We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Violet Maldonado. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Violet below.
Violet, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
A lot of my mission connects to my desire to create visibility in spaces. As someone who has both lost my family support system, multiple jobs, and even medical care due to my identity, it’s very important to use my voice to create visibility for others that have my same experience. Unfortunately there are many people in our state that would have us believe that being trans is a sickness or a negative thing, however I believe that despite the opposition, our spirit will prevail. That desire extends into every element of what I do – drag, photography, events, and coffee.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My purpose is to create safe daytime spaces that support LGBTQ+ people. I do that in 4 main ways – coffee, drag, events, and photography. My company Ferocity Coffee is a local coffee pop-up that makes homemade syrups and limited release craft drinks. I’ve seen the impact that visibility and day to day interactions have on people that don’t usually come across trans people from working at my last coffee job. After I was wrongfully fired when new ownership took over the coffee shop despite my 3 year tenure with the company, I decided to share what had happened online, since I didn’t have any family support to face that challenge. To my surprise almost every regular and relationship I had built over the course of those 3 years came back in a positive way. 15k people saw my story and created the platform I have now to have my own business and share about my experience as a trans woman. I got to speak to many people about the positive impact my visibility had on them when they came into the shop I worked, and I’m determined to continue building through my business and reinvesting into others like me.
Layer number 2 is drag and events. Through the revenue generated in my coffee business, I’ve started putting together events that showcase the diversity in our community. Perhaps my proudest moment came when I organized the event Gala of Ghouls this October. I got to work with some of my favorite performers and put on this big Pride Halloween party at the Veranda. We had so many people of different backgrounds come together to enjoy drag and have a good time! I hosted the show that evening as my drag alter ego Kissa Death – my personal embodiment of endurance and sass against all of my personal hurdles.
Lastly, my photography company The Dollographer is what I use to capture moments where people are sharing their art in a way that’s important to them. My goal there is the same; to create empowerment by providing visibility to people that otherwise would not have that opportunity. My goal is to make people feel beautiful and comfortable in who they are. I shoot drag events, burlesque, studio portraiture, and live shows. It’s honestly one of the most thrilling parts of my life because it’s a way I get to give back.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy in growing my community has been collaboration. The more present I am to provide support to the people around me that are doing great things, the more likely I am to meet likeminded people. I really think that’s what it’s all about. If we were to look at it more from a marketing standpoint, it’s all about understanding your target market and who you want to connect with through what you do. It’s also important to note that generosity and kindness is the foundation for people to want to support what you do, not the other way around. Perhaps the most effective way to grow is to find a way to give back!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I actually have been fired twice this year, once wrongfully and the second time due to staff cuts. It’s really hard to not internalize the impact that those things have on you. When things out of your control happen, we often aim a lot of the criticism and hatred towards ourselves, when most of the time we don’t have the foresight to see things coming. I have had to do a lot of internal work and rely on my support system to remind me of who I am when my circumstances don’t line up. The core of resilience is remembering who you are and how capable you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ferocitycoffee.com/galaofghouls
- Instagram: @_runvioletrun @ferocity.coffee @kissa.death @galaofghouls
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004316236046
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-maldonado-958270bb/
- Twitter: @runvirun
Image Credits
The Dollographer and @emmyshouseinthehouse