089 – POP! that Imposter Thinking with Mireya Esquivel of Round Like Me
Mireya is a Certified Balloon Artist (CBA) and a Master Certified Party Decorator (MCPD).
She has been working in the balloon industry for seven years and received her certification in 2014.
Mireya recently started her home based business and is working full time doing balloon décor.
I ran into Mireya at the America’s Baking and Sweets Show. She was selected to do the décor for the show and it caught my eye. After talking with her, I just knew we had to have her on the show to share her story.
The Business of Balloons
When Mireya identified her love for balloons [4:40]
Learning the craft [5:27]
What drives Mireya’s passion for balloons [6:44]
An emotional balloon moment [8:48]
Legalities behind balloon designing [12:41]
Candle Flickering Moments
Getting her business license and claiming her name proved to be more than Mireya expected [15:39]
What to do when the imposter questions start up [18:36]
You should fight for what you love [22:14]
Business Building Insights
The reason why you want to be certified in your craft [10:02]
Getting your first customer and growing from there [23:16]
Facebook ads and more [26:12]
Progressing into teaching the craft of balloon design [29:02]
Success Trait
Being a creator and having the talent to make things [32:20]
Recommended Reading and Listening
I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life by Joel Osleen
Contact Links
If you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcript
Thanks for joining me.
Speaker:This is gift biz unwrapped episode 89.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Bob. Just fight,
Speaker:fight for what you love and you can accomplish many things.
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to give to biz unwrap,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it.
Speaker:Welcome to gift bears on wrapped your source for industry specific
Speaker:insights and advice to develop and grow your business.
Speaker:And now here's your host,
Speaker:Sue Mona height.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:I'm Sue and welcome to the gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Whether you own a brick and mortar store sell online or
Speaker:are just getting started,
Speaker:you'll discover new insights to gain traction and to grow your
Speaker:business. And today I have joining us by Raya<inaudible>.
Speaker:She is a certified balloon artist and a master certified party
Speaker:decorator. She's been working in the balloon industry for seven years
Speaker:and received her certification a couple of years ago.
Speaker:In 2014,
Speaker:Maria recently started her home based business and is working full
Speaker:time doing balloon decor.
Speaker:I ran into Maria at the America's baking and sweet show.
Speaker:She was selected to do the decor for the show and
Speaker:it caught my eye.
Speaker:So after talking with her,
Speaker:I knew I wanted to have her on this podcast.
Speaker:And that is why we're getting an opportunity to talk with
Speaker:her today.
Speaker:Welcome to the show,
Speaker:Maria. Hi.
Speaker:So how are you?
Speaker:Thank you for having me.
Speaker:I'm a great,
Speaker:and I am thrilled that we were able to make this
Speaker:work right around the holidays too.
Speaker:So that's kind of fun.
Speaker:Yeah. It's going to be fun.
Speaker:It's kind of busy,
Speaker:but it's going to be fun.
Speaker:As our listeners know,
Speaker:we like to learn something more about you in a different
Speaker:way, and that is by having you describe your motivational candle.
Speaker:So if you were to help us envision what that would
Speaker:look like,
Speaker:what color and what would be the quote on your candle
Speaker:like Kendall,
Speaker:what color will be blue?
Speaker:I love colored blue.
Speaker:It makes me feel gray.
Speaker:When I have it add,
Speaker:is it Navy blue or Royal or light blue?
Speaker:What color?
Speaker:Royal blue.
Speaker:Royal. Okay.
Speaker:Royal blue.
Speaker:I think it's a wonderful color.
Speaker:And as someone there to me,
Speaker:he asked me to research what the color means.
Speaker:And I was looking at the color.
Speaker:It says the blue is the color of the sky and
Speaker:see in license,
Speaker:trust, loyalty,
Speaker:wisdom, confidence,
Speaker:and all these days pay cut to me because I'm loyal.
Speaker:I don't want to sound considered or anything like that,
Speaker:but people tend to trust me.
Speaker:And I have a lot of friends that they can count
Speaker:on me.
Speaker:So the blue,
Speaker:it really represents me.
Speaker:So that will be my color.
Speaker:And my motivational quote,
Speaker:it's put your heart might insult even into the smallest act.
Speaker:That is the secret of success.
Speaker:Do you use that with your balloon and your decor company?
Speaker:Yes. I always do it.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:everything that I do,
Speaker:I try to do the best that I can.
Speaker:And every decorations that I do,
Speaker:every event,
Speaker:I put my heart on it and my soul,
Speaker:because this is something that I love to do.
Speaker:I want my stuff to reflect everything that I do and
Speaker:everything that I love in every decoration that I do.
Speaker:Oh, that at the show,
Speaker:because I remember the show was already up and you had
Speaker:the balloons all over.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:she had gift biz listeners.
Speaker:She had like tears,
Speaker:like towers of balloons,
Speaker:kind of like almost lamp posts.
Speaker:And then she had wall art of balloons.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:they were just balloons everywhere.
Speaker:It was beautiful.
Speaker:And I remember one morning,
Speaker:so this was after the show had already started.
Speaker:I saw you,
Speaker:I don't know if you were fixing one of the displays
Speaker:or you were making another one,
Speaker:but you could just tell the dedication and the time you
Speaker:were putting in.
Speaker:Yeah, I was actually fixing it because some of the balloons
Speaker:do that tends to deflate or something.
Speaker:So I wanted to stay there.
Speaker:They gave me the opportunity to stay in the show,
Speaker:put a booth or just come back and walk around.
Speaker:So I decided to stay because I wanted to everything to
Speaker:look perfect.
Speaker:And when I was walking around,
Speaker:I also some of the balloons deflated.
Speaker:So I decided to fix them right away before the people
Speaker:start coming a no,
Speaker:I want them to see something nice.
