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

Yolimar, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I would say this journey of mine started way before it was even in motion. I have always been one who procrastinates when it comes to myself, but in a normal work environment I get lost in making sure everything is done and on time. I found myself realizing that if I could put all that effort into someone else’s business or company, I should be able to do so for me! It had become a dream of mine to become a business owner. I wanted to have a few businesses running to provide a variety of things. But I knew that in order for those businesses to get off the ground the way I envisioned, I wanted to build them from scratch. I wanted to set a foundation and one day be able to provide a comfortable work environment for others as a great boss. I think as creatives we can all relate to finding our minds run on 1,000 miles a minute with ideas and brainstorms, and my way of trying to organize all of the chaos is by writing it down. I started doodling and sketching up a logo, playing with names, and eventually had quite a few “aha” moments. I’d often find myself running on a hamster wheel because another issue I’d run into was having to pick one or two things. I had come to the realization that I dropped out of college because I was overwhelmed by the thought of picking a major. Sounds crazy I know, but here I was trying to figure out what my “niche” was, what kind of service I was trying to provide, and honestly, I’m still a bit all over the place. I’m being as transparent as possible in case anyone else is a jack-of-all-trades kind of person and narrowing down to one or two things is not as simple as it seems because we get bored fast.

It was during the pandemic in 2020 when I really decided okay, I want to have an official LLC. At the time I was living in Newark, New Jersey and had already been networking via multiple social media platforms with other entrepreneurs. I got home after a very long and overwhelming day of work and just went straight to my laptop. Out of all the ideas running through my mind, I made the decision to go with a business I would be most passionate about. I had been collecting rocks since the 3rd grade. A trip to the Liberty Science Center sparked that interest when I bought my very first crystal. It grew to knowing the science behind the minerals and geology, to then the magical aspects for a metaphysical shop. I used a few search engines to find out how to file for an LLC in New Jersey and came across quite a few great sites and guides. Then came the EIN number, and any terms I really wasn’t familiar with I looked them up. I was doing everything on my own because as a mom of 4 I didn’t have the funds to pay an outside source to get the paperwork done for me. So, wherever I was able to save a few bucks, I did. My very first official business was RATYKL MAGIC LLC (pronounced Radical but spelled that way being it’s the initial of each of my kids, my husband, and my name). I felt such a rush when I received the email confirmations and was able to share with my family that I finally went through with it. As I waited for some documents to come in the mail, I was creating social media pages, templates on different apps that I could incorporate my logo and promoting those pages via my personal ones. I also paid for a table in my very first pop-up shop so that I can utilize the wait time to prep. Another business I had wanted to start up was one of custom crafts, so I utilized that to make my own stickers, business cards, table cards to label things, and prepare as much as I could ahead of time to keep my momentum.

In a few days I gained a couple hundred followers, as well as likes. It was a good feeling because I see all growth as progress. I felt like I was beginning to really take MYSELF serious as a business owner and that is what kept me focused. Something I’ve always had issues with was pricing. So, I took the time to make pricing stickers and table cards so that each item had its price, and I had no room to question myself or bargain my products. Taking the step to sign up for the pop-up event was a huge plus for me because it helped tremendously with promoting my business as a participant. When the day came, I was extremely nervous, but thank God I had a huge support system in my family. They not only came to help me set up, but they stood and supported the other small business owners, were actively posting on their social media pages, and inviting others to come out to support. When the first couple of non-familiar faces came by to shop, I went into work mode and the nerves began to fade away. I made sales and really got to start enjoying myself in that element. I felt like I was carrying myself pretty well professionally and it really just felt great.

From that business, I went on to open Chewy’s Trove LLC for my miscellaneous shop. Since then, I have relocated after my move to Puerto Rico, and it was the first thing I did when I got settled in. Found out what documents I needed to collect, how much I had to pay, what location I was going to sell from, and I am an official vendor here. The steps were less digital than back in Jersey, but after a lot of trial and error, and driving to all different towns to collect all different documents, I was able to get it done. I’ve touched base on many aspects on how my journey began in my first eBook. Apart from trying to network here to build clientele, and in efforts to keep my previous clientele I have been working on a lot of digital work that can be accessed from anywhere.

Since moving to the island, I have closed up RATYKL MAGIC LLC and that was a hard pill to swallow. I knew it was time to move in another direction. After closing RATYKL MAGIC LLC, I opened up Barrio Braids. I know it seems like a lot, and in reality, it is, but it’s what keeps me going and active. Being able to provide different services allows me to provide for my family. I’m a self-taught braider. who began to learn with, well, ME. I love changing up my hairstyles and colors, but I would need that change so often I couldn’t afford to keep paying for braids I knew I wouldn’t keep on for long. So, I started learning to braid my own hair, with extensions, with color, applying wigs, and so on. I also have my two girls who were my little models for a while, and when my sons’ hair grew long enough, they got braids just like their dad. It’s been a blessing though, being able to pick up and create. Utilize my down time with revamping my logos, work on eBooks, and soon I want to host a course to help teach others to braid.

