipment, invest in marketing materials, and repairs.
Laura states that Esperanza’s commitment to the businesses on the Corridor has been a blessing to her life and the future of L&M Nutrition.