Speaker:Not something that they're going to say the flight and say,
Speaker:huh, there's another balloon right there.
Speaker:Yep. See,
Speaker:there's the example Putting in your heart,
Speaker:mind and soul right into every little thing.
Speaker:Perfect. Yeah.
Speaker:Even the smallest act.
Speaker:Yeah. Right.
Speaker:Maria, let's talk about how the whole balloon thing happened for
Speaker:you. What drew you initially to balloons and how did this
Speaker:idea of a business get started?
Speaker:Well, it was a long time ago.
Speaker:I learned about this balloon artist is from Texas.
Speaker:He does this amazing things and I was looking at all
Speaker:his works and art was actually at what he does with
Speaker:balloons. And it was more does the average Reno balloons taped
Speaker:to the wall?
Speaker:Like we used to,
Speaker:when we do parties,
Speaker:well, my family,
Speaker:they use the wall and that was at the curation with
Speaker:balloons that we knew this may have this amazing arrangements,
Speaker:wood, carrots,
Speaker:arches. And so on that,
Speaker:I was so amazed to see all these wonderful things that
Speaker:you could do with balloons.
Speaker:Where'd you see him?
Speaker:I saw him in a magazine that it's about balloons because
Speaker:images and he was there and I just saw his speeches.
Speaker:And that's when I fall in love.
Speaker:I started to learn on my own because there was really
Speaker:not, no one giving classes or there wasn't a lot on
Speaker:YouTube. Like we always start.
Speaker:So I started trying to imitate what he was doing to
Speaker:the pictures and the little by little,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:here and there,
Speaker:I started doing blooms.
Speaker:Then I decorated for my 25th wedding anniversary.
Speaker:It was something simple.
Speaker:It wasn't the greatest.
Speaker:So were you doing it initially,
Speaker:just because you wanted to make the decorations for family events
Speaker:more beautiful or were you already thinking with an a business?
Speaker:I was just trying to drift for my family and not
Speaker:myself, my little kids at the time.
Speaker:So I continued to learn on my own.
Speaker:And then one day when my daughter turned 16,
Speaker:she asked me if I could decorate for her six 16th.
Speaker:And I say yes.
Speaker:So I tried to practice and I practice a little bit
Speaker:more, so everything could actually look nice.
Speaker:And when I was sweating,
Speaker:I was doing notice the creations.
Speaker:That's the moment that he hits me.
Speaker:You, I realize this is what I want to do.
Speaker:This is what I love to do.
Speaker:So I continued to educate myself and I began taking classes,
Speaker:became a certified Petit decorator.
Speaker:And that was only the beginning.
Speaker:So when you were doing this for your daughter's sweet 16,
Speaker:what was it that you loved so much about the balloon
Speaker:decor? We went into this little rental place,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:where people had parties and whatever it wasn't the greatest.
Speaker:So when I started trying to put up towers here and
Speaker:there and the cornice on the ceilings put in flowers,
Speaker:woodcuts, and<inaudible>,
Speaker:and I saw had a place to transform.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:it wasn't the average place anymore.
Speaker:I could see like,
Speaker:wow, with the blooms,
Speaker:everything conscious is not the same place in a way.
Speaker:It gives them a different,
Speaker:feel, a different look.
Speaker:That's what it grabbed me.
Speaker:And that was an hour.
Speaker:Cause I was thinking,
Speaker:wow, you can do all these things.
Speaker:Imagine what you can do doing more than just,
Speaker:this is a place,
Speaker:a small place.
Speaker:But if you put loans,
Speaker:everything changes and everybody loves for loans.
Speaker:I haven't met some,
Speaker:one that doesn't love me loans.
Speaker:Well, and you know,
Speaker:I don't know much about the craft,
Speaker:but I'm thinking that you have to do it all on
Speaker:premise. Right?
Speaker:When you're decorating,
Speaker:you have to start with all the balloons deflated because there's
Speaker:no way you could bring everything in your car.
Speaker:Yes, we do it on site and I drive on main
Speaker:event. So when there's such like a big job,
Speaker:I do inflate some of the balloons in my house.
Speaker:So my brain is full of loans and the rest we
Speaker:do it outside because some venues,
Speaker:they only give you like two hours to decorate.
Speaker:And sometimes that's not enough time.
Speaker:Okay. So you can do a little bit beforehand,
Speaker:but most of it has to be done on site.
Speaker:So there's not a lot of room for error,
Speaker:apparently, Literally there's No.
Speaker:No. All right.
Speaker:So you see that this is something that you're interested in.
Speaker:You like the fact and you know,
Speaker:your whole point about that.
Speaker:It makes the room different.
Speaker:I would suggest that when you have a place that's festive
Speaker:and colorful,
Speaker:it sets the tone for the whole party because people come
Speaker:in and they're like,
Speaker:they've got the wow factor.
Speaker:It automatically puts a smile on their face and you're already
Speaker:set up to have a great event.
Speaker:Yes they do.
Speaker:I had this little six,
Speaker:16, actually.
Speaker:It was a quinceanera for one of my friends who daughter.
Speaker:And when she went North,
Speaker:she had her ceremony and she got into the ballroom.
Speaker:She had literally started crying and it was right on her.
Speaker:But you forget about everything else.
Speaker:And she ran to me,
Speaker:she had me and she was like,
Speaker:Oh my God,
Speaker:thank you so much.
Speaker:This looks amazing.
Speaker:And I couldn't believe it.
Speaker:And she was still crying,
Speaker:her makeup running down.
Speaker:And I'm like,
Speaker:sweetie, I did it for you.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:I love you.
Speaker:She's my best friend's daughter.
Speaker:And it's a wonderful feeling when you see people.
Speaker:And then our,
Speaker:when they point to a room and they see friends formed
Speaker:because of all the balloons and they never tell you can
Speaker:do the things that we do with Xeljanz.
