Life is Nuts
By Michelle Vasquez | Photography by David Teran
Born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Sam Henselijn grew up surrounded by entrepreneurship, determination, and a strong work ethic.
His father and grandfather came from a successful line of business owners, while his mother’s upbringing taught him the value of perseverance and appreciation. Together, those influences shaped Henselijn’s willingness to work hard, take risks, and create his own opportunities.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Henselijn’s first passion was tennis. A competitive player who traveled internationally, he moved to the United States at just 17 years old after being recruited to play tennis for Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. The challenge was that he came to this country alone and did not speak one word of English.
Adjusting to a new country, culture, and language was difficult. Henselijn credits much of his early success to the support provided to student athletes, including tutors and study sessions that helped him navigate college while learning English.
For years, he translated everything from Dutch to English in his mind. Then one day, something shifted. “It probably took four years until I realized my English was actually getting better,” he says. “All of a sudden, I was dreaming in English. I was counting in English. I didn’t have to translate in my head.”
After earning his MBA, Henselijn knew he wanted to become an entrepreneur and thought joining the family business might be the natural next step. His father disagreed. “He told me, ‘You need to mess up somebody else’s business before I put a penny into you.’”
Henselijn followed that advice and went to work in the oil fields, starting in the field and eventually moving into management. Over five years, he helped build a company introducing new technology that would become an industry standard.
But he still wanted to build something of his own. His opportunity came from an unexpected place: nuts and candy. At first, the transition was difficult to imagine. “I didn’t want to go from negotiating 8-figure deals to selling a bag of nuts on the corner,” he says. Even so, he recognized the potential, and in 2016, L’Orenta Nuts was born.
Success did not happen overnight. Henselijn started small by securing licenses, meeting requirements, and introducing customers to his products one bag at a time. “I started out of my one-bedroom apartment packing sampling bags and would take them everywhere to get the word out,” says Henselijn.
One customer followed another, eventually landing bigger and bigger orders. Larger opportunities required more investment, infrastructure, and earning the highest levels of food safety certification. Eventually, those efforts opened the door to major retailers.
Today, L’Orenta has grown from an apartment startup into one of the largest private-label candy and nut co-packers in the country, expanding through four warehouses in 10 years. “Our fastest machines can pack about 5,000 bags of nuts and candy in an hour,” says Henselijn.
Despite the growth, Henselijn does not believe success has a finish line. “I don’t ever think I’d say, I made it. I think the moment you settle, or you feel accomplished, that’s when things go wrong. So I’ve learned that you always have to be uncomfortable to grow,” he says.
His advice to others is simple. “Don’t ever give up. Believe in yourself. And if you have a legit plan and if you truly believe in yourself, don’t listen to what others are saying.”
Looking back, he credits success not only to persistence but also to people. “Relationships definitely matter,” he says. “I think that is the key to success.”