So, if you have an idea, get it down on paper. Let that ignite the next step and set an intention of where it is you would like for that to go. There will be obstacles, and if you’re like me, they may just be created by you. I would over plan and overthink. So much so that I would think for others, “they might not want to buy this”, “this price might be too high”, “no one I know will really want this”, and so on. But then I’d realize, it’s me holding myself back. I won’t know what works if I don’t try. I won’t know how to make adjustments if I don’t go for it now. Don’t sell yourself short. Plenty people can have similar businesses or provide a similar service, but they won’t be you. Sometimes your niche is really just your vibe. So put yourself out there and I’m sure you’ll get your shot and find your kind of people.

Yolimar, 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?

Hey! My name is Yolimar but growing up everyone called me Chewy (till this day most people are more shocked to hear my real name). I’m a mom of four kids, my Irish twin daughters ages 14 and 13, and my boys ages 6 and 4. I became a mom at the age of 19 and after having a baby a lot had changed in how I saw life. I am happily married to my partner of 9 years, and he’s been my husband for 3. I feel like in most cases I’m the like motivational speaker of my home and is a huge reason why I began building my brand.

I think my obsession with crafts and creating began when I started school shopping really. Brand new crayons, glue sticks, scissors, and pencils were like a rush. Along with that, came my procrastination. I never felt like the time was right to use brand new supplies until the perfect project opportunity came. That trickled down to started off what I consider to be my craft hoarding issues. I’d have bins of all types of paper, blank canvases, boxes of crayons, paints, brushes, and so on.

I started breaking through all of that by starting to create my own gifts for holidays. I made custom shirts for birthdays. I created most of my kids’ birthday decorations, and from there I was able to build up Chewy’s Trove LLC, a miscellaneous shop of custom work. Being that I had so much inventory on hand, my turn around time for local pick up was really my breakthrough in gaining customers and references, as well as positive feedback and reviews. It worked for me because with last minute orders people knew they couldn’t order online for cheaper yet knew I could meet their needs with quality work in time for their events. I tend to work well under pressure (in some cases I work better under pressure). The services I provided not only helped the last-minute people, but also those who did order and were not happy with the outcome. Being able to alleviate some of the stress from fellow parents and friends felt great. So, for me, it was a win – win every time.

What sets me aside from others is that I don’t view life as a competition. Along my journey I’ve assisted other crafters for free. Issues they would run into with heat transfer vinyl or collaborating a machine, I would walk them through fixing it or provide tips to help them get their orders done in time. I truly believe in good karma and setting that tone for myself has been something I do not regret one bit. I enjoy helping others. As a mental health advocate, I find that providing a helping hand is healing for me and that pours right into my business as well. If I know someone is struggling and needs a little help to tweak a logo a bit, or maybe getting them a digital flyer to help them promote their business, I will just get it done. I really do enjoy watching others succeed, especially people I know.

Chewy’s Trove LLC since relocating to Puerto Rico, has branched out into digital content. I create logos, flyers, templates. I edit photographs and create funny pictures, collages, or just make some necessary adjustments to help get that family picture to work. I have officially launched my very own eBook, a printable planner, and that was something I took a lot of time to release out of fear. I made excuses, I worried so much about where to post it and who would actually make a purchase, but I paved my own path and have been collecting emails to then share the information on how to order directly through me. I haven’t made any sales yet, but that goes to show that things take time. I’m still very proud of myself to break free from fear and still taking the leap to put myself out there.