Speaker:It's not just stay to the water anymore.
Speaker:It's times like that,
Speaker:that really ground what you're doing and make you feel so
Speaker:happy about it.
Speaker:Yes, it is.
Speaker:It's An amazing feeling.
Speaker:I want to Continue on with your story.
Speaker:So you saw that this was something that you wanted to
Speaker:do and you looked and followed and started training yourself.
Speaker:At what point did you decide and why did you decide
Speaker:that you needed to be certified?
Speaker:Ask her a few years.
Speaker:And I started doing that.
Speaker:I learned about the<inaudible> certification and that's given by the company
Speaker:quality checks.
Speaker:And I sit there with that certifications,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:it opened doors to you because it's something that is prestigious.
Speaker:I noticed that people asked me,
Speaker:do you have any kind of certificates or education or something
Speaker:like that?
Speaker:So you can do this.
Speaker:Yeah. What satisfies you to do this job?
Speaker:Because I was a certified party decorator,
Speaker:but not a balloon artist.<inaudible>
Speaker:so there was this company that they wanted me to do
Speaker:this job.
Speaker:And they say,
Speaker:are you certified to be a balloon artist?
Speaker:And they're like,
Speaker:not really.
Speaker:I'm not understanding what you're asking me.
Speaker:So they actually,
Speaker:this company explain me what a balloon artist was.
Speaker:It wasn't a balloon.
Speaker:They created it.
Speaker:Wasn't the same thing.
Speaker:So they told me,
Speaker:you know what,
Speaker:I'm going to give you this job,
Speaker:look into it.
Speaker:Then we continue to working with you.
Speaker:I wanted to Google.
Speaker:Of course,
Speaker:everybody goes into Google and they find out what I said
Speaker:was I took the training.
Speaker:It took me three months to complete it.
Speaker:Then I took my test.
Speaker:It's a four hours long test.
Speaker:It's kind of difficult that talks about our business.
Speaker:It talks about my finances is not only does balloons.
Speaker:Oh, interesting rules about the industry,
Speaker:how they use helium,
Speaker:the laws did there,
Speaker:there's a law about balloons.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:there's different things that people don't think about that.
Speaker:So that's when I decided,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:what, if I'm going to do this,
Speaker:I'm going to do it the right way,
Speaker:because that's what I believe is you're going to do something
Speaker:right. Or don't do it.
Speaker:Right. So I told my husband that I was going to
Speaker:get this certificate,
Speaker:that I was going to become a Lumeris.
Speaker:And from there,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I continue my certification.
Speaker:I pass the test,
Speaker:thank God.
Speaker:And everything from there,
Speaker:it's been a roller coaster.
Speaker:It's been great.
Speaker:Wonderful. So I like the fact that You're talking about you.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you were going to make it a serious business.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you could think balloons are so lighthearted and fun.
Speaker:I would have never considered some of the things that you
Speaker:just talked about here in terms of certified balloon artists.
Speaker:Part of that is the business side,
Speaker:but legalities behind balloons.
Speaker:And of course,
Speaker:helium, I would have never considered.
Speaker:And I'm sure some of the events that you're doing,
Speaker:like the America's bacon and sweet show,
Speaker:you had to have that type of a certification to even
Speaker:work. One of those shows.
Speaker:Yes you do.
Speaker:Actually, because I say I have my own business,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I have all my license.
Speaker:I have to have insurance,
Speaker:right. Insurance,
Speaker:personal insurance.
Speaker:And I have to have all my licensing and there's laws.
Speaker:Like I was saying that I have no,
Speaker:I have to follow because if something happens that will come
Speaker:against me.
Speaker:The good thing about the baking and pastry,
Speaker:they didn't ask me for any helium,
Speaker:which it was good.
Speaker:But when you have to work with helium,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:that's a total different thing.
Speaker:How to handle the tank.
Speaker:You know how to handle the ball,
Speaker:how to put it in a safe place.
Speaker:Had I not let people play with them with that,
Speaker:explain them that the helium is not for you to inhale
Speaker:because it's a very dangerous thing.
Speaker:Their SLOs about how to tie the balloons.
Speaker:There's so many different things that I could never imagine what
Speaker:I can put myself into it.
Speaker:But now that I know about it,
Speaker:I just love it.
Speaker:I love loans.
Speaker:I love working with balloons.
Speaker:I love everything that has to do with that's so fun.
Speaker:You actually formed your business.
Speaker:A couple of years ago,
Speaker:you were working with balloons for seven years and you started
Speaker:your business.
Speaker:How long ago?
Speaker:My business is going to be two years,
Speaker:but I was working like full time or maybe just getting
Speaker:pay actually for balloons is going to be four and a
Speaker:half years.
Speaker:Okay. All right.
Speaker:Do you know which friends and families at the beginning,
Speaker:I stayed with my family,
Speaker:which of course it was free.
Speaker:Then I decided I'm going to start charging because material costs.
Speaker:So about four years and a half,
Speaker:no, I actually started letting people know that I was doing
Speaker:balloon decorations.
Speaker:And it's good that you started with your family because that
Speaker:way you could perfect what you were doing.
Speaker:You could practice perfect,
Speaker:everything. So that then as you started advancing towards having a
Speaker:business where you're actually going to charge people,
Speaker:you knew,
Speaker:then that the end result,
Speaker:the product was going to be good because you've been doing
Speaker:it then for a while.
Speaker:Yeah. And you know,
Speaker:your family is going to tell you something's wrong.
Speaker:I lose,
Speaker:my family would tell you that doesn't look nice.
Speaker:I don't think that's the way it's supposed to.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:my family would tell you in a good way,
Speaker:they're there to support me.
Speaker:And they would tell me,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:I don't think I don't like it like that.
