MIAMI — Salud, formerly Salud Para Todos, is a Latino-focused family business founded by patriarch Dr. Rigo Pérez Diaz about 30 years ago.
In 1987, the family moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic, first in Florida and then in New York. New opportunities brought them here.
“It was the Dominican Republic in the late 1980s,” said Diaz’s daughter, Sarah Perez Jarrett. “It was a political upheaval. Everything was going on, and he decided it was better to be here.”
PhD. Diaz is a naturopath and nutritionist who first opened a nutritional supplement store selling vitamins and health products. Then one day, he had an epiphany.
“He quickly realized that he too could create his own product and serve the community better, and that’s where Salud Para Todos was born,” explained his daughter.
What was once a small Latino-focused mail-order company is now a major player in the healthcare product space, serving customers worldwide. This goes directly to Dr. Diaz’s two daughters, Sarah and Hilda.
Sarah started working at Salud after graduating from college in 2009 and is now the company’s CEO. Her sister Hilda is COO.
“Let’s talk about little girls who become dads,” said CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo. “To bring his business to this level, there must be something very warm and fuzzy going on there?”
“Of course,” Sarah said. “It’s an honor to be respected and considered by him to carry the torch into the future.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the business stayed in New York. To save their employees’ jobs, they moved their offices and everything else to South Florida.
Sarah explained: “We had a difficult conversation and decided to bring all the supplements to my living room, and with my son and husband, we pack over 100 orders a day from my living room.”
Petrillo asked the sisters what it was like to be a “woman boss” and rely on their Latin heritage.
“For me, it means we can inspire other girls, other women, other Latinos to really know that they can get an education and grow,” Hilda Perez said.
“Especially as first-generation immigrants, we came here and expanded the business we had.”
The sisters also work to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs on a weekly podcast called Savvy Sector.
“We’re adding Hispanic heritage to it. We talk about how I make my cafecito, but at the same time I’m looking at the PNL worksheet,” Hilda said. “What does that look like? We’re really sharing that knowledge. That’s very important to me because entrepreneurs and women bosses come in so many different forms.”
“It’s about the challenges we face every day as women business owners and how we can overcome them,” Sarah said. “And give other Latino or Dominican business owners a voice and show them that it’s possible and that you’re not alone here.”
The sisters’ next step is to open a health center in South Florida with an urban garden to help teach healthy nutrition.
For more information salud.bz.
Lisa Petrillo
