We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Salazar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I owe so much to my parents. I was raised on a small farm on about an hour outside of Seattle on a little island. I was modeled entrepreneurship – my folks were self employed and had a graphic arts/marketing firm for 40+ years – at first in our home, and then as they grew, in a building next to our home. So day in and day out, I really lived their work with them. I saw the freedom and flexibility it allowed them, their creative processes. They allowed us kids into their world and encouraged us to discover in ourselves what made us unique and what we had to offer the world. I can remember several occasions when I wanted something ( for example a trip to Europe with my soccer team) and having to write a business proposal before meeting with them about it. Then, together we created a plan – and instead of paying for it outright, they matched me dollar for dollar so I could earn the money to go. They have always instilled the value of hard work and confidence in me to forge my own way. There are four of us kids and my brothers and I are all successful full time business owners.
Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
So, Vida + Luz is actually my third product based business. About 15 years ago I created a greeting card line (funny story, the first one was a Mother’s Day card I made for my mama) which grew very quickly and quickly led me to being a full time artist. During this time, I worked with lots of retailers wholesaling my line – including Whole Foods Market stores. I had always been interested in jewelry and went on to create a jewelry line which I was able to pitch to successfully pitch to Whole Foods – and this really started my career working with metals. Vida + Luz was born from my jewelry brand, as it had been a long time idea to scale up earrings and make jewelry for the home. All pieces are handmade from start to finish using hand cut and hand textured raw brass and many include with unique salvaged driftwood from our family farm property.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I am passionate about living bigger than myself and helping other women to realize their full, God-given potential. I believe that the woman is the heart of every society across the world. When women are empowered, their families and communities thrive. Wipe Every Tear is an organization in Manila, Philippines that exists to bring freedom, hope and a future to precious girls and women trafficked in the s*x trade.
5% of Vida + Luz net proceeds directly supports Wipe Every Tear and their fight to end s*x trafficking in the Philippines.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of what I do is the freedom it brings. The freedom to express myself creatively and without limits, to encourage and inspire others to do the same. I am able to create my own schedule, homeschool my two kiddos, travel and camp often and incorporate our love for the outdoors into what I do. I’d make weird art even if it wasn’t my job – it’s just a bonus that I get to share it with the world and make a living doing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vidaandluz.com/
- Instagram: @vida_and_luz
- Other: Wholesale link: https://vidaandluz.faire.com