Speaker:What about this?
Speaker:Even though they don't know anything about blooms,
Speaker:sometimes, you know,
Speaker:they come into me little tapes at the moment.
Speaker:I'm like,
Speaker:what do you know about balloons?
Speaker:But after I think about it and I looked at it
Speaker:and I like,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:There were rights.
Speaker:So that's what I said with my family,
Speaker:because they would tell me the truth.
Speaker:They would tell me what is right.
Speaker:Or what is wrong.
Speaker:Or if it looks nice or the color is off,
Speaker:that's a great thing to having a family.
Speaker:So you straight out you're wrong.
Speaker:So you've been in business for a short time,
Speaker:really, you know,
Speaker:two years,
Speaker:four years,
Speaker:that type of thing.
Speaker:What do you know now that you didn't know before?
Speaker:What kind of challenge have you had that you weren't expecting?
Speaker:Wow. No challenges.
Speaker:There's been a few.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:they're always going to be challenging,
Speaker:but at the beginning,
Speaker:first of all,
Speaker:trying to get all my license,
Speaker:that was something that I didn't expect.
Speaker:I live in a tunnel Cicero.
Speaker:So they have different rules than the city.
Speaker:And they're asked for many requirements,
Speaker:many little papers here,
Speaker:sign here,
Speaker:sign there.
Speaker:How did you go about finding what type of paperwork and
Speaker:documents you needed to have?
Speaker:I had to go to my town hall and I asked,
Speaker:told them what I wanted to do.
Speaker:And they had to,
Speaker:they told me,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you have to fill these forms.
Speaker:You need to get into the internet.
Speaker:You need to file a permit for the state,
Speaker:for the city,
Speaker:everything, you know,
Speaker:the insurance,
Speaker:they actually gave me a list.
Speaker:Perfect. Okay.
Speaker:They want to helpful,
Speaker:but they have a strict laws here.
Speaker:So gift biz listeners,
Speaker:if you are at a point where you are looking at
Speaker:starting a business,
Speaker:then the city might be the best place to go.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:just go there and tell them what you're planning on doing.
Speaker:And they may be able to direct you to all the
Speaker:forms that you might need for whatever it is.
Speaker:You're planning on going into business for obviously the balloon industry
Speaker:is different than if you're going to start making cupcakes than
Speaker:if you're opening a brick and mortar shop.
Speaker:Everything is different from one another and no matter what you
Speaker:need, state forms and federal forms,
Speaker:but the city is a great place to start.
Speaker:So good point there,
Speaker:Maria, thank you for talking about that.
Speaker:What other challenges did you encounter?
Speaker:And I have to own my own name or my company's
Speaker:name. There is from like me.
Speaker:I got to make sure that nobody has that name.
Speaker:So I had to put ads on the papers,
Speaker:my challenge and my difficult at the beginning,
Speaker:it was all the money that I was investing that I
Speaker:wasn't planning on in our speaking here.
Speaker:And when I open a home-based business,
Speaker:I don't think they're going to ask much,
Speaker:maybe a few forms here and there,
Speaker:but then they told me no,
Speaker:the name of your company.
Speaker:So when it came out with this,
Speaker:me and my daughter,
Speaker:we were joking around in there were saying about balloons.
Speaker:And they're like,
Speaker:yeah, you know what?
Speaker:The balloons around.
Speaker:She was like,
Speaker:yes, I know that.
Speaker:And I told her they're round like me.
Speaker:So she started laughing and that's had the main chemo,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:round like me.
Speaker:It was hilarious.
Speaker:That's fun.
Speaker:Yeah. So she also did my local,
Speaker:which is a little door and the body is a balloon.
Speaker:It's a red balloon with a little hair and just a
Speaker:stick legs,
Speaker:which is funny.
Speaker:And then I had going to the newspaper,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:poster mat asking if somebody has the name I had away
Speaker:for two weeks for death,
Speaker:for someone to respond,
Speaker:which nobody did.
Speaker:Then I had had the copyrights for my local.
Speaker:There's so many things that at the beginning,
Speaker:it was like a lot for me.
Speaker:And I was taking to my husband and I was telling,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:This is too much.
Speaker:I think I'm just gonna let it be,
Speaker:Oh dear.
Speaker:I never thought it was going to be hard because attitude,
Speaker:the true,
Speaker:this is like the first time that I actually work up
Speaker:to my home,
Speaker:even though I'm at home.
Speaker:So I never thought it was going to be all these
Speaker:papers and all these questions.
Speaker:And that's when the question started,
Speaker:begging me,
Speaker:what are you going to do about it?
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:I wanna be able to continue doing this.
Speaker:Do you have the skills to do this?
Speaker:Because you're spending money.
Speaker:So all these questions and this,
Speaker:these came to my mind all the time.
Speaker:Like you were saying this to yourself.
Speaker:Yes. You know,
Speaker:when I was filling up papers and when I had to
Speaker:do like payments and spend money on something,
Speaker:the first thing that came to my mind is do you
Speaker:have the skill to do it?
Speaker:Can you handle this job?
Speaker:Those were my Strauss,
Speaker:my struggles to starting my own company.
Speaker:Like, are you gonna do it?
Speaker:This really are you really that good at you really could
Speaker:have. You know,
Speaker:when you start hearing voices in your head,
Speaker:all these questions came to me.
Speaker:So I had a text to my husband and we sit
Speaker:down, we talk about it.
Speaker:And he started talking to me and sending me,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:There's something you love.
Speaker:Let's clean this,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you started doing all the paperwork.
Speaker:Let's just finish it,
Speaker:whatever it takes,
Speaker:it is what you really want.
Speaker:He told me,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:let's pray about it.
Speaker:Let's do what we can and the rest,
Speaker:you just leave it in God's hands and let's see what
Speaker:it comes out.
