Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gina Martirano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My mom has always supported my dreams from a young age. When I think of strength and grace, my mom comes to mind. I was privileged to have such a loving and supportive mother raise me and show me what it means to work hard and show up for your loved ones. Throughout the years, my mom has encouraged me to follow my heart and my dreams. She made me feel like I could do anything that I put my mind to. I come from a family of very strong, Italian women. I look up to them as the matriarchs of my family and am inspired by them daily.

I was never really great or successful at traditional school. From a young age, I felt like there was something different about my learning style as well as my interests and goals. My mom supported me when I held interests in more artistic activities such as interior decorating, photography, fashion, and graphic design. When it came time to look at colleges, I had a list of art schools that I wanted to tour. My mom encouraged me to look at these schools, especially once we went on a visit and I expressed that I finally felt like I fit in and was actually excited about school for the first time!

Her support has got me to where I am today. From completing my undergraduate degree in Fashion Marketing and going on to receiving my Masters in Fashion and Retail Management. Moving my career in different industries from fashion, cosmetics, yoga and now to the wine industry. Now, alongside working full-time in Marketing, I own an online boutique, Shop Empathic, that carries small-batch products and accessories from mostly woman-owned and family-run brands. I continuously put my heart into my business, and it truly is my passion and love. I’ve been successful in this because I have a huge support team behind me, including my mom. She will help me with pop-up events, packaging orders, dropping them off at the post office, etc. I couldn’t do it without the help, love, and support of my amazing family and friends.

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

I always knew from a young age that I was more of a creative person than analytical. It wasn’t until high school when I took classes in photography, computer arts, and interior design, that I realized I not only have a passion for the arts, but I am also pretty good at them too. I do believe that these classes shaped my interest in selecting an art school for both my undergrad and graduate studies.

From there, I have worked in different industries including cosmetics, fashion, wine, fitness, etc. Now, I work full-time in Marketing for a wine retailer and also own a small-business, Shop Empathic, an online shop with small-batch products and accessories. I have used much of my previous and current experience to open my online boutique. My experience in fashion buying and merchandising has helped me select products to sell. We carry products that are mostly from woman-owned or family-run brands.

My experience in Marketing and design has helped me with the selling and visual aspect of my business. I enjoy creating content, but have noticed just how hard it is when you are doing it all yourself!

Running your own business truly is a work of heart. It takes a lot of time, determination, and sometimes some tears. It’s very rewarding when you interact with customers that like and support your brand. It’s hard at times when you run into roadblocks, customer issues, or product issues.

At the end of the day, all of it is beyond worth it! My goal is to continue bringing small-batch products and accessories to Empaths nationwide (and eventually worldwide). I would love to have a storefront where we can host events for locals to come in and feel a sense of community when they shop as well as to mingle and attend special events. All of our products have a unique story whether it’s handmade woven coasters from women in Rwanda, or a local Chicago business owner who also works full-time but creates jewelry on the side as a passion project.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I find inspiration from other strong women and leaders. A few of my favorites authors and fearless leaders are:

– Brené Brown
– Michelle Obama
– Glennon Doyle
– Tabitha Brown
– Viola Davis
– Valerie Bertinelli
– Sophia Amaruso

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The biggest resources I wish I knew earlier in my career were books and podcasts. Finding inspiration from other fearless leaders and there are so many of them out there, and most of them have written books or have their own podcast shows. I find that days where I feel unmotivated, I can pull quotes from authors I enjoy, listen to a motivating podcast, or look at the success of others, as well as the detours they experienced along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: shopempathic.com
• Instagram: shop.empathic
• Facebook: shop.empathic
• Twitter: shop.empathic