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For This Hot Sauce Entrepreneur, Founding a Company Was 'Plan C' Inspired by her military mom, Sonoma Hot Sauce's Deb Rock entered entrepreneurship after plans A and B fell through.

By Alice

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As a Latina who grew up in a strict military family and as the descendent of some of the first Mexican immigrant workers in Washington, Deb Rock knows grit. She's channeled that determination and unwillingness to accept "no" for an answer into Sonoma Hot Sauce, a line of non-GMO hot sauces. Born in a Seattle community garden, Sonoma Hot Sauce is now one of the most sought-after specialty items in a region known for its food and wine.

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