Speaker:So think I listened to my husband.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:we throw the paperwork.
Speaker:I did all the legal stuff that I had to do.
Speaker:I talked to my daughter and she said,
Speaker:if you need money,
Speaker:I'm here for you.
Speaker:So thank God here I am.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:And this is a great story.
Speaker:And I want to underline two things that Mariah's talking about.
Speaker:First off,
Speaker:we can be our own roadblock.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:some people will call it the imposter syndrome in some time
Speaker:in our heads,
Speaker:we decide who are we to think that we can be
Speaker:doing this?
Speaker:Or why should it be able to be me?
Speaker:And do I have the qualifications?
Speaker:And is this really something that can happen to me?
Speaker:And as long as we recognize that this is natural,
Speaker:even the biggest names you can think of out there,
Speaker:get imposter thoughts going in their mind.
Speaker:And as long as you realize,
Speaker:all right,
Speaker:it's going to happen.
Speaker:I'm just not listening to my own mind in this manner
Speaker:and carrying on.
Speaker:And this is a real big trigger point where a lot
Speaker:of people will stop.
Speaker:Just like Maria was saying,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:maybe I won't be doing this,
Speaker:but luckily,
Speaker:and this is underlying number two.
Speaker:She had support.
Speaker:She had her support in her husband who really believed in
Speaker:her. And then her daughter who was there to back her
Speaker:up, probably just emotionally,
Speaker:as well as financially,
Speaker:if you would have needed it.
Speaker:So two things that are really important.
Speaker:And so I'm also talking to all of our listeners that
Speaker:if they're out there and they have an idea and they're
Speaker:starting to put things together and all of a sudden,
Speaker:their mind starts saying to them,
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I'm not so sure about you.
Speaker:I want anybody who's in that situation to ignore those comments
Speaker:and also make sure you have some type of support system.
Speaker:Whether it's a friend,
Speaker:a family member could even be people that you're meeting in
Speaker:your community,
Speaker:in a networking group or somewhere.
Speaker:But you want someone who understands what you're trying to do,
Speaker:believes in you and support you for those times.
Speaker:When you get a little bit down or you start questioning
Speaker:yourself, would you add anything to that,
Speaker:Maria? Hey,
Speaker:I just want to say something like that you were saying
Speaker:right now,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:when those questions has to come into your mind,
Speaker:ask yourself,
Speaker:because that's what I'm always doing.
Speaker:I'm still doing it.
Speaker:Am I going to give up or am I going to
Speaker:fight for what I love?
Speaker:And then I decided to fight,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I decided to do what it can't and the rest I'm
Speaker:going to live with God's hands.
Speaker:My, my husband always says you do what you can.
Speaker:And the rest later in that sense,
Speaker:I don't know if it's correct to take a bag.
Speaker:I don't know,
Speaker:but that's are my beliefs.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:I tell the people don't give up,
Speaker:just fight,
Speaker:fight for what you love.
Speaker:And you can accomplish many things and take you from someone
Speaker:who has been struggled with those questions.
Speaker:And I decided I'm going to fight for what I love.
Speaker:And I love loans.
Speaker:So I'm fighting them.
Speaker:I'm here.
Speaker:You're fighting for the balloons.
Speaker:That's great.
Speaker:Right? Okay.
Speaker:So now,
Speaker:so you overcame that you filled out all the paperwork,
Speaker:you got your name and that's such a fun story about
Speaker:how your name came to be.
Speaker:So now,
Speaker:how do you get your first name Customers?
Speaker:My first customers,
Speaker:actually, it was one of the guys that went to my
Speaker:suit. My daughter's sweet 16 party.
Speaker:It was this guy.
Speaker:I didn't know who he was.
Speaker:And I asked my daughter,
Speaker:who is that guy?
Speaker:She's like,
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Somebody. One of my friends invited him and I don't know
Speaker:where he came from.
Speaker:The point is that this guy,
Speaker:he came to me like two years later.
Speaker:And he's like,
Speaker:yeah, I know you don't remember me,
Speaker:but I was at your daughter's three 16.
Speaker:And then when you do it for me and they're like,
Speaker:okay. So I started taking to her and I asked him,
Speaker:what do you have in mind?
Speaker:What is this about?
Speaker:He is the son of the owner of a store.
Speaker:That's more store.
Speaker:And they were going to do like an anniversary celebration for
Speaker:the store.
Speaker:So he asked me to do some well,
Speaker:no marches.
Speaker:I met some columns.
Speaker:So the people will see the store,
Speaker:something that would attract the store outside.
Speaker:Cause he was a very small store.
Speaker:So when he told me that he had a business in
Speaker:LA and he asked me,
Speaker:did he have your license in order?
Speaker:I'm like,
Speaker:yes I do.
Speaker:He was like,
Speaker:great. That's all I need to know.
Speaker:So he was my actual real client.
Speaker:Was he your first customer?
Speaker:My first customer.
Speaker:He was my first and he's still my customer.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:Well that says a lot about your services and your design
Speaker:for sure.
Speaker:Repeat business tells you everything.
Speaker:Yes. And then what happened from there?
Speaker:From there?
Speaker:Some people like everything else,
Speaker:you see something you do ask our people started asking,
Speaker:who did this car alarms,
Speaker:people that went to the store.
Speaker:I left some of my business cards and people started calling
Speaker:me from there.
Speaker:And they're like,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I saw your arch at the store.
Speaker:I would like something like that.
Speaker:Would you do something for accuracy?
Speaker:And will you do something for a birthday party?
Speaker:Will you do something for a baptism?
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:this is my baby's first year.
Speaker:I want to do something special.
Speaker:What do you recommend?
Speaker:So people started calling me out of the sudden,
Speaker:I'm like,
Speaker:wow. So I started getting clients like that.
