http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/ es Copyright 2008 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:18:27 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Kimberly Martinez knew her sister-in-law’s beaded ID necklaces were a great idea. Combining her “corporate” experience with her relative’s creativity, the two women transformed a home-based hobby into a full-fledged award-winning business. Kimberly Martinez, co-founder of Bonitas International LLC Working in corporate America, Kimberly Martinez used to joke that she was an “Entrepreneurial Rapunzel.” The 45-year-old Florida resident dreamt of one day going into business for herself, but the safe feeling of receiving a steady paycheck did more to trap her in her chrome and glass office tower than encourage her to take the needed plunge. It wasn’t until that fateful day of September 11, that Kimberly realized life was too short to play it safe. She decided it was time for her to be her own boss and she knew exactly what she wanted to do. ]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/11/collaring_a_business_idea_into.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/11/collaring_a_business_idea_into.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:18:27 -0600 One woman’s love for the nostalgic Mexican product logos of her childhood leads to the creation of a new brand of clothes that are making vintage new again. California entrepreneur Molly "Molona" Robbins has fond memories of her childhood growing up in her native Mexico City. A big part of Molona’s memories like anyone’s, are the smells and tastes that defined her childhood. Whether it was chewing a stick of Canels gum or swigging a cold bottle of Lulu, a fresh fruit soft drink, eating a piece of De la Rosa candy or watching Topo Gigio, a little Italian mouse puppet dance and sing on his own television show, Molona’s memories are intertwined with the products and their logos that made her childhood memorable. Palomita clothing founder, Molona Robbins These days, she’s banking that others like her, and new converts, will be drawn to the same distinctive logos so much that they won’t mind wearing them around town. Molona is the president of LicenZing LLC, the five-year-old parent company of two clothing brands, Palomita™ and Chucho™, that are propelling this 15-year apparel industry veteran into the vintage tee limelight. By securing exclusive rights to use trademarks and vintage art from a wide variety of Latino companies, Molona created a lifestyle brand that is resonating especially with Latino consumers.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/09/nostalgic_product_logos_create.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/09/nostalgic_product_logos_create.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:13:28 -0600 In the competitive field of modeling where beauty and shape garner the spotlight, one Latina model carves her own curvaceous path to the top as a plus size model. Olga Gonzalez-Ramos is a beauty. With her brown eyes, olive skin and 5’8” frame, this New York City-based Latina makes a living from her looks with the one occupation known to capitalize on a woman’s good looks and figure — modeling. Yet, in the fashion capital of the United States where competition among models is fierce and merciless, this 36-year-old has learned to tap into that elusive inner peace by dedicating her professional life to a simple mantra: “Don’t hate me because I am fat and beautiful!” Olga is what is known in the fashion industry as a “plus size model.” At a size 24, she has been a print and runway model for about six years. The funny thing is she never really had sueños (dreams) of seeing herself strut down a catwalk or “Vogue pose” for the camera. Olga Gonzalez-Ramos “I always heard from family and friends that I should model,” Olga said. “But it was always at the same time others would suggest that if I lost weight I should become a model. It just didn’t appeal to me.” However, her husband found the possibility of being married to a model irresistible. Finding out about a plus size modeling contest, he teased his wife he was going to enter her. Unbeknownst to Olga, he actually submitted a picture of her to contest officials. Being a good sport, she went to the contest judging. It was while she was there that she met a retired plus size model who had opened up her own business. She complimented Olga on having a very unique look and recommended that she pursue modeling as a career. It was all the encouragement Olga needed to follow her new path.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/09/defining_a_beautiful_new_shape.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/09/defining_a_beautiful_new_shape.html Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:28:30 -0600 Texas lawyer and president of the National Women’s Political Caucus, Lulu Flores, devotes her life to helping more women achieve their dreams of getting elected to public office. When Democratic hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton withdrew her nomination from the 2008 race for the U.S. presidency, there was probably no one more disappointed than Maria Luisa “Lulu” Flores. Lulu Flores, president of the National Women's Political Caucus Flores, a 52-year-old lawyer with an Austin, Texas firm that represents clients who suffer from cancer caused by asbestos exposure, spends her spare time as president of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC). Since the mission