What made you take the leap into entrepreneurship?
7 years ago, I was not really happy with my 8 to 4 sales job. I was feeling so empty and unfulfilled in my profession. I asked myself how can I bring value to my role. Not just for the company, but also for those that I touch everyday in my job. Taking the leap into entrepreneurship with my passion for painting was a choice made in hopes of finding more freedom and flexibility. It was an opportunity to grow and challenge myself beyond what I can do in a normal job.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
At first, I was always thinking about the financial insecurity that entrepreneurs have to live with everyday. I was calculating the expenses and I was careful not to waste my painting, brushes and canvases. I realized that I was not living the present moment. I was always trying to avoid future mistakes and difficulties. Today I realize that the now is all we have. The past is just a story and the future is a complete mystery. This is it - Now.
Tell us about your journey!
My inspiration comes from the emotions I experience from my many journeys. The landscapes I go through are the leitmotiv of my artwork. My art is an abstract rendition of my emotions sensed through my travels, it’s very colorful and fluid. My paintings are somewhat like a bird eye view of the ocean or that of a continent viewed from a plane. For several months now, I've been working on my new Purity & Chaos collection. It gives the viewer a notion of calmness and purity compared to my previous work which was more volcanic and energic. The outskirts represent the purity of the journeys while the center represents the intensity such as a wave breaking up on the seashore, the flow of the leaves of a palm trees reflecting the various lights of the sun, the sound of the wind blowing into the environment.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
My parents always supported me in my career decisions. The only thing that matters to them is that I’m happy.
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
My authenticity and my integrity. My art is an extension of myself and my emotions. I do not try to please someone, I paint for myself and share the emotions I get from my journeys. I’m an entrepreneur because I want to make a change, to have a positive effect on the world and have more freedom in my own life. That starts with being true to myself.
What do you know today that you wish you would have know when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
If I had one think I would have know and do when I first started as an entrepreneur it would be to sit and take the time to make a business plan. When you don’t have a business plan you don’t really know where you are going, what are your goals, your strategies, your customers.
What advice would you give to an upcoming young and old entrepreneur locally and internationally?
If you feel compelled to do it, don’t let anyone stop you and do it. The rest will come. Listen to your feelings and go after what you really want.
