Meet Vicky Dilbert | Creator of SYM Brazen

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vicky Dilbert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vicky, how do you think about risk?
The word “risk” derived from the Italian word “rischiare,” which translates to “run into danger.” So if someone were to ask me if running towards trouble or going in the opposite direction of what is safe plays a key role in my career, I’d say absolutely. Plenty of the decisions I’ve made in my life have been risky ones. I decided to go to college in the country, which turned out to be awful because coming from Miami, anywhere else is a snooze fest. I jumped off of a plane on my way to an interview before takeoff because I felt like the job just wouldn’t have been right for me. And I took the risk of starting SYM Brazen during a pandemic. SYM Brazen consists of hand painted handbags with words and phrases such as,” “Pay Me,” “Selfmade,” “Bad B****,” “Grown” and many more in store. I started my brand to give women a sense of rebellion, to go against society’s expectations of how a woman should present herself in public: not use profanity, not show too much skin, etc. Many have described my bags as loud, vulgar, offensive, and even indecent. But instead of offensive, I see them as expressive… fun, empowering, and my Brazen Baddies who rock them are nothing short of confident. Why conform when we can reform? With hard work, dedication belief, courage, and a little bit of sass, SYM Brazen will grow to be a well-known & respected brand. With that being said, when taking risks, things can either turn out for the better or the worse; what we learn from those risks is what makes it all worth it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
SYM Brazen is definitely not the type of brand you see very often. It’s not just cool or awesome, it’s feisty, bold, daring and empowering! If you’re walking down the street wearing a Brazen bag, you’re going to get stares and a lot of “I love that bag” and “Where did you get that bag,” which is something that I happen to be very proud of. But the compliments don’t come without their challenges: long late night hours of layering paint and my absolute obsession with precision. Because of these specific reasons, most bags take around 2-4 hours to complete. Being I’m a one woman show, it makes the process that much more time consuming and, unfortunately, keeps productivity in the lower margins. Therefore, it would be ideal for me to have an experienced painter by my side, helping me to create a faster paced production, which is something I am currently working on with one of Miami’s very own. I am super excited about everything and I cannot wait for you all to witness what SYM Brazen has in store!

To all the new up and coming entrepreneurs, it’s not easy. Starting a business is like having a boyfriend or a girlfriend, it requires a lot time, attention, dedication and very often, a lot of your money. You’ll make mistakes along the way and try your best to fix them, but don’t worry, in the end, after putting in all of that effort and those late night hours, that business is going to take care of you. I started SYM Brazen on a whim, not knowing if it’d be successful or not. I was okay with the idea of failing, because if I did fail, I would’ve just moved on to the next thing. But I’m proud to say that it hasn’t failed me. I am proud to say that I’ve created a lasting business thus far. I am proud to say that my brand is about vocalizing one’s confidence and/or independence. I am proud to say that there are women who love to complete their outfits with my bags. I am proud to say that I have created something that I can call my own. I am proud to say that I am the owner, the CEO, the creative director, the head honcho, the top cat. I am the HBIC of SYM Brazen! And I am proud that not one person can take that away from me. I am going to continue taking care of SYM Brazen, and God willing, in the near future it will start taking care of me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami is nothing short of places to go! But to shorten the list for food, I’d recommend La Lionesa Fritanga, Nicaraguan food in lil Havana; get a carne asada (grilled steak) with gallo pinto (rice and beans), queso frito (fried cheese), and maduros (sweet plantains). I’d also suggest Chimi Paniagua, a Dominican food truck in Wynwood, and Steve’s Pizza on Biscayne Blvd. For a nicer time out, you’d wanna try MC Kitchen, Yard Bird, SUGAR, and STK is a steakhouse incase you want to run up a tab. And don’t let one place’s prices scare you, it’s all overpriced. Lol

If you want to go clubbing & live the night life, I’d suggest Wynwood all the way! There’s Brick, Wood Tavern (which might still have restrictions) & Centro if you’re into Hispanic music. I also like Blackbird Ordinary in Brickell about 8 mins away from the Wynwood area. These places are not uptight at all and that’s what I like about them.

But don’t limit yourselves to this tiny list, there are a million places you can find to have a great time in Miami!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Since a child, I’ve known the women in my family to be go-getters! Any business they wanted to start, they started, anything they wanted to do, they did & anywhere they wanted to go, they went & they’re still going till this day! So being able to watch them be successful in each of their own ways allowed me to have the confidence in myself that I too can be successful in whatever I put my mind to. A million “thank you’s” to the strong, beautiful women in my life!

Website: www.symbrazen.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/symbrazen?utm_medium=copy_link