Now that I am braiding, I’m enjoying the smiles, the confidence that pours out, and the sense of relief when my busy clients know they have one less thing to worry about. For now, I do not have a dedicated space for Barrio Braids outside of my living room. But I’m praying it’ll come soon. We all start somewhere and working with what I have has always been part of my growth. I truly believe that it’ll all pay off and those clients I’ve had from day 1 will hopefully be inspired when my time comes to gain that salon space and get past a few obstacles I’m currently facing (like not having all the items on hand that I’d like to have, not having my branded products finalized to provide for my clients, and a few other things). I take pride in not being heavy handed when it comes to braids, and to date, I’d say about 75% of my clients fall asleep while getting their hair done. The rest barely notice when we’re done. So, it’s been a blessing to hear their feedback on what they expected when getting braids and how their experience actually was. I absolutely love knowing I have braided some peoples’ hair for the first time and their experience have them come back. I am not a money hungry person who will braid everyone without educating the clients. If the hair is too short and I know I will have to pull on the hair too much for my particular liking, I have no problem letting them know, YES, it is possible to have your hair braided at the current length, but I require for the hair to be a bit longer. I will also go over maintenance, and how to properly dry the braids if they get wet. I let them know about their hair texture taking part in how long they will last and if it’s healthy for their hair type to keep in for long periods of time. All of these things I enjoy sharing with my clients so they’re aware it’s about how they feel in the end, as well as how much they know when leaving.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn, and to be completely honest I’m still in the process of unlearning, is my tendency to over plan. I have always been someone who has to plan from a to z just in case. Maybe it’s the mom in me or the OCD that kicks in when my brain begins to think of all worst-case scenarios thanks to the Final Destination references, I envision on a daily basis. I’m the one who packs a bag for every trip, and my purse is somewhat magical because I can fit a bunch of things in there leaving everyone who needs a random item wondering what else I have in my bag which so happens to be a fanny pack. Most times it has come in handy, but when it came to being creative and starting a business, it was what held me back. If my logo wasn’t perfect, if I didn’t have enough posts prepared ahead of time, if I didn’t have the proper flyer to post a promotion, I would stop so many projects or ideas before I was able to get them started. So, I had to unlearn the overplanning in order to be able to go for things and stop holding back on launching something.

I had so many ideas prior to launching Chewy’s Trove LLC. I wanted to do so many things at once. I wanted all things to match. I wanted a color pallet prepared and so much more. But I didn’t always have the funds to pay for that to be done for me, and as a creative I always held back afraid the artists wouldn’t understand my ideas, not because I doubted them, but because I couldn’t seem to put to words exactly what I wanted. Then I’d question do I even know what I want. As I said before, this is all still a learning process for me, but some tips that have helped me break through are to break free from “the mold”. The mold being what we are kind of programmed to be or how we are programmed to think. Breaking out of my usual 9-5 life was already a huge step in the whole process, so if I could take that leap, then I had to keep the momentum to break through more of those binding walls. I was not a machine that could produce or generate things at a fast pace. I was not able to invest in the expensive printers and cutting machines, the store front, the storage, and so on. But I what I do have is a creative mind, with a drive like no other. I had to flip that switch in my mind. In order to do that, I had to become my own motivational speaker. I was always the one people turned to for advice, assistance, guidance or just a pick me up to get through some rough patches. I needed to learn to show up for me just the same. I would ask myself if one of my kids came up to me with all of this self-doubt, and hesitation, what would I tell them. Then, I’d take that same energy and advice and apply it. Go for it! Forget about what other people think! Your kind of people are out there! Family and friend support will only get you but so far! Think out of the box! There are people out there willing to pay top dollar for your product/service! Keep showing up for you! And honestly, it works. I haven’t caught that eye just yet, I haven’t gotten a viral video to skyrocket sales or have my books full of clients, but I’m continuing to grow. I’m continuing to break through more walls and unlearn things that keep me in place or stop me from moving forward.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting in my business was once a thought I viewed as failure. I thought you were only to have one idea, one goal, and if you couldn’t follow through with that, it was back to square one. I held onto the same logo that was once just a brainstorm, the same business cards I printed myself only single sided, the stickers that had no gloss. But, as my business grew, so did my expectations. I didn’t want to feel like a startup small business anymore, but rather a confident small business owner with growth. Once I found myself not as happy with my products and the look of my business, I pivoted more than a basketball player in a pickle until I had that open shot. For those who can’t relate to that reference, I switched up my logo, my merchandise, my prices, and would constantly brainstorm until something not just looked right but felt right too. I waited until I was able to order better quality cards and stickers, I took more time to make the changes I knew would take me to the next level as an entrepreneur. Ones that I knew would help build my confidence and give me the sleek new look I really was aiming for this time around.

I have so many things to look back at, from old artwork to older handmade jewelry, to old t-shirts made just from transfer paper. Now I’ve grown to have more experience, the handmade jewelry is sleeker now, the t-shirts come in heat transfer vinyl and sublimation, and so many other products I provide. Along with the growth in experience, the look of my business can also reflect that growth, because I had to pivot.

Don’t be afraid to make those changes. It’s okay to switch things up. It’s not that the initial idea or choice was a bad one or a failure, you’ve just shed out of that layer. You grew out of it and evolved, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/chewystrove/
• Instagram: @chewystrove @barriobraids
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chewystrovebarriobraids
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Yolimar S. Hernandez