of the NWPC is to “recruit, train, elect or appoint pro-choice progressive women to office,” Flores represented the NWPC on the Clinton campaign and worked in three states on the Senator’s behalf. “The National Women’s Political Caucus was founded on the premise that ALL women should be represented and should be participants and leaders in the political arena,” Flores said. In fact, equality for females has always been something that Flores has striven for since she was a child growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas. A self-confessed tomboy, Flores, the youngest of nine children, played and competed with the neighborhood boys. In her senior year of high school, she lobbied for a girls’ basketball team and not only won her case but became the team’s co-captain. “I instinctively knew that girls and women should have equal rights to do what they wanted to do and become what they wanted to be,” Flores said. This is what I do today — fighting for gender equality in society and in politics.”]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/creating_a_legacy_one_ballot_a.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/creating_a_legacy_one_ballot_a.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:27:31 -0600 One stay-at-home mom turns cultural pride and frustration into a winning combination by creating the Latin Baby online boutique featuring products reflecting Hispanic pride. Latin Baby founder and president Monica Olivera. It didn’t take long after the birth of her first child for Monica Olivera to figure out that what was missing from all the cute new baby clothes in her child’s growing wardrobe was something that reflected the family's Hispanic heritage. The longer Monica dwelled on it, the more she became convinced she had a business idea worth pursuing. “It was a gradual thought that started growing quietly in the back of my mind,” Monica said. “Until one day I blurted out to my mom that if someone would start a line of baby clothes that targeted Hispanic families, they’d be sitting on a gold mine.”]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/helping_new_mothers_reconnect.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/helping_new_mothers_reconnect.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:29:11 -0600 Young entrepreneur combines the familiar flavors drawn from Latino beverages to deliver an energy drink that she hopes will boost her company’s success. There’s one word that sums up the essence of Daisy Ramirez these days — energy. Energy is what propelled this 30-year-old Latina to leave her native Honduras for North Carolina almost eight years ago and put in long hours and even longer days testing out her college degree in business administration. Daisy Ramirez, founder of Potencia Energy Drink Before long, Ramirez found herself vice president of a construction company. It was while she was managing the business that she noticed that everyone needed an extra boost of energy throughout the day, and it gave her an idea for a new venture. “A lot of our employees were Latinos and all of us were drinking energy drinks, but I did not like the flavor available,” said Ramirez. “I heard over and over again the same thing about the unpleasant flavors of the energy drink. So, I started thinking about developing a drink with a flavor that we recognize and enjoy, and adding to that more energy.” Not one to wait, Ramirez sprang into action and immediately started researching the market. What she found was that there was no energy drink targeting the growing Latino market nor taking advantage of the flavors Latinos are most familiar with, and more importantly like. “Buzzed” by the potential of her idea, Ramirez quickly founded her company DLR Associates, Inc. and settled on a name for her new 16-ounce canned product, Potencia.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/creating_a_drink_that_energize.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/creating_a_drink_that_energize.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:30:28 -0600 Award-winning playwright Linda Nieves-Powell creates a business model that promotes awareness of Hispanic voices through theater. How does a right-brain, methodical entrepreneur and self-professed lover of numbers reconcile a left-brain, spontaneous creative drive to manipulate language? Create a multimedia entertainment business, of course. Playwright and author Linda Nieves-Powell Though it took over ten years for New York-Puerto Rican playwright and author Linda Nieves-Powell to decide to put aside her Business Administration degree and focus on pursuing fulltime her passion for playwriting, it was a dream that Linda conceptualized long before as a nine-year-old putting on plays in her backyard. “I had no idea that this would become my profession,” shared Linda. “I simply was doing what was fun and what came naturally.” Perhaps because it was such fun for her, Linda never seriously considered playwriting as a profession until she saw the actor John Leguizamo in the play Mambo Mouth. “My life changed overnight. Seriously,” said Linda. “He inspired me to get pen to paper and pursue my dream professionally and not as a hobby. He was the first Latino I saw that used theater as a way of sharing his Latino experience.” Today, Linda is the president and founder of New York-based Latino Flavored Productions, Inc. and the holder of a slew of national recognition and playwriting awards. Through her company, Linda not only produces and stages “Latino-flavored English-language original works but she collaborates with fellow Latina writers and tailors productions to take on the road to college audiences and for corporate diversity programs.