We were lucky to catch up with Rain Agullana recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rain, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I would say positive outlook in life, perseverance and and being grateful in life will get you to where you want to be. I wanted to share a story of one of the reasons why I work hard. When I was working at a restaurant, my former boss and I were chatting about her child. I asked her how old was her child, and she answered with the number same as my age. Then I responded “Oh, were the same age” in which she replied with “My son is different than you, he already has a degree”. When I heard that, my heart was kind of broken but in my mind, I said to myself, “Challenge accepted”. I did not want others to belittle me just because I did not have my degree yet back then. What my boss told me motivated me to push myself harder. I did not want others to limit my potential and define what I am capable of doing according to my educational attainment back then. During that time, I worked 4 jobs while working on my bachelors. I kept being optimistic and being grateful of every blessing I receive. I wanted to share that story to inspire others so they can use something negative to have a positive outcome.

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

Hi! My name is Rain Agullana. Originally from the Philippines. I currently run PenPal and Digital Art By Rain

I started my microbusinesses during the pandemic. I did not know what the future holds that time, so to help me financially, I started to think what I can offer or create and earn from it. I started Digital Art By Rain to offer digital wedding invites services and later on expanded to offering small business services (digital flyers, business card designs and other business needs). I used this business as my outlet. Using my creativity is therapeutic and helps me de-stress after long work hours at my day job.

Months later I started PenPal, where I sell stationeries, knick-knacks and Kpop inspired products. I started my PenPal out of love for stationery. One day, when I got assigned to work from home. As I was trying to convert our extra room into a home office, I realized that I have collected more than enough stationeries for myself. That’s when I knew I had to sell them. I started making grab packs filled with different stationeries. And when I got done, I asked myself “how much am I willing to pay if I am buying these stationeries?”, that’s how I came up with a flat price of $1 for the stationeries that I will be selling. As days go by, I launched my Instagram shop called ‘PenPal’. It means: “ people who write to each other, particularly via postal mail ”. I came up with that name because, I use my stationeries to write letters to love ones or friends. I later on added Kpop items to my shop because of my love for BTS.

My brand is about spreading positivity and happiness through my products. I am most proud of what our community here in Houston have become. When I started doing pop-ups, I never thought that I would get the love and support that Houstonians would shower me. I also have gained out of state customers through making Instagram reels and Tiktoks. I am also proud of the co-vendors and organizers I have met along the way. Not only did they help me grow but I also saw how we lift up each other.

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

I had to unlearn extreme planning. Before, my younger self would always have a very detailed plan ahead of time. And if things does not go my way, I would always get upset. I had to learn via hard way that everything does not go according to what I had planned. And that there is always a reason why things do not go my way sometimes. I have realized that I have to change my perspective in life and to calm myself for when unexpected things happen. And most of the time, life surprises us. When things doesn’t seem to be falling into place, that’s actually the time where you would learn your strengths. You just have to keep going and not quit. You will never see the best things that life can offer if you have not gone through challenges.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I always make sure that I reply to my customers’ messages. Most of the time I become friends with them. And whenever they have victories in life, I send them little gifts, to let them know that someone appreciates them. I make sure that each customer know that they are important to me and that I am grateful for them. After all, they are the ones who supported me and got me to where I am right now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @PenPalHTX
• Facebook: PenPal HTX