We recently connected with Basauri Fernandez and have shared our conversation below.

Basauri, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

Anthony Bourdain.

Philanthropist, Chef, Author, and Human.

His philosophy and the way he speaks so passionately about doing whatever the hell you want is what makes the journey worth it.

I was probably about 11 years old when No Reservations aired on TV. I just remember watching him throughout all of those years until they stopped filming and being so captivated by him. I always thought to myself, “Is he allowed to say that on TV?”.

His cynical perspective and risk-filled approach to life paired with his uncanny ability to personally connect with any and all people are what made him a badass, yet very down-to-earth and humble dude.

Essentially, he taught us all to embrace the unknown and I think that’s why I find myself so inspired by him. I was scared of trying something new because what if I wasn’t good at it. I was so scared of failure because what if it was all a waste of time? I was scared of pretty much everything… who wouldn’t be? I took the word “scared” out of my brain and trained myself to think of it as curiosity and excitement instead.

As I’ve gotten older and since I’ve started my own business, I’ve learned that I can only control what I can. I’ve also taught myself that exploring new and unfamiliar territory should never be seen as intimidating and I go into everything with an open mind. It’s good to challenge yourself. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to start over. It’s okay to not love every second of it. It’s okay to be human and feel those emotions and experiences as they come. There’s no rule book for life and I don’t think there should ever be one. We’re all just doing what we can with the time we are given.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started making floral arrangements at the beginning of 2021 and it was a “just for fun” type of thing. Every single one of my friends received one as a part of my gift to them on their birthdays. Shopping for flowers was the best part. I would just go to the grocery store down the street and spend at least an hour looking at the flowers and how I wanted to incorporate them and tailor them based on the personalities of my friends. Next, I go back home and spend at least 3-4 hours making sure everything is as perfect as it can be. Seeing the looks on their faces was just the icing on the cake.

Then came Chingona Flowers. Growing up in South Phoenix and coming from a Spanish and Mexican cultural background, I grew up in an environment where family time was always prioritized. In the same manner, I have come to realize the importance of coming together as a community through my flower business which is a way to express love and gratitude to those who receive one of my arrangements.

I’m a one-woman show and I do it all from my home. However, I’m super lucky to have a close circle that will help me out with anything and everything if I need it. So when you place an order with me my heart melts. Literally. You just tell me what your vision is and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.

I’m most proud of my consistency and growth throughout the process. I currently work a 9-5 schedule throughout the week along with modeling gigs and dance performances, but I’ll always make sure I can prioritize my flowers.

Working with and meeting new people, curating events, having a booth at markets/pop-ups, and creating personal arrangements is a dream and I have the time of my life doing it.

If you know me, you know that I love, love. I hope you feel that same love through my work.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

If you think you’re being annoying, it’s working. Lol.

I built my audience through Instagram, family/friends, and Facebook. I even put it in my work’s communication channel to reach more people.

I feel as though having a personal page and a work page all in one can get a little hectic, so having them separated definitely helps.

The “Insights” tool is probably your best bet. You’re able to view the engagement you got on one post or story, the time/day of the engagement, how many times it was shared, how many accounts (new and old) it reached, etc.

Using that can be helpful when figuring out what time and when to post for the most engagement.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“Work is more important than yourself.”

Part of having a strong work ethic is to take care of yourself. Because if you don’t, your work will suffer.
The misconception people have is that you have to sacrifice your exercise, sleep and rest to show that you’re dedicated to your work. You don’t “sacrifice” your days to spend better days in the future. You live one season of your life to experience another one. I’m still learning how to do this on a daily basis, but the needs of your body and your mental health will always be the #1 priority.

“Failure is the opposite of success.”

You need to experience failure if your goal is to succeed. You have to know what it’s like to have all of the pressure on yourself and use it as motivation to conquer your fears. When we start something, if we fail, we should try to turn it into a success and see the victory in it all, even if we have to start again. I don’t see failure as a negative thing anymore. It’s part of my motivation now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @chingonaflowers