Speaker:It might be an aesthetic throwing.
Speaker:Then some people from his phone company call me also if
Speaker:I wanted to do their decorations for certain events.
Speaker:And I started doing a little bit of corporate,
Speaker:I started a lot of personal parties,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:all kinds of events we'd do from the smallest ones to
Speaker:the biggest ones.
Speaker:That's how my business is growing.
Speaker:I did my website.
Speaker:I've done Facebook.
Speaker:That was going to be my next question.
Speaker:Does social media play any role within your business?
Speaker:Yes, he does.
Speaker:It's a big influence,
Speaker:especially Facebook because they have my business page on Facebook.
Speaker:I try to put all my pictures,
Speaker:so my work,
Speaker:I try to keep it updated and you know,
Speaker:people always private message me.
Speaker:Can you do this for me?
Speaker:How much we did B can we do that?
Speaker:Or can you come,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:the usual questions and I do get a lot of clients
Speaker:through Facebook.
Speaker:That's wonderful.
Speaker:I like that.
Speaker:You can say that there's a direct link.
Speaker:So you're posting photos and people are seeing them there and
Speaker:then contacting you to do some of their events.
Speaker:Yes. And have you done any Facebook ads or is it
Speaker:all just posting?
Speaker:I did a net for a class that I was given
Speaker:because I'm also taking balloon decorations.
Speaker:So when I decided to give a class,
Speaker:I do,
Speaker:I put it in Facebook and I do the advertising,
Speaker:the advertising Facebook for classes.
Speaker:Most of the time is as classes,
Speaker:Got it to leave my Page like that.
Speaker:And people exploring because also my Facebook is linked to my
Speaker:actual personal Facebook.
Speaker:Right. So whenever I put something in my personal Facebook,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:it's open for my friend's friends to see whatever and they
Speaker:see something in my page.
Speaker:So they go to my page,
Speaker:Facebook and from there they call me and people found me
Speaker:and I like that.
Speaker:Right. Okay.
Speaker:Give biz listeners a good point.
Speaker:I just want to bring up in case you're not aware
Speaker:of this for Facebook.
Speaker:Okay. When you open a Facebook business account,
Speaker:it should be linked to your personal page.
Speaker:So you would have your personal page in Maria's case.
Speaker:Okay. Mariah's page and then connected to that would be a
Speaker:business page.
Speaker:The wrong way to do it is to open up a,
Speaker:another separate account that is called your business name.
Speaker:Okay. Cause then it's like a business name.
Speaker:That's really a personal account.
Speaker:If you do that,
Speaker:a couple of things.
Speaker:Number one,
Speaker:you can't do any advertising if it's not a business page.
Speaker:So you can't do advertising on a personal account.
Speaker:Additionally, if you try and make posts on your personal account.
Speaker:So if you were to go on your personal account and
Speaker:do anything where you're suggesting monetary exchanges that is against Facebook
Speaker:rules and your account could be shut down.
Speaker:So really important to understand the difference.
Speaker:So you have a personal account,
Speaker:that's in your name as your real live name.
Speaker:And then if you're going to conduct business,
Speaker:you have a company page with the name of the company,
Speaker:which might also be your name,
Speaker:of course,
Speaker:but that's connected to your personal account.
Speaker:Just exactly the way Mariah has set it up.
Speaker:So perfect.
Speaker:I'm just a side note for anybody who wasn't aware of
Speaker:that. Cause it is really important.
Speaker:I have heard of people getting their entire Facebook accounts shut
Speaker:down, which means any followings,
Speaker:anyone you've ever had is gone.
Speaker:Yeah. They lose everything.
Speaker:Yeah. All right.
Speaker:Quickly. I did not know about the teaching.
Speaker:So I want to jump into this for just a second.
Speaker:At what point did you identify and decide you were going
Speaker:to do teaching and talk us through how that's going Two
Speaker:or three years ago?
Speaker:There was this t-shirt that I went to her classes because
Speaker:she was given a special plus about balloons.
Speaker:She invited me the next year to help her teach him.
Speaker:Should I,
Speaker:you know what I like the way you talk to people,
Speaker:even though I was taking the class,
Speaker:people were assessed with asking question and there was a lot
Speaker:of people in this class.
Speaker:So she didn't have the time to explain to other people
Speaker:what she meant with certain terms or little stuff like that.
Speaker:So then I was sitting around the people and I'll like
Speaker:to help people.
Speaker:I like to share what I know.
Speaker:So I told them,
Speaker:if you don't mind,
Speaker:I can of explain you what you meant with this.
Speaker:And I was trying to help people the class.
Speaker:And she noticed,
Speaker:so she talked to me on the side and I thought
Speaker:she was going to be mad or something.
Speaker:And she said,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:I like it that you're helping me in this class because
Speaker:there's a lot of people that I was in County.
Speaker:And then she asked me to join her the next year
Speaker:to teach the class.
Speaker:So I decided to go.
Speaker:And then she told me,
Speaker:you know what?
Speaker:I ended up coming back to Chicago.
Speaker:Why don't you teach the people that they want to learn?
Speaker:Because I'm not going to have the time it gives classes
Speaker:and other States to gave me the opportunity that if I
Speaker:wanted to teach and I asked her,
Speaker:I don't know if I'll be able to wait in his
Speaker:lap. She told me,
Speaker:I saw you with the people.
Speaker:I show you that you have the patients.
Speaker:I saw you,
Speaker:how you handle it.
Speaker:You can teach people.
Speaker:And from there she,
Speaker:she told them one of the ladies,
Speaker:it was the last day of class and she didn't know
Speaker:anything. And she's like,
Speaker:look, I cannot help you anymore.
Speaker:But getting touch with her,
Speaker:she will help you.
Speaker:And then she told some other friends and some other friends
Speaker:posted pictures that I was giving classes.
