We were lucky to catch up with Nikki Iglesias recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Honesty – From the beginning of my small business journey, I joked with clients that I was a terrible sales person because 1 – I would never sell something I didn’t love or would wear myself 2- If the earring was heavy or maybe didn’t flatter the client the way it should, I would tell them. Sometimes I lost the sale, but most of the time, women appreciated my honesty and not only purchased from me, but became repeat customers and told their friends and family about me. Palmina’s goal is help you feel beautiful; to elevate an already gorgeous outfit and be the cherry on top of the sundae.

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?

My name is Nikki, serial shopper and lover of all things shiny and sparkly! Shortly after becoming a mom, I realized that working in corporate America was great because it paid the bills and provided stability but that I wanted a creative outlet, a way to connect with my community and help women feel beautiful. While at a small shop I fell in love with some earrings and when I checked the price tag, I gasped when I saw $60. This is not an item I am going to keep forever. In fact, it was a pair of earrings I would likely wear once or twice. There had to be a way to make trendy accessories more affordable. I started doing my research, traveling, buying, selling and realized I had an eye for this. My honesty, price point, and top quality items have kept people coming back.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Be authentic! I can not tell you how many accounts I follow, because I love their product or content, but when I have met them in person, they are a huge disappointment. Everyone has a bad day but being fake and only doing things “for the gram” is something I just can’t swallow.

I am real and authentic and I think that’s what resonates with my followers. While my audience may not be huge, it grows daily and it has all been organic, something I am very proud of!

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Palmina started exclusively selling via Instagram and then moved online (www.shoppalmina.com). The e-commerce platform world was scary and intimidating and we put it off for as long as possible. When we decided to go online, we went with Shopify for their amazing reputation, excellent customer service and user friendly interface. Once we went online, it increased the trust factor. We became “real” in a sense. While there is a lot of manager online, Shopify was a great choice for us as it helps keep us organized.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shoppalmina.com
• Instagram: @shop.palmina

Image Credits
Blissfulhaze Photography Photos by Jenise