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/setting_the_stage_to_share_voi.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/08/setting_the_stage_to_share_voi.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:35:19 -0600 Entrepreneur Gabriela Hernandez combines her love of romantic design, old-world simplicity and product purity into a new cosmetic line for the 21st century woman. Design lies at the heart of the success experienced by Besame cosmetics creator Gabriela Hernandez. A graphic designer, photographer and art director by training, Hernandez’ eye has always focused on dissecting the intricate details that comprise an ordinary object and make it extraordinary. It’s a talent that the 42-year-old mother of two says lead her to see her grandmother’s old 1940’s-era cosmetic containers in a new light. The containers, crafted during the period when romanticism and femininity exemplified old world beauty, intrigued Hernandez and underscored the realization that these products of a bygone era were what was needed to reprise an old-fashioned concept for 21st century women — glamour. Besame cosmetics founder Gabriela Hernandez “These beautiful pieces needed to be remade, to bring this kind of femininity and beauty to the next generation of women,” Hernandez said. Yet, Hernandez wasn’t just interested in the packaging, she wanted to take her artistic vision to a higher level and create a whole new cosmetic line. “Cosmetic ingredients get more complicated every year,” Hernandez said. “I wanted effective formulas that were simple and pure. I looked to the past for guidance and inspiration to create my products.” Hernandez got busy identifying the products she wanted to carry in her line — lipsticks, powders, eye shadows, moisturizers, mascara — and started reading old books that explained how the cosmetics of yesteryear were created. With no chemistry background, she forged ahead. She researched modern ingredients like anti-oxidant green tea, anti-aging marine collagen, sweet almond oil and other ingredients that were not harmful to the skin and thought of ways to combine the two different eras of cosmetics into a modern product. With the help of her husband, Hernandez poured through directories finding the right suppliers, production facilities and chemists to make the dream a reality. While creating the cosmetic formulas was not Hernandez’ expertise, design was. She drew on her artistic background to emulate the elegant, colorful and functional packaging used during the Art Deco movement to create shiny lipstick tubes and palm-sized powder compacts. To add her own touch, she created an unique flower motif that graces each container. A sampling of the cosmetics available in the Besame cosmetics line. However, while the business idea was taking shape, Hernandez still faced the hardest part of the process — naming it. She needed a name that reflected glamour, a bygone era and her Latina heritage. Finally, it came to her in the form of the old Spanish classic Besame Mucho (Kiss Me A Lot). For Hernandez, the song encompassed timelessness and global appeal — two factors she strove for with Besame Cosmetics. With the product complete and ready for sale, Hernandez’ next big hurdle was where to sell it. Knowing that they needed to build a reputation for salability before approaching big-name retailers, the couple decided to first launch the cosmetics in 2004 on their web site, and later in stores. It was a strategy that eased costs but not for long. “The most difficult part is always financing and distribution,” confessed Hernandez. “In a start-up company, all the money generated goes right back into development to produce and market new items. If that cycle is off in the timing, cash flow issues arise. That is the most challenging part of growth. Also, reaching enough stores to have the product more available to consumers is just as challenging.” The budding entrepreneur has enough business sense to know that she will have to keep investing in Besame until she reaches that vital tipping point in the market where she can finally claim her share. But she knows she’s close. “I knew I had made my mark when I saw my (cosmetic) line center aisle in the posh 5th Avenue store, Henri Bendel — and it was surrounded by beauty reporters wanting to know more about Besame.”]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/07/a_cosmetic_approach_to_busines.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/07/a_cosmetic_approach_to_busines.html Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:55:50 -0600 Book editor Marcela Landres discovers her true destiny is to help Latino writers find publishing success in a competitive industry. Marcela Landres was on her way to making her parents proud as the first one in her family to become a doctor. However, it would take a fortunate accident in chemistry class to make this Ecuadorian American girl from Long Island City, Queens discover her true destiny. One day during her sophomore year in college while conducting a lab experiment, Marcela dropped a bit of acid and watched horrified as the liquid bore a hole straight through the top of her shoe. “Miraculously, it didn’t make contact with my skin,” Marcela recalled. “But the experience triggered the epiphany that becoming a doctor wasn’t my dream, but my parents’.” Marcela began questioning what she wanted out of life. One thing she knew for certain — she loved books, not medicine. ]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/07/plotting_happy_endings_to_stor.