We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanina Vazquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Vanina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The first step to start my business had to be getting out of my own way and making the decision to just start! I like to think of myself as a “recovered over-thinker, procrastinator, perfectionist”. I am the kind of person that needs to do a lot of research, take a lot of courses, watch a lot of videos before starting something new, but in the last couple of years I’ve learned that all of that comes from a place of fear and insecurities, so I had to fight my way through it. I had to become aware of what was going on, sometimes we self-sabotage ourselves without even realizing it. I knew what I wanted to do but for some reason I wasn’t doing it, so I had to dig deep into what was stopping me. Once I identified the main actions, I had to make the decision to stop! to stop overthinking, to change my state of mind into something that will help me move forward instead of getting me stock, So I’ve decided to stop planning, and preparing for it and instead just start doing it. My new mantra “I’ll figure it out as I go”, after all that’s part of being an entrepreneur.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I consider myself a creative because I design and handmade all the items in the shop. I define my style as “young classy” and feminine minimalistic. The mission behind my brand is to empower women to become who they truly want to be and live the lives they want, whether that means being a professional athlete, an artist or a stay home mom. Sometimes we see our dreams so far away but if we look closer we could see that maybe with a few tweaks it could actually be possible. If we all live with a little more joy wouldn’t the world be a happier place? I am in the early stages of my business, there are good and bad days which is why I intentionally try to keep myself constantly motivated and inspired, listening to podcasts, meditating and being part of a like minded community aka support group is also very helpful. I still have a lot of things to learn and I am in the process of doing that, It helps me a lot to think that every step, every failure, every rejection is part of the process. When you are growing a business you also grow as an individual. As an introvert, there are a lot of fears that I need to overcome everyday to put myself out there, but when you finally find something that you really enjoy doing and you go all in, those fear feelings have no option but to take a step back. I believe successful businesses are always evolving, so I’m ready for the exciting things entrepreneurship will bring my way!
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Miami beaches are a most when visiting for the first time. Crandon Park is one of my favorite places to bring my out of state friends and family. The scenery on the way there it’s already an attraction of it’s own, driving through downtown and it’s tall buildings and cruising through the Key Biscayne waters and big blue skies. The park is an iconic tourist destination but my favorite thing about it it’s that you can bbq by the beach and later take a swim in the ocean if you are in the mood. For night life, close by is the latest “local hangout” Little Havana. For some casual eating on calle ocho you can visit the famous taqueria el mexicano for authentic mexican food or the famous Versailles for cuban-american. There’s never not a line at the cafecito window near the restaurant’s main entrance. For a quick Cuban coffee and pastelito, head next door to the bakery. To end up the night you can visit Ball and Chain or Hoy como Ayer for some local cocktails and live Latin music (usually salsa).
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sophia Amoruso and her book #Girlboss is what first got me intersted into the e-commerce world. Her story is very inspiring and reliable, it made me feel like “If she can do it, so can I”. And of course, the girl power element instantly got me hooked.
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheIntentionalShop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_intentional_shop/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theintentionalshop