Meet Julie Hernandez and Dina Mendez | Co-Owners of Tinta Y Tierra Rentals and Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Hernandez and Dina Mendez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie/ Dina, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The logistics behind every final product. A fundamental part of our business is allocating the proper amount of time for each project and organizing logistics. Our pieces are artisanal (aka handmade), there’s a lot of prep work that comes before actually calligraphing a piece. Some logistics include sourcing materials, calculating how long to allocate per project depending on the size, and double-checking our spelling or any errors before finalizing the order and packing for delivery. Those are just to name a few! There are several categories of logistics that we must oversee and execute to successfully finalize and deliver our pieces.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We started our calligraphy business in 2018, specializing in hand lettered pieces for weddings/ events. Over the years, our calligraphy has evolved so much, as well as our business.

We are part of a very small community in Miami that offers pointed pen calligraphy and we also provide our clients with two distinctive calligraphy styles (structured/ classic & romantic/ modern). Dina specializes in structured and classic hand lettered calligraphy, while Julie specializes in romantic and modern, we love that are clients get variation!

We are so proud of the relationships we have built with vendors in the industry. The organic growth has led us to work with amazing clients. (Shoutout to all the amazing vendors we have crossed paths with!)

We have gone through a lot of setbacks and comebacks and have learned a lot through mentors, research, and having honest conversations with each other on who and where we want to be as a business.

Our journey has been a continuous learning experience. We have had some great moments and then there are moments where we go back to the drawing board. No matter how big or small the win is, we always make it a point to celebrate together and learn together.

We had to have the tough conversations. As best friends, it was really hard in the beginning to separate business and friendship, because we didn’t want to say something that could come off the wrong way, but we quickly learned that challenges weren’t personal, they were necessary for our business growth.

Fast forward to today, we have expanded our services! We now offer digital and vinyl designs, as well as rentals (easels, structures).

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? That we ✨ exist ✨ Also, that we are big mental health advocates, we love empowering women and supporting women that are on a similar journey like us! Community over competition is big!

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.
This was so hard to narrow down! Miami has tons of culture, good food and beautiful views, so we created two itineraries, Dina and Julie’s!

Dina’s Itinerary
– Cortadito on miracle mile or south beach, they never disappoint and always hits the spot
– farmers market by glass and vine in coconut grove, so many local small businesses to shop from
– Visit Vizcaya, I work so many weddings there it would be nice to actually tour the place lol
– Drive through the canopy roads in the gables
– Okeyydokeyy in Brickell just recently opened up so definitely checking that out
– heading to the beach to watch the sunset at south point park

Julie’s itinerary
If you’re looking to immerse yourself into the latin culture Miami is known for- start your day with a classic Cuban cafecito at “la ventanita” in Versailles restaurant, the worlds most famous Cuban restaurant. Once you’ve drank what is known as a cultural staple, make your way down to 8th street (known as Calle Ocho) and 15th ave. You’ll find the “Domino Park” in the corner. You’ll see regulars sipping their cuban coffee, listening to latin jams, and playing dominoes (it gets serious) and you’ll really get to experience that authentic latin culture! If you’re in the mood for sweets, walk down to “Azucar” where you’ll find delicious ice cream with cuban-inspired names and flavors, like the “burn in hell fidel” choice. Make your way next door to end the night at Ball & Chain, there’s good drinks, dancing (they play live music!) and some good eats.

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?
(Dina) I would love to give a shout-out to Jessica Masi of Masi Events. I just started working with Masi Events when I mentioned to Jessica that Julie and I were brainstorming about starting a business. Jessica knew of the talent we had and highly encouraged us, from that moment on she was a huge supporter and mentor throughout the process. Our first invoice was for her sister’s engagement party! To this day I still have a close relationship with the Masi’s and am so grateful for their constant support. It’s no secret, I rave about them all the time!!

(Julie) I want to give a shoutout to my wonderful husband, Luis. His support has been nothing short of amazing. Sleepless nights completing orders, emotional meltdowns, deliveries, food runs, and even spellchecking orders, he was always there. I feel so blessed to have his support in our business!

Instagram: @tintaytierra

Facebook: Tinta Y Tierra

Image Credits
Zulie Rego Lauren Galloway