Today we’d like to introduce you to Gladys Paraco.
Gladys, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am the mother of two, a boy of seven and a girl of five. Above all, I am a mother, a wife and an Industrial Engineer, born in Venezuela. I worked in my field back home until the economic, social and political crisis in my country led us to immigrate to the United States in search for a safer home for our children. When immigrating, it is time to reinvent yourself and in most cases, start from scratch as I did. After a while of being in the States, a dilemma arose, where should I start? I had to visualize an idea and work on shaping it. I used to try to find hair bows and other accessories for my daughter Paula that were different and stylish; however, what they offered in stores was very limited and repetitive. Ideas were running through my mind of what I wish I had found. I already had the idea; I wanted to make hair accessories for girls. However, I had many doubts about how to start the venture. How would I make them if I do not even know how to sew a button? I decided to trust my gut and slowing started to buy the materials necessary to make bows. I bought a spool of thread, some needles and ribbons. I then worked on the packaging with different materials I found to be cute and authentic. Then I got a name and created a logo that matched my vision.
The first months were not easy. The steep learning curve leads to a lot of challenges and frustrations. However, it was worth it at the end of the day. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my products. So only when I felt satisfied with what I had done, I decided to start offering them for sale, at the time I was only offering deliveries in the city of Miami. I bought a sewing machine because I felt that I could go further, create my own ribbons, and improve the finishes, all without tutorials. I eventually became proficient with my sewing machine. I remember that when I told a few people around me that I was going to buy a sewing machine, they were very hesitant about my move, as they knew I did not know how to use one. I think if they saw me now those same people would be surprised. Yes, there was fear before each step, I always had a feeling that something could go wrong. However, I dared myself, I left my comfort zone, trusted my abilities and I hoped that I would have a community that liked what I had to offer.
With Cintirellas, I discovered a new passion. It is something that I enjoy every second of. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing mothers celebrate with my designs the first year of their daughters’ life, their return to school, their birth and many other special moments. These are moments that have made a positive impact in my life, as I am a small part of those beautiful life celebrations.
Behind the beginning of Cintirellas are two people, my daughter and I, my daughter is my teammate, she inspires me, she is my model for photos, she is my friend and sometimes she is even part of the creative process.
I want her and other little girls out there to know that with work, vision and focus it is possible to turn a dream into a reality.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting from scratch and taking the first step, believing in something that was only in my mind and doing it without my family around, was definitely a challenge. However, behind each fear or each failure, an experience arose and that is what allowed me to do things better.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cintirellas – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Girls were born to shine and our hair accessories are made to add a magic and chic touch to a great casual outfit as well as an elegant look. Our accessories are versatile because they come in solid colors and beautiful designs with embellishments of sequins, pearls, and beads which create that magic touch that every girl loves, and there are seasonal colors to choose from that easily match their clothes!
The presentation and details are essentials to me. The materials and finishes must meet my level of satisfaction in order to be used for my designs. This is what distinguishes our brand from regular stores.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am hoping to expand our product line to other accessories.
We started with local deliveries, our market has dramatically expanded and now we ship to the entire USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.
We saw the need to open our own website (www.cintirellas.com) to better serve our expanding clientele.
This story is missing many chapters. New chapters are built every day and I am happy to see my business grow. We have taken small but strong and constant steps to perfect our brand and highlight not only the external but also the internal beauty of the little girls that use our accessories. I want to be able to empower girls to believe in their dreams and to know that it is worth dreaming about what makes them happy. If they can dream it, they can make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cintirellas.com
- Email: becintirellas@cintirellas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cintirellas/
Image Credit:
Irene Torres @irenetorresphotography
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