Mexican Botanicals - NOPALERA®

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sandra Velasquez, Founder of NOPALERA®, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Nopalera is a culture-forward Mexican Botanical Bath and Body brand that celebrates and elevates Latino culture while inspiring our community to stand in our worth. Our customers are mostly women who love us for our brand values and earth-conscious products.

Tell us about yourself

I launched Nopalera in the middle of the pandemic from my Brooklyn apartment with no outside funding or savings while working as a CPG sales & distribution manager in New York City. Before this, I was a professional musician. I am motivated by changing the narrative of the value of Latino goods in the marketplace and thus changing how we value ourselves. For decades the beauty industry has been dominated by Western European brands with French and Italian names. We are positioning our culture as aspirational and believe the future of beauty is us aspiring to be ourselves.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Raising 2.7 million dollars after two years of bootstrapping. Building a team and being able to offer them benefits.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Not being able to not think about work.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Begin with the end in mind. Why are you building? Who is it for? Where will it sell? Decide these things up front. Answer hard questions in the beginning.
2. Surround yourself with people who are also building and striving for something bigger.
3. Address any money wounds you have. In order to scale a business, you need to scale yourself. That involves letting go of old belief systems and traumas that kept you small.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://nopalera.co/
Podcast: https://the-nopalera-podcast.captivate.fm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopalera.co/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nopalera_co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nopalera/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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