Speaker:And now people asked me to teach and how to decorate
Speaker:with loans.
Speaker:So what I do is I give like a beginner's class.
Speaker:What I teach people from the beginning,
Speaker:people that doesn't know anything about wounds,
Speaker:teach them the certain way that you have to inflate the
Speaker:balloons. There's a certain way that you have to tie the
Speaker:balloon. So they actually they're actually passing.
Speaker:Wow. There's a way to get the proper size of the
Speaker:balloons or the decoration actually would look nice and professional.
Speaker:So there's many little details about the balloon industry that is
Speaker:not just blowing up balloons.
Speaker:So I started teaching and I teach a class almost once
Speaker:every three months from the beginners and advanced.
Speaker:That's a nice additional revenue stream for you then too.
Speaker:Yes, it is.
Speaker:It's something that just happened.
Speaker:I wasn't planning on doing it,
Speaker:but it,
Speaker:it was there and I took it and it's been good.
Speaker:I hear that.
Speaker:So often you weren't even thinking that you would teach,
Speaker:but an opportunity presented itself and you grabbed onto it.
Speaker:You never know when that's going to happen,
Speaker:but if you come to your business with an attitude of
Speaker:being open and seeing what else is out there,
Speaker:it can evolve from one thing to another.
Speaker:In this case,
Speaker:you're just adding on top of what you're doing,
Speaker:but really smart because multiple streams of revenue helps secure your
Speaker:business too.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So we are going to go now Maria,
Speaker:into our reflection section.
Speaker:This is a look at you and some other things about
Speaker:you that have helped you to be successful.
Speaker:If you were to think of one natural trait that you
Speaker:have, that's helped you to progress to where you are.
Speaker:What would that be?
Speaker:That will be Cref.
Speaker:I love to do all kinds of crafts.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:I, since I was a little girl,
Speaker:I love to work with my hands.
Speaker:And every craft that I saw at the stars I wanted
Speaker:to do it.
Speaker:I wanted to try it.
Speaker:Scrap with you now is doing floral arrangements.
Speaker:I've been doing,
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you name it.
Speaker:I have worked with almost everything.
Speaker:I learn how to crochet had a need,
Speaker:how to do a little Christmas decorations with felt.
Speaker:I don't know everything.
Speaker:I can even think about it right now because they have
Speaker:a whole section of preface in my house.
Speaker:I used to have a room,
Speaker:but we moved to a smaller place.
Speaker:So<inaudible> difficult work.
Speaker:Laughter the craft supplies can get out of control,
Speaker:Right. Especially when you're going to Michaels and they have this
Speaker:crazy sales.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:Exactly. All right.
Speaker:So I think that because I love craft so much,
Speaker:that's something that he helped me.
Speaker:I love to work with my hands Crafters.
Speaker:Don't really recognize and appreciate that.
Speaker:Not everyone can do that.
Speaker:Not everybody can work with their hands and create something beautiful.
Speaker:So if you have that talent and then you also have
Speaker:that passion,
Speaker:You're lucky.
Speaker:Yeah. That'd be telling me you have so much patience to
Speaker:do that.
Speaker:I can't.
Speaker:I like you have to love what you do.
Speaker:If you don't love what you do,
Speaker:you won't be able to do it.
Speaker:It takes patients to do something.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:you put your heart,
Speaker:you put your soul into it and that's the way it's
Speaker:supposed to be when you love something.
Speaker:Absolutely. That's awesome.
Speaker:Okay. Well,
Speaker:so what Tool do you use regularly in your business or
Speaker:in your personal life to create balance?
Speaker:Is there something you call upon that keeps you all organized
Speaker:and together?
Speaker:I have a book that I read that he helps me
Speaker:a lot.
Speaker:Sometimes there's so many things point in my life and I'm
Speaker:out of grandmother.
Speaker:I have my daughters still live at home right now.
Speaker:I'm taking care of my mother.
Speaker:This is something new for me.
Speaker:Then I have to take care of my home.
Speaker:They have to take care of my business.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:sometimes he gets to be alive to me.
Speaker:So there's this book that I read.
Speaker:It's called it.
Speaker:Claire is by Dale Aston and this book,
Speaker:I read it every month.
Speaker:It's my book forever.
Speaker:It has 31 decorations of what you want for your life.
Speaker:And it declares,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:things like are you texted by your finances,
Speaker:your outlook.
Speaker:So overcoming obstacles,
Speaker:he talks about health,
Speaker:your family decisions,
Speaker:everything about it.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:about putting actions behind my faith and not be passive.
Speaker:And this book sucks about all the stuff.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:everyday says something different.
Speaker:Like one day talks about finding peace in your life and
Speaker:he talks and he gives you a little reflection about,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you have to take it easy.
Speaker:Don't don't over.
Speaker:Think it,
Speaker:pray about it.
Speaker:Putting that teens somebody's tastes talks about decisions.
Speaker:What this is just,
Speaker:am I going to take,
Speaker:am I going to do everything about at the same time
Speaker:a teacher,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:to see what is important?
Speaker:What is not a site?
Speaker:He texts about finances.
Speaker:This book has helped me a lot because he helps me
Speaker:find calm and peacefulness.
Speaker:And I just love to read this book.
Speaker:Wonderful. It's called I declare yes,
Speaker:it's called.
Speaker:I declare it is by a Christian pastor and he's a,
Speaker:I book writer.
Speaker:His name was Joel Austin.
Speaker:Okay, perfect.
Speaker:It's a great book.
Speaker:Like I said,
Speaker:I read it every month because every month is something different.
Speaker:Even though it's the same things in the book.
Speaker:But when you go on to something,
Speaker:I can go back to my work.
