We recently connected with Helen Bolanos and have shared our conversation below.

Helen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Like many small businesses today, it all started during the pandemic. My job sent us all to work from home which was new to me. Existing during a pandemic was new to me. I didn’t know what to do with all this time on my hands. The news was only getting worse and with every passing day, it felt like I was melting right into the couch. I then realized I needed to start being active, I needed to cope with this new world differently. I marched down to the craft store with my mask strapped to my face, grabbed a tub of air dry clay and some paint. I sat down and created my first jewelry tray. I did not know what I was doing but I was having fun. I wasn’t watching the news and I wasn’t mindlessly scrolling on social media. A few jewelry trays later, I thought, “what else can I make with clay?”…clay earrings came into the picture and it changed my world. People were intrigued by what I was creating. I realized I was good at this. In the 29 years of my life, I had never sold anything before but people were asking if they could buy my earrings. So, I set up an Etsy Shop on August 9, 2020 and I am still going. The excitement I felt when I made my first sale was like having butterflies in your stomach. I couldn’t believe that I did that. I was always the type of person that would try something and just easily give up. But this new-found passion sparked a joy in me that It’s actually harder for me to give this up now.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Helen Bolanos and I am the Maker and Owner of Artezina & Co., a unique and eclectic handmade jewelry company that specializes in clay earrings, pressed flower earrings, wire-wrapped beaded hoop earrings and now offering gold-filled jewelry and pressed flower frames. All pieces, with the exception of the gold-filled jewelry, are all slow-made by me right in my craft room at home. This business is a one woman show and I take pride in knowing that I have built this business from the ground up all on my own. I started with making clay earrings on my Etsy Shop to now having my own website, participated in various vendor markets and popup shops all around Long Island, Queens Brooklyn, The Bronx and Manhattan, selling my products in two boutiques, one in New York and one in Miami International Mall and also did a Kiosk Popup at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in New Jersey. In high school, I was reserved and kept to myself and very shy. The thought of doing a class presentation made me sick. If you had told me that this is what I would be doing in the future, running a small business, speaking to different people, putting myself out in the public eye for the world to see me and what I do, I would’ve thought you got the wrong person. I’m so proud of the growth that I’ve made not only business wise but personally as well. This venture has allowed me to become the person and mentor that I needed when I was younger.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Just recently, when I was prepping for my 3 day Kiosk Popup in New Jersey, I was also prepping for another vendor event that was taking place simultaneously on Long Island that a dear friend of mine was going to run my booth for me. This was my biggest event ever. Having the opportunity to showcase my brand in a mall setting was something I had never done before. I was filled with nerves and stress but mostly excitement. Then, everything came to a sudden stop. My father had to be rushed to the hospital unexpectedly the day before I had to leave to NJ. Everything was happening all at once and my stress level went from 1,000 to 10,000. I didn’t know what to do but being that the rental fee for the kiosk popup was already paid for, it was too late to back out. I left to NJ by myself while my mother stayed with my father. I cried halfway driving to my NJ Air BNB with my phone glued to my hand in case my mother called with any updates about my father’s progress. But if it’s one thing my parents have taught me, it’s that with everything you do in life, put 100% effort into it. Never do things half heartedly. There’s a saying in Spanish that my dad has always said to me before every soccer game I played when I was little and it’s “ponte las pilas.”, which means to put on your batteries. So in true dad fashion, Friday morning, first day running my kiosk, I put on my batteries, got my cup of coffee and brought my kiosk to life with my handmade jewelry. That weekend was an emotional rollercoaster but I powered through it and if I can handle that, I can handle anything.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I think just being my authentic self really helped me build an audience. As a creator, people want to see how the product is made so doing behind the scenes videos really helped to keep the audience locked in knowing that what I make is truly handmade. There are days when it’s a struggle and sometimes I don’t want to show my face on camera so having back up content of packaging videos, or BTS, or having pictures/videos from a popup shop that I participated in has really helped. If you are doing a popup shop, make sure to introduce yourself to the other vendors and follow them on social media so you can maintain that connection once the event is over. Connection and authenticity is key.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artezinaco.com
• Instagram: @artezina.co