Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Kazera.

Hi Jasmine, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

As a child I always knew I was creative and wanted to own my own business in some capacity. When I was younger I had dreams of becoming an ophthalmologist and owing my own practice. However, my plans changed during undergraduate school. I completed school and landed a corporate job in the health field but my creativity was still there.

My first business came about when I paired together my love for travel and writing. I began a travel blog called Traveling Through Life with a Wine Glass Half Full, where I wrote about my travel experiences, giving travel tips and advice all from the positive perspective. My blog started to gain some traction and eventually I wanted to give my readers a tangible product so I introduced wineglasses.

My first batch of wineglasses were outsourced until I realized I could make them myself. That’s when A Wine Glass Half Full was born, A Wine Glass Half Full offers hand designed wineglasses meant to bring a smile to every customer’s face as they offer vibrant colors full of bling and they are also customizeable.

My newest business came about after my first and only son was born in 2020. I was in grad school at the time getting a masters degree in English and Creative Writing. I knew I wanted to take my writing further but wasn’t sure how. Eventually I came up with the idea to write children’s books. The books would have my son, Amari as they main character and they would talk about travel, our favorite thing. I introduced Amari to travel at a young age and I strive to teach other families like ours that travel can be fun, educational and attainable no matter your circumstance. Our books also strive to bring representation to the world of literature and travel.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

I built my businesses both A Wine Glass Half Full and Amari on the Go Books from the ground up without any experience in owning a business or the logistics. I did lots of research and made a lot of mistakes along the way. In the beginning you don’t quite realize everything that goes in to it as far as money and time investments, building websites, fulfilling orders, marketing etc. The road was not exactly smooth but it took time and patience, and I am also still earning.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

A Wine Glass Half Full- I create hand designed wineglasses with various designs. Most of my designs represent African American culture but I also do fun seasonal designs, sports, quotes etc. I try to make it a point to offer special customization and personalization on my glasses so each person can feel like it is made especially for them.

Amari on the Go Books- This is a series about a young African American boy who travels and goes on adventures with his mom. We have 2 books so far, The ABCs of Travel and Amari Visits Jamaica. Our books are unique because we specifically promote travel and we want families to understand that travel does not have to be to the most far away place, it can simply be getting out of your house and enjoying a new experience together.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?

Some qualities that have been most important to my success are patience and my ability to continue to learn. Owning your own business is a continued learning experience, every day on the job is completely different from the previous day, giving you another opportunity to learn and grow. With this, you also need patience, success certainly does not come over night.

Pricing:

• Pricing for my wineglasses range from $20-$30
• Books $15.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wineglasshf.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awineglasshalffull
• Other: https://www.amarionthegobooks.com

Image Credits

Pictures taken by me