Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Leyva.
Sandra, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My daughter was two years old and had a very low immune system and had been in the hospital every six weeks since she was two months old. I had enough when she became antibiotic-resistant when she turned three so I resorted to Chinese Medicine which helped immensely. After I was laid off from a law firm, I explored my options to obtain a Master’s Degree and chose Oriental Medicine which also resulted in obtaining a Bachelor’s in Health Science. In my second year, I went to Shanghai to learn the Chinese Secrets of health building and found that Bone Marrow broth was the only food being made and served to all patients and visitors at the Shuguang International Hospital in Shanghai. I quickly jumped into learning how to make this and brought it to Miami with a twist to match our palette. Here we are four years later and serving to all who seek better health with a base of 40% that are cancer patients. These soups are now sold at Milams, Beehive, farmers markets, private clinics and home delivery (Dade and Broward County).
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all! Educating people and convincing them that the immune system stems from the gut and drinking bone marrow broth (which does not contain preservatives, colorants, additives, msg or meat) is a key factor in building a healthy gut lining with all the collagen and minerals the soup provides. Also, our product is sold frozen since there are no preservatives which make it difficult to ship to other states. Most people will purchase when visiting Miami and will check it in their luggage. Our soups should have its own frequent flyer number since it has traveled worldwide.
Please tell us about Soup To Bones.
Soup To Bones started to save my daughter and then saved my husband from lead poisoning due to working with lead as a stained glass maker. My husband’s experience led him to support me through these years and not allowing me to give up! My dream was to build a medical practice but soon changed because we provide bone marrow which is what we are most known for because it’s the ancient secret for blood and immune-building qualities. We are Dr made and Dr approved serving over 60 medical practitioners in S Florida for the past four years.
We concentrate in giving the very best which is bone marrow… not bone broth which is cooked with meat containing additional fat, hormones and any other chemical stored in the muscle. We also kid around and ask when I do home deliveries about this Dr making a home visit… those were the days! You can’t imagine the clients we service who are homebound… astonishing and grateful to know that we are providing a nutritious meal. Teaching my daughter that we are capable to dream and create a business that does not exist in the US is gratifying.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Instead of growing up with the typical rice and beans, my father took it upon himself to raise us on Chinese food, dim sum every Sunday and wonton soup or sancocho on Saturdays which are forms of bone broths. Our home decor was also Asian inspired so the Asian culture is engrained in my soul.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4708 SW 75 Avenue
Miami FL 33155 - Website: Www.souptobones.com
- Phone: 305-507-5547
- Email: souptobones@gmail.com
- Instagram: @souptobones
- Facebook: @bonesoup
- Twitter: @bonemarrowsoup
Image Credit:
Jlt radio only for the picture of me
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
