We had the good fortune of connecting with Nadine Machado and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nadine, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
The habit that helped me was to always surround myself with the people who are aligned with entrepreneurship. Also, my family is very supportive emotionally. I do my best with maintaining a positive attitude. Working out has helped me a lot with staying dedicated and focus. When I have too much on my mind I take a moment to pause so I can make clear decisions.
What should our readers know about your business?
How I went full-on into entrepreneurship was right when Covid hit. I got laid-off from my fashion job in New York. I had to learn how to pivot my life. I created an assembly line of face masks from my apartment. I own 2 industrial sewing machines. While all the fabric stores were closed. I went into Home Depot and purchased drop cloth. That’s what I use for the outside and on the inside, I use bed sheets from Target. Dropcloth is a heavy-weight canvas fabric and nothing can’t seep thru it. There was a serious demand for face masks at the height of Covid. Individuals were buying from me and even companies. I had to sustain myself and make sure I had a roof over my head and food on the table.
Was it easy for me at the time? Change isn’t easy for anyone especially when someone makes the decision for you. It was very emotional for me. I followed all of the rules that society tells you. I graduated high school and college and put in all the work where I need to do so. I was never given the opportunity to become President or VP because there was no growth in the industry. I was a bit upset because I had some set goals going into 2020. That took a turn real quick. I was tired of my industry not valuing me and it was a constant fight for the salary that I deserve. It was time to stop working for corporations making decisions on what my salary should be and I took back my freedom.
After the face mask wave was done. I did a lot of thinking. I had some quiet time to meditate on some ideas. I have about 30 of fashion under my belt. I study patternmaking at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I use all of the tools I had thru out the years, and it flowed right into fashion styling and curating. I also did alterations for clients. I love to educate people on anything that is fashion-related. I teach you how to maintain your garments to how to shop for high-end brands. Now I will present my workshop to colleges on the importance of first impression and image. My goal is to educate young adults to be confident while transiting into their future careers by setting the tone to succeed.
There will always be challenges in life. It’s how you view it and how to be a problem solver. What I want the world to know is that anything is possible. You must be dedicated and ready to do the work. I’m a huge believer in being intentional with my thoughts and actions.
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.
I live in Jersey City. There is a downtown area that gives you the NYC vibes without going into the city. One of my favorite places to go is Cellar 335. The whole menu is so good. You can’t go wrong with anything you choose from it. I’m a foodie and I’ve had the whole menu. Lol! The place is about 10 minutes away from my house. The place where I love to hang out is by Edgewater. There are several restaurants along the water.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely would dedicate this to my mom my Abuela my sister, and my close friends. They all have seen me go thru the journey from day one. I unlimited support I receive is priceless.
Website: www.milagrosdesigns.com
Instagram: Milagrosdesigns
Linkedin: Nadine Machado
Facebook: Milagros Designs
Image Credits
The person I wan to give credit for the photos is Sanon and his IG handle is @live.life.social.llc