Speaker:And I read about,
Speaker:let's say,
Speaker:if I don't know about what I'm thinking,
Speaker:he has a,
Speaker:he has a chapter about all your thoughts.
Speaker:It comes through your mind and how you can handle with
Speaker:it and take it easy piece one A month.
Speaker:You might be encountering different challenges too.
Speaker:So the next time you run into that declaration,
Speaker:it might apply to your life differently.
Speaker:You see it differently just because of your situation keeps changing.
Speaker:Yeah. That's what somebody told me.
Speaker:They're like,
Speaker:you always read that book because you know,
Speaker:everyday there's something new,
Speaker:right? Even though it was yesterday,
Speaker:maybe it was to date the same problem.
Speaker:But you sweat in a different way.
Speaker:You always know there's something new every day.
Speaker:There's something new that's going on in your life.
Speaker:To me,
Speaker:this book has helped me a lot.
Speaker:Wonderful. Okay.
Speaker:Give this listeners just as you're listening to the podcast today,
Speaker:you can also listen to audio books with ease.
Speaker:Since we've been talking about books,
Speaker:I've teamed up with audible and you can get an audio
Speaker:book for free on me.
Speaker:All you need to do is go to gift biz,
Speaker:book.com and make a selection.
Speaker:Okay, Maria,
Speaker:I now invite you to dare to dream.
Speaker:I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box with balloons on top containing unlimited possibilities
Speaker:for your future.
Speaker:This is your dream or your goal of almost unreachable Heights
Speaker:that you would wish to obtain.
Speaker:Please accept this gift and open it in our presence.
Speaker:What is inside your box?
Speaker:It's my aunt's store.
Speaker:Okay. Tell us about this.
Speaker:Your own store.
Speaker:Yes. Is it a retail shop?
Speaker:No, it's a balloon store.
Speaker:It's a balloon store.
Speaker:She had the balloon decorating services to my dream is to
Speaker:have a business that I can really do what I love
Speaker:with no limitations of space.
Speaker:Because since it's a home base,
Speaker:it's a small place.
Speaker:What I have to do my things,
Speaker:but if I have my own place,
Speaker:my own store,
Speaker:I have all the space that I need to do this
Speaker:creation. They are in my mind that I cannot do it
Speaker:because of the space.
Speaker:I know this man.
Speaker:His name is David Mahoney.
Speaker:He's in Texas is separate to successful business.
Speaker:And he has a lot employer system,
Speaker:a lot of jobs and his main inspirations.
Speaker:I really admire this man because he's a humble man and
Speaker:he's always ready to help.
Speaker:And every time that I come through something that I need
Speaker:to do,
Speaker:and I don't know how to do it,
Speaker:he texted me.
Speaker:He tells me,
Speaker:you know what,
Speaker:Maria, you can do it this way.
Speaker:You can do it that way.
Speaker:But because he owns a big place,
Speaker:he can do everything that he tells me to do.
Speaker:And I can't.
Speaker:And I said,
Speaker:thank you.
Speaker:So when I,
Speaker:but then another temperature allows it.
Speaker:I do it in my yard,
Speaker:like building frames,
Speaker:a big arch Or big frames for us,
Speaker:a sculpture or something.
Speaker:So if I have my own store,
Speaker:my own place,
Speaker:that's my dream to have a place where I can actually
Speaker:go like a little warehouse.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:I have all my tools or my materials,
Speaker:everything in order that I don't have to be going through
Speaker:boxes looking here.
Speaker:Well, that sounds like a great dream and a great goal.
Speaker:And I certainly hope that that comes true for you in
Speaker:the future.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:So if there were one place that our listeners would like
Speaker:to link up with you and see some of your balloons
Speaker:and possibly hire you for an event,
Speaker:if they're here locally in Chicago,
Speaker:what would that single place be?
Speaker:Where should they go?
Speaker:And look at your balloon designs?
Speaker:The main picture we'll recommend will be Facebook.
Speaker:Okay. And a business page,
Speaker:right? Yes.
Speaker:My business page that will be around like me events.
Speaker:Now I also have a website which is round like me,
Speaker:that the P web that com and give biz listeners,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:there'll be a show notes page connected with this episode.
Speaker:So if you are out and about,
Speaker:and not able to write down any of that information,
Speaker:you can always access the show notes page and there will
Speaker:be links there so that you will be able to get
Speaker:in touch with Maria.
Speaker:If you,
Speaker:for some reason,
Speaker:just can't capture the information right now.
Speaker:All right,
Speaker:Maria, thank you so much.
Speaker:I really appreciate your taking the time and being with us
Speaker:today and sharing the story.
Speaker:And I really like that we got into this whole concept
Speaker:of the imposter syndrome because it is real.
Speaker:You are a survivor of the syndrome,
Speaker:right? You overcame it because you did not listen to those
Speaker:messages that your mind kept telling yourself.
Speaker:And it's really,
Speaker:it's a really,
Speaker:really important message.
Speaker:So I appreciate that you shared that and I am.
Speaker:So looking forward to the success that you have and hopefully
Speaker:one day you are going to be telling me,
Speaker:Oh, I have a shop.
Speaker:Let me tell you how you can come and visit me.
Speaker:So that would be,
Speaker:that would be our wish for you and Maria.
Speaker:May your candle always burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Where are you in your business building journey,
Speaker:whether you're just starting out or already running a business and
Speaker:you want to know your setup for success.
Speaker:Find out by taking the gift biz quiz,
Speaker:access the quiz from your computer at bit dot L Y
Speaker:slash gift biz quiz or from your phone like texting gift
Speaker:biz quiz to four four,
Speaker:two, two,
Speaker:two. Thanks for listening and be sure to join us for
Speaker:the next episode.
Speaker:Today's show is sponsored by the ribbon print company,
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Speaker:Who've already left a rating by subscribing rating and reviewing help
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