We recently connected with Lauren Barrera and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Here at Love, Seresa we are all about community. I create unique goods rooted in cultural pride. My small business is named after the person who gave me my Filipino roots, my mother Cherry. “Seresa” in Tagalog translates to the word “cherry” in English. I was always taught to take pride in my roots. I am constantly inspired by my two beautifully diverse ethnicities, being both Filipino & Mexican. My business’s name, the colors I used for its branding, and every aspect of Love, Seresa is meant to be a impactful, culturally significant, inclusive and most of all welcoming.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Lauren Barrera and I’m the Owner & Creator of Love, Seresa. I am a first-time entrepreneur who created a small business in the midst of the pandemic, with just an idea and a whole lot of love behind it. I am a full-time small business owner whose designs are inspired by core memories from my childhood growing up Filipino. From the artwork I create, to the merchandise I sell, my goal is to continue to build a brand that helps others reconnect with their own heritage. It’s never too late to embrace where you came from.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My small business Love, Seresa was created back in 2021, after I had a major career shift due to the global pandemic. I was laid off from my full-time job and had to quickly figure out what my next steps were for making a living in a world where so much change was happening for so many. For years prior to embracing these entrepreneurial pursuits, I imagined myself staying in the non-profit sector where I grew a passion for mission-based work. It’s definitely a nerve-racking decision to initiate this type of career pivot. I spent months mulling over potential branding ideas to begin this small business journey. At times the notion of “is this risk, worth the reward,” would run through my mind. Not only is being an entrepreneur daunting financially, but it also forces you to conquer your own fears and doubt. There’s so much beauty in challenging yourself and embracing the unknown, and with owning a small business you experience it all. Owning my small business has been the most rewarding career choice I’ve made thus far in my life. Building a brand from an idea and now seeing an audience of people genuinely enjoy what I create, is surreal. I couldn’t be more grateful to create art that embodies Filipino pride and is able to help others reconnect with their own journey of embracing their roots.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media is definitely a huge part of running your own small business. There are definitely learning curves to mastering any type of social media platform. Trends, algorithms, and your follower number can easily dictate your momentum for your business’s growth. I started growing my audience in the beginning by connecting with small business owners who shared similar mission’s to my own brand. At times, I would reach out to them personally for advice, tips & tricks, and just another perspective on how to manage my business’s social media. The community of small business creators I’ve had the pleasure to talk to have been so supportive and helpful. Not only did those conversations create genuine friendships with fellow entrepreneurs, but it also taught me to have a more out-of-the-box perspective when running my account. I then began doing pop-up events around the community where I could connect with my customers in person. Word of mouth was a huge component to getting a bigger audience on my social media. I also started to do fun collaborations and giveaways with brands where we were able to help highlight Asian American Pacific Islander creators, bringing together such a diverse community of people from around the globe. If I had any advice to someone who is building their social media presence I would say, never lose sight of why you created your business in the first place. It’s very easy to fixate on the challenging areas of social media, but don’t let that hinder your creative process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/LoveSeresa
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/loveseresa
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/laurenranglebarrera

Image Credits
Jennyroso Photography by Jenny Generoso