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

Hi Giovanna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
This was the hardest part of my process because I wanted to start something I believed in and would stick by! Starting a curl education class was tough this is a very niche industry, there’s no training , just a lot of trial and error. Even though there was a lot of people doing there own spin on this I kept pushing my ideas and kept them simple. I asked people what they wanted and I tried my best to deliver it. I teamed up with many hair care companies to teach people about hair products, what works , what doesn’t work, how to apply the products and how to find a stylist that can help keep their hair healthy. During this thought process I wanted to make sure I started something that wouldn’t “die out” or was just a “fad” teaching about natural hair care is something that meant something to me since I myself was on this journey to repairing my hair and even though I never attended cosmetology school, I knew I had to team up with others who did to teach and educate on why healthy hair is just as important as a healthy body!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a mom of 3 who works as an HR consultant ! I love sharing not only my hair care journey but my fitness journey! On top of my business page @_curlsandcoffee_ I run a fitness page @Mrs.Giovanna where I show my hair care and promote self loves to moms who are struggling postpartum. As of right Curls and Coffee is still something I am trying to take off, COVID has thrown a major curve ball at us, however we have no doubt in our mind that once this pandemic is over we can pick up where we left off and I bring this up to let you know, you never know what can affect your business and for us covid was on of those things I don’t think any of us were prepared for! Trying to start your own business on top of being a mom, having a full time job has not been easy at all! I still face obstacles constantly, owning and starting a business is an investment, putting your ideas to life always sounds great until you realize all the work that needs to be done. But the truth is that is what keeps us going and what keeps me pushing, THE CHALLENGE! There will be hard times , easy times, times where you don’t make sales however staying consistent will pay off and help continue your path on a successful business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Usually if my best friend was visiting the first thing we would do is find a great breakfast spot where we can stuff our face and have our mimosas !!! We would catch up , laugh and just enjoy that moment ! One of my favorite breakfast spots on Orlando is the Briar Patch, if you haven’t been there look them up they are amazing! The next stop 100% would be a beach, preferably Clear water beach in Tampa! This is my favorite beach! The sand and ocean is always a great place to have a good time sip some drinks and of course catch a tan ! Because I’m such a foodie we would definitely stop for dinner and drinks before heading home to be couch potatoes, 2 of my favorite dinner spots in Orlando are Agave Azul Cocina (they have lots of locations in the area) and another favorite is Pal Campo restaurant! Both have a great atmosphere amazing drinks and the food is the BEST! I am a pretty simple girl so a week of fun would be numerous trips to the pool beach and lots of food in between !

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If I thought about anyone I want to dedicate this shout out to it would be my 2 partners Leslie and Karly and my step daughter Trinity. I first met Leslie and Karly on IG tracking their hair journey while I was researching hair care for my stepdaughter. My stepdaughter wanted her curls back and I had not one idea where to start. Once I started researching how to care for her and my hair I met these 2 amazing ladies. If I never started researching for my stepdaughter I may have never been introduced to these 2 amazing ladies who have helped me start up Curls and Coffee and are constantly helping me bring my ideas to light !!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/_curlsandcoffee_?igshid=bbyps2uhy9vd

Other: Our website is currently under construction! But to get all the latest updates on our business you can visit my personal IG: https://instagram.com/mrs.giovannalee?igshid=1h1a6tr9ag9gq

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