We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alejandra Chahwan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alejandra, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

So, before we jump into specific questions about my business. I want give you some details about me and my story. I’m a lawyer and also I was a politician from Venezuela, since I was 10 years old, I used to create beautiful accessories for women.
I was always a creative person who loves creating things with my hands.
During the political crisis in my country, I realized that I couldn’t have a future as a lawyer or politicians so it got me depressed, I didn’t know what to do with my degree.
I felt like life made no sense but when I felt lost my best friend from law school suggested me to create my own brand of woman accessories which she wanted to be a part of it, I wasn’t in the mood for it but I told her: Yes, just to be polite.

A week later, she called me to tell me that she bought all the materials in order to start the business and I didn’t have another option that started the company. I didn’t want to start a new project because I was depressed but the moment I started creating things with my hands, my mind change and my depression disappeared. I rediscovered happiness. I don’t have words to explain how magical it feels creating things with my hands.

I started making fabrics headband and fashion turbans, then headbands for little girls, then flowercrown, diadems, tiaras for brides, baptism, first communion but always innovating and following the fashion trends. I started in Venezuela then Mexico and Panama and after 10 years of hard work we’re now located in Miami, Florida offering more than just flowercrown we do wedding, corporate and social floral and balloon decorations.

If you ask me if it has been a smooth road? I will tell you.No, it hasn’t.

It has been hard but not impossible. It is normal for most start-ups or any new venture to face difficulties; similar to babies learning to walk… they try and try but fall many times. Until one day, with perseverance, their steps connect and it all works out.

Imagine a child afraid to walk and not wanting to make an effort to walk, the eventual result would be a grown-up in a wheelchair missing out on one of the most spectacular things of life (the privilege to walk). We certainly don’t remember process since we were babies but I’m pretty sure that it was difficult and caused some pain but we sure are grateful for sticking with the process and pushing ourselves.

My suggestion for these young women who want to start or try something new is to stop thinking too much, act like this little courageous baby and take the first step of following your heart.

JUST DO IT! What’s the worst that can happen? Failure? And what’s the problem? Everybody fails but this is the point of life without failing, we don’t have an opportunity to learn and improve, so don’t think too much and dare to dream I’m pretty sure you are gonna be a success.

What I’m proud the most of my job is that it feels like a gift from God; I didn’t have to go to school for it, it just came naturally. Somewhat like a hidden treasure inside of me that I was fortunate to discover.

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?

So, before we jump into specific questions about my business. I want give you some details about me and my story. I’m a lawyer and also I was a politician from Venezuela, since I was 10 years old, I used to create beautiful accessories for women.
I was always a creative person who loves creating things with my hands.
During the political crisis in my country, I realized that I couldn’t have a future as a lawyer or politicians so it got me depressed, I didn’t know what to do with my degree.
I felt like life made no sense but when I felt lost my best friend from law school suggested me to create my own brand of woman accessories which she wanted to be a part of it, I wasn’t in the mood for it but I told her: Yes, just to be polite.

A week later, she called me to tell me that she bought all the materials in order to start the business and I didn’t have another option that started the company. I didn’t want to start a new project because I was depressed but the moment I started creating things with my hands, my mind change and my depression disappeared. I rediscovered happiness. I don’t have words to explain how magical it feels creating things with my hands.

I started making fabrics headband and fashion turbans, then headbands for little girls, then flowercrown, diadems, tiaras for brides, baptism, first communion but always innovating and following the fashion trends. I started in Venezuela then Mexico and Panama and after 10 years of hard work we’re now located in Miami, Florida offering more than just flowercrown we do wedding, corporate and social floral and balloon decorations.

If you ask me if it has been a smooth road? I will tell you.No, it hasn’t.

It has been hard but not impossible. It is normal for most start-ups or any new venture to face difficulties; similar to babies learning to walk… they try and try but fall many times. Until one day, with perseverance, their steps connect and it all works out.

Imagine a child afraid to walk and not wanting to make an effort to walk, the eventual result would be a grown-up in a wheelchair missing out on one of the most spectacular things of life (the privilege to walk). We certainly don’t remember process since we were babies but I’m pretty sure that it was difficult and caused some pain but we sure are grateful for sticking with the process and pushing ourselves.

My suggestion for these young women who want to start or try something new is to stop thinking too much, act like this little courageous baby and take the first step of following your heart.

JUST DO IT! What’s the worst that can happen? Failure? And what’s the problem? Everybody fails but this is the point of life without failing, we don’t have an opportunity to learn and improve, so don’t think too much and dare to dream I’m pretty sure you are gonna be a success.

What I’m proud the most of my job is that it feels like a gift from God; I didn’t have to go to school for it, it just came naturally. Somewhat like a hidden treasure inside of me that I was fortunate to discover.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It’s hard to leave your country and move to another country but you know what is the hardest part, trying to be an entrepreneur in a foreign country, where nobody knows you. It’s hard to survive and follow your dreams when you don’t have sales because if nobody knows you, nobody will buy something from you and I knew that because moving. That’s why I had a plan, of course this plan didn’t go 100% as I planned it but at least I had one and I was focus on my dreams. First I moved to Panama, starting from scratch then move again to Miami and start from scratch one more time.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was working hard trying to introduce my brand to Miami market. I invested all my money and when I was about to make It happened the pandemic started and I had zero dollar in my bank account.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sugarcollectionsmiami.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugar_collections/

Image Credits
Luis Arismendi @PhotoMiamiPro