Meet Gelsandra Guzman: Fashion Creator & Community Leader

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

Hi Gelsandra, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Other than working for myself and betting on my dream the single most important decision that I have made which has contributed to my success was to become a mother. That title holds so much power. I repeat it daily to myself. The fact that I have a boy and girl, that as part of my destiny here in this world I want to lead as an example of a woman who built an empire, a woman who showed her little girl she too can reach for the stars and make it happen, for my boy, he can hold that space for woman to shine, to be heard and to be treated as royalty.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wow- Posh Palma Styles. You are more alive today than ever. I am the proud co-founder of Posh Palma Styles, a latinx lifestyle brand and community. When this was all an idea, I pitched to my sister-in-law, Valerie Diaz, thejefacreator and curly hair enthusiast what she thought about creating an online experience. Notice I said experience, lifestyle, community, these all meant everything to us. The fact that we offered amazing products ranging from women’s apparel to fashion accessories designed by women-led brands, designers or artisans was just another avenue of how we can connect with our community. She jumped on board and the idea soon became a reality. A beautiful part of our story. It’s been a true rollercoaster in terms of becoming an entrepreneur. It’s definitely romanticized on so many levels. It’s HARD. I wake up certain days ready to take on the world, the next I will wake up questioning if what I am doing is right, if I am living my purpose, if I should go back to the corporate world, but one thing holds stronger than anything- and its my why. My heart is fully invested in Posh Palma Styles, in providing spaces for women to be visible, to share their story, and to feel empowered and uplifted. We at Posh Palma Styles disrupt, we question, we challenge, we do, we show up and we celebrate one another. As part of the online experience we have a blog component called #SPOKENJEFAS where monthly we feature a JEFA from our community, she can tell her story just how it is and be authentic to who that person is. It’s such beautiful and relatable content. For us it flows, we are able to build a community, a sisterhood, where we are authentic and transparent. Val and I are working on our private label brand in the Dominican Republic, which is home for us and we are so excited to share our collection this coming Spring. We have partnered with a very talented designer to support us in bringing our vision to life, and it’s been magical. Being consistent in anything we do has been a major key player in our success. As creatives we tend to have so many ideas, projects, initiatives etc. but we have learned to take it one at a time until we have mastered it, and then move onto the other one. And of course, it helps so much that we are family so we love each other deeply, and support one another very closely. We want the world to know this is only the beginning of the empire we are building, we are interested in learning about you, your life, your family and create that bond, that sisterhood where you can feel welcomed and celebrated.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
omg how cute!! First of all, I would introduce Miami as being the sexiest tropical melting pot!!!! Some of my favorite spots in Miami are listed below: -Wynwood: so artsy, creative, locals. Miami Mojito Company is one of my fav mojitos in Miami, they always have amazing music and vibrant energy to best represent our city. Also, there are tons of artists being represented all around the streets of Wynwood, which is amazing, cute and definitely very Instagrammable. -Bakan has such great authentic Mexican food!!! So yummy, make sure to have their esquites!! -Miami Beach is a must!!! Ocean Drive is closed now due to COVID, to allow more space for people to walk and for businesses to serve on the beautiful streets of Ocean Drive. You can sit under a palm tree, meditate, take a quick nap, head over to the beach, see the beautiful waters or grab a drink at one of the many bars! -If you are looking for views I would say The Deck at Island Gardens, spectacular sunsets with beautiful boats. awesome drinks as well! -Upper Buena Vista is such a beautiful and nature-esque location. There are small shops, plant stations, great energy and incredible brick oven pizza! -Tacomiendo- Best Shrimp Tacos in Miami, and you can buy plants while you wait, it’s a win-win! – Coral Gables is my favorite!!! Giralda Place has great places to eat including Talavera, authentic Mexican Food, great Chinola Margarita! Mesa Mar also has such great seafood. -Books & Books- such a cute coffee shop, you can work, feel inspired and sip great coffee. -Nikki Beach: You have beach access, great scenery, awesome mojitos and Miami spirit! 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?
I love this!!!!! Where would we be without our community, our loved ones, our women supporting women in our journeys!! I would like to specially shout out Las Comadres, an inclusive community reclaiming sisterhood, and uplifting each other. I have always carried that entrepreneurial spirit since I could remember, but one thing is to talk and dream, while you actually walk the walk. I joined Las Comadres in Oct 2019 and it immediately became an avenue for me to feel part of something so special. Women would come together and show up as their truest self, honoring your time, respecting who you are and holding that space for you to embrace all steps in that journey. For me, I hit the ball rolling and started meeting up with Comadres all around Miami, learning more about who they were, their journey and what inspired them. I was motivated to believe in myself and held accountable to bet on me, to do the thing that feels uncomfortable, and so i DID!!! Also, Lauren Marsicano from Networking Maverick and Women 4 Success, she has been a mentor and an honorable friend to me, someone unconditional and genuine, I love you!!!

Website: https://poshpalmastyles.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gelsandra_guzman/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gelsandra-guzman-91a13157/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gelsandra.guzman.35/

Image Credits
Solo Mio Photography IG- solomiophoto Adriana Brito- IG- shesadrianab