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

Paulina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?

As an 18-year-old owning an online jewelry business with my mom, our remote working has been difficult to get used to, but worth it. Leveraging digital platforms, clear task delegation, and open communication have been instrumental in maintaining our productivity. Potential pitfalls include the challenge of balancing school commitments, high school, and now college, with remote work and ensuring consistent communication despite distance. However, the non-obvious benefits are the flexibility to continue pursuing my passion for jewelry while furthering my education. Working remotely allows me to stay connected to my business, collaborate with my mom, and maintain the joy of doing what I love.

Paulina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Vita Ambita is the Coveted Life!

A mixture of contemporary and trendy jewelry.

Here you’ll find all the style and the fashion that you need and want.

When I was a little girl I always loved making beaded and rubber band necklaces and bracelets, mixing colors and beads, making a variety so they could match with my outfits. As I grew older, I started selling my handmade jewelry to my family, and friends, and I knew I had a special talent for it. After moving to the United States, when I was around 13 years old I told my Mom that I wanted to start a serious jewelry business, and after a lot of convincing, our business was born. Brainstorming for names, I knew I wanted something catchy and cool, but also different, so we came up with “Vita Ambita”, which translates from Italian to “coveted life”. Having a set name for my business, and the support of my parents, I started bringing it to life. Any free time I had, I would spend it making and crafting jewelry which would then be posted on our website and social media. Two years later, we are growing followers by the minute and receiving multiple orders a day. With the help of fashion bloggers and social media influencers, we’ve reached a high amount of followers and a lot more recognition. I had a routine everyday, going to school and coming home to my “jewelry corner” to fulfill packages, make more jewelry and share it to our followers. As I got older, and saw my friends looking for jobs, it made me extremely proud that I convinced my mom to let me start this business; I was doing what I loved while gaining well-earned money. However, as I reached my last two years of high school, responsibilities and tasks filled my plate. Even though Vita Ambita was owned by my mom and I, and at first I would do most of the work, when this time reached, we had to split the work and she started helping me more than she already was. Without my mom being there, Vita Ambita wouldn’t be where it is today, it probably wouldn’t even be a thing anymore. By this time, seeing how much our store had grown and the amount of orders we were getting every week, we concluded that it would be smart to transition it into a family business, in which all four member of my family contributed in a small way, whether it is taking the packages to the post office, picking up materials, advertising, or just wearing the jewelry and taking pictures of it. Having Vita Ambita taught me more tools than I imagined it would; it taught me responsibility, trust, consistency, time-management, and most importantly that when you’re doing what you love, it’s always possible to make it happen, no matter the obstacles.

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

Building an audience on social media has been a challenging yet vital aspect of our journey as business owners. In today’s world, establishing a robust social media presence is crucial for effective marketing. Personally, I’ve found that understanding the customer’s perspective and creating content that resonates with them is essential. To begin, envision yourself as the customer and curate content that you’d find engaging and valuable.

Staying updated with current trends, being consistent in posting content, and engaging with the audience are key strategies we’ve employed. However, I must admit, mastering social media marketing is an ongoing learning process. While we haven’t perfected it yet, some advice I’d offer to those starting out is to immerse yourself in the platform, create genuine and relatable content, maintain a consistent presence, and leverage analytics to understand what works best for your audience. Remember, authenticity and relevance are key to building a loyal and engaged following on social media.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Last year, my senior year of high school was transformative in shaping my entrepreneurial mindset, largely thanks to a college-level business class and my involvement in DECA, a fantastic business and entrepreneurship club. These experiences were pivotal in honing my management, financial, and overall business skills, directly impacting Vita Ambita’s growth.

The resources provided by the business class and DECA equipped me with invaluable knowledge, laying the groundwork for Vita Ambita’s success today. Specifically, my participation in DECA’s competition where I crafted a comprehensive 20-page business growth plan for Vita Ambita was a game-changer. Winning first place at the state level validated the strength of my strategies and plans.

Implementing the strategies outlined in that winning business growth plan into Vita Ambita’s real-world operations has been a gradual but rewarding journey. While it takes time, the results have been substantial, and I owe a great deal of gratitude to DECA and the business class for instilling in me the skills and insights necessary for managing and growing Vita Ambita. Their impact on my entrepreneurial journey is truly immeasurable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vitaambita.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/vita.ambita?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@vita.ambita?_t=8hQ0CmLAalv&_r=1