Today we’d like to introduce you to Yolimar Hernandez

Hi Yolimar, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

It’s been two years since my little family made the huge move from all we knew back in Jersey, to living in Puerto Rico. I started my own small businesses back in New Jersey, but after moving to Puerto Rico, it has grown into being my purpose. My side hustle back home, has become my sole income now. Taking this leap to move with my husband and kids has put more pressure on making things happen. God has closed many doors I felt I was trying to keep open as a “just in case” or more so like a safety net, but also opened my eyes to more opportunities I was overlooking. My freetime, my self control, my time management, and my self motivation, all seemed to be masked and set aside while working a normal job just to keep that security blanket feeling of residual income. Now, I invest the stress of still having to pay bills into my time managment to prioritize my agenda and planner to book braid clients for Barrio Braids, and create content for digital products and other services to sell on Chewy’s Trove. It’s been a lot of trial and error, and I’m sure there is plenty more that will be put into perspective of what works and what sells, but I’m here for all of it.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I don’t believe anything worth having is a smooth road, and my journey has most definitely been a bumpy one to say the least. Sometimes I may not be able to create content, or even have the energy to WANT to get up for myself. I think that’s probably one of the hardest parts of pushing your own business and trying to remain creative, the self-discipline. In a job, you’re programmed to show up on time, clock in, do your job, clock out, and go about your day. Now, when you have the “freedom” as a small business owner, you need the self-discipline to get up, to show up, to push yourself, because if you don’t, well, nothing gets done and you make no progress or money. I’ve also struggled with networking, and showing up to more people IN PERSON. During the 2020 virtual boom, social media really created an outlet for networking, but here in Puerto Rico the in person contact is crucial. I am not the most sociable person at all times, but when it comes to work I AM. My resume is full of customer service work experience, and I need to put that into much more work for MYSELF and my businesses. We are all human and in that we tend to limit ourselves once obstacles get in the way. It’s important to push through them, find ways, outlets, and motivation to get the momentum back in moving towards your goals and along your journey.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

Barrio Braids is my braiding business here in Naguabo, Puerto Rico. I am a self-taught braider who has been improving and branching out with different styles as they come. I specialize in boxed braids, and cornrows both with or without extensions and I’m known for my knotless goddess braids and boho jumbo braids. What sets me apart from others is that I am very transparent with my clients and possible clientele. If someone’s hair is really short, I advise them to wait a bit to get braided by me, not that it isn’t possible to braid their hair, it’s just a service I do not feel comfortable providing being the hair will be excessively pulled. Most of my clients tend to fall asleep while getting their hair braided and I do take pride in that because I have also had a handful of clients who have never gotten braids done before.

Chewy’s Trove is my miscellaneous shop where we provide many different services from paper decorations for events, digital products for social media or flyers, digital business tools, custom logos, custom attire, custom stickers, and lots of self-care products from soaps and sugar scrubs to hair oils and tea. Chewy’s Trove has been my miscellaneous shop since 2020 and I brought it over, because I am someone who loves to be able to provide a service or product at affordable prices. What I am known for most here is my turn around time. YES you can order online plenty custom things, but for it to get here in Puerto Rico on time for last minute things, yeah I get that call. Digital products you have limits to how many edits can be made, and my attention to detail is what sets me aside there. I refuse to put out products or provide services that feel incomplete, or that my client does not LOVE.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?

Many people know my work and my brand, but they don’t know that I am a complete clown. I goof off ALL THE TIME. I love to sing but I can’t sing well so my kids enjoy blind karaoke with me screaming and howling. My husband knows that I can make a joke at any given moment to liven to mood. Most people just see me and assume I’m this quiet and to herself type of person, which I am, until I’m comfortable or with my kind of people where I can really just crack jokes and have a great time laughing. I love to laugh.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/chewystrove/chewys-trove?authuser=0
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barriobraids/reels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barriobraids/