Meet Daisy Santiago
Are you loving this series as much as I am? When I thought about this series at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t sure who I would be featuring. I had a list but as the months went on I started to add more people to the list. I have also really enjoyed the responses to the questions. Remember if you miss any of the profiles, I have created a page just so you can get caught up. You can find it here. With that said, I would like to introduce you to Daisy Santiago from Blue Brides LLC. She is one of the many new faces that I have met attending the Monday Motivation Meetups in Fayetteville.
Tell me a little bit about you
Hi, I am Daisy Santiago. The Army brought me to North Carolina in 2003 from my loving island of Puerto Rico. While I miss the year-round beach weather, I have come to cherish the ever-changing seasons of our beautiful state. I have grown a lovely family and started my business from the trunk of my car over ten years ago here. Today, I co-own Blue Brides LLC, an online store with my Veteran husband. We love working together and enjoy evolving our children too. When we are not working on our business, we are either studying as we are working on continuing our education. Or we are RV traveling with our children discovering state treasures and enjoying a relaxing adventure.
Tell me about your business.
In 2007 I rediscovered my love for creating jewelry and started to create different pieces to use for work. Coworkers began to notice, and I started making a few pieces for sale. Then, it evolved to me bring boxes of jewelry in the trunk of my car to sell during lunch breaks and then in local craft shows. In 2009 I lost my job when I needed to take one of my little ones to get medical attention. I had used all my vacation days, and the company would not allow me to miss a few days of work. So I was given an ultimatum of either returning right away or losing my job. I am sure you know what happened, I took my son to his doctor, and the next week I was applying for a business license. That was the beginning of our business adventure.
What struggles have you faced in your business?
The biggest struggle a business owner can face is knowing and accepting when it is time to pass on the hat and delegate. That is an aspect I still struggle with today after so many years because, as a business owner, you want to have absolute control. Unfortunately, there is no way a business can grow with just one person taking care of every single aspect of the company, from product development to marketing to shipping and so on.
How have you overcome those struggles?
Mindfulness is the key. Every time there is a new decision or project to make or take on, I consider how much I already have on my plate before taking on any additional responsibilities. This approach allows me to delegate aspects of the business others can handle and to prioritize to make sure that I complete one project before beginning the next one.
Who were your mentors growing up?
My parents are my mentors in a very different way.
My dad worked very hard and always encouraged us to be the best as whatever we were aspiring to do. Whether that was the best doctor or the best car washer, he has always punched us to be the best version of ourselves daily and work hard to get where we want to go. He is 80 years old, and he wakes up at 5:00 am every single day. He goes for a walk, and although he is retired, he is always ready to take on any project, building, cleaning, creating, traveling. I dream of his energy today; I am only 36.
My mom is my everything; she dedicated herself to raising her children. We are eight siblings. We are all different in so many ways, but the one thing that always maintains us close is her. We all aspire to have her kindness, dedication, and humbleness. I have always dreamed of making just enough to buy her a house. That is still on my list for sure, so hopefully, that dream will come true sooner than later.
If you were to give advice to a woman going into the field, you are in what would it be?
Take your time, educate yourself, invest in learning, and focus on one thing at a time. When I was first starting ( and still today), I wanted to do it all. I wanted to design new products. I wanted to create those products. Then, I tried to sell them, market them, ship them, and everything in between. But the truth is that I was doing all the things halfway. I did not have the education, the tools, or the clarity to know what to prioritize and how to focus on one thing at a time.
Have you found that being a woman in your field is harder or easier? Tell me about the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman.
Being a woman entrepreneur is harder than I want to admit. I remember when I first started to research into opening my business, I would call different locations to set up meetings to visit various buildings. The conversations always made me feel like I was not taken seriously, and when it was time to visit the places. I would take my husband, and notice how the person would talk to him in a very respectful way but to me with a more “childish” approach. As if I needed to be “explained” things differently so I would “understand”. It was very frustrating, but eventually, I learned to look beyond and finally do business with those who respected me and my vision.
As a woman, there will always be a variety of obstacles imposed by society. But there are also many advantages to our feminine nature. We have the ability to nurture and patiently grow and develop, whether that is on our own or along with a supportive team.
Have you ever had to overcome a hostile work environment?
I would not call it hostile, but I did feel that the reasoning for firing me when I needed to take my child to the doctor was extreme. Yes, I understood I had already used my vacation time, but I was also eager to work extra to cover whatever time I was going to lose. I believe that a supportive business model would have found a way to accommodate and help instead.
What made you decide on your chosen field?
My love to create is what landed me where I am today. But, also, the need to inspire other women. Especially other young mothers out there. I want to be the inspiration they need to follow their dreams, to listen to their intuition and believe in themselves.
I am not a millionaire in cash, but I am in freedom. I have the ability to close my business any time I need to take my child to the doctor or enjoy an RV trip with my husband. That, to me, is a dream come true; everything else is the icing on the cake.
Anything else you would care to share.
Besides designing and creating jewelry and decor. I have always enjoyed helping others find their path with a clear plan. Last year I began to educate myself in the field of family coaching and education, and I have already started to teach a few fun online classes on creative productivity. I focus on helping others create an actionable plan tailored to each individual’s needs and goals with a fun, innovative approach. I have more info on this at www.productiveplanningco.com I hope it helps someone out there.
I am a creative rebel who loves to make things that celebrate and elevate its users. At the same time, I enjoy learning new things and helping others find creative ways to follow their dreams along the way.