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/07/plotting_happy_endings_to_stor.html Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:38:03 -0600 Kathy Cano Murillo, otherwise known as the Crafty Chica, creates a one-woman enterprise through creative talent and persistence. Her legions of fans know her as the “Crafty Chica,” and today craft entrepreneur, syndicated columnist, artist, book author and tv/web personality Kathy Cano Murillo lives up to her alter ego. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that Kathy was crafty she might not be where she’s at today.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/crafting_a_route_towards_creat.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/crafting_a_route_towards_creat.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:48:14 -0600 Forging new lives and business south of the border, Aran and Margot Shetterly publish an English-language paper for fellow American expatriates who call Mexico home. Margot Lee Shetterly had four great loves in her life before she met her husband Aran — business, writing, traveling and learning languages. Margot and Aran Shetterly Margot’s dream had always been to combine these four loves and create a business that allowed her to do all these things. As fate would have it, when Margot met her husband-to-be, she soon discovered that they had more in common than mutual attraction. Come to find out, Aran loved all the same things Margot did. So together the couple traveled to a foreign country — Mexico; learned another language — Spanish; and created a new media company to publish their English-language monthly, Inside México. Their target audience? The over one million English speakers who live south of the border.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/sharing_their_love_for_busines.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/sharing_their_love_for_busines.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:42:30 -0600 Christianne Meneses Jacobs creates a Spanish-language children’s magazine as a tool to help bicultural families keep the Spanish language alive for their children. Nicaragua-born Christianne Meneses Jacobs had a problem: How could she ensure that her U.S.-born toddler would grow up speaking and retaining her Spanish as she got older? Founder and Editor of Iguana magazine, Christianne Jacobs takes time to visit with her magazine's namesake. It was a problem Christianne knew many bicultural Latino families faced. However, she knew she didn’t have to look any farther than her own past for the solution. ]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/one_mothers_quest_to_create_a.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/one_mothers_quest_to_create_a.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:29:22 -0600 Combining a love for dogs and the desire to be self-employed, Marlena Cervantes creates a unique service that lets people share dog ownership. Marlena Cervantes and her two friends. Marlena Cervantes had one dream — to be self-employed. But it couldn’t be just any job. It had to be something that earned this California native a steady income while also providing a social service. But what kinds of self-starting jobs can do both in the beginning stages? Marlena didn’t have to look far to find the job that met her strict criteria. It was literally lying at her feet — wagging its tail.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/mans_best_friend_unleashes_new.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/mans_best_friend_unleashes_new.html Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:42:53 -0600 Erica Ortiz breaks gender barriers and speed records to cross the finish line as a Latina pro drag race car driver. Erica Ortiz Florida-native Erica Ortiz has always had a competitive streak. It’s what fueled this Cuban/Puerto Rican’s dreams of athletic success throughout her school years. Yet when a serious car accident sidelined her dreams of playing college sports, she had to find something else where she could channel her winning athletic instinct. She found it — drag racing.]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/revving_for_career_success_on.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2008/01/revving_for_career_success_on.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:42:31 -0600 Political newcomer, Mary Abeyta, builds on her history of helping others to pursue a run for public office. Mary Abeyta At the age of 9, when most girls are enjoying weekend sleepovers and outings to the mall with their friends, Mary Abeyta was spending weekends traveling by Salvation Army bus serving as a translator for over a dozen Spanish-speaking families on their way to visit loved ones behind bars. Not knowing how to fill out the necessary paperwork that would let them see their loved ones at the Huntsville, Texas state prison, the families depended on “Little Mary” to make everything okay for them. It’s a mission that Mary continues to this day with aspirations for political office. But it wasn’t always this way. ]]> http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2007/09/pursuing_a_dream_one_handshake.html http://www.latinalista.net/hazlo/2007/09/pursuing_a_dream_one_handshake.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:30:44 -0600