We recently connected with Nicole Renteria and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Through all of the obstacles and challenges I have experienced, I have learned resilience from my mother and my daughter, as well as inside myself. Did I just say that? WOW! I just gave myself credit..that’s huge!
Traumatic experiences change a person. However, it is no longer the last thing I think of at night and the first thing I think of each morning. I awaken with high expectations and goals. I have always expected this “AHA!” moment, but once in a while, my best friend and my daughter will point out how I did something differently, or my thought process was stronger, or I realize I turned a light off for an hour at night (I am afraid of the dark). Those are the moments I know I am healing. Maybe not overnight, but life gets more peaceful each moment I stay strong.
As a child, I took for granted that I had a beautiful mother who modeled and painted and left hand-written poetry lying around. She gave me a good life. I remember very sad times, then she would make our life better again. It has become clear that my mother fought for that. She fought for me.
My daughter…”My Sunshine”. I have learned more from that child than my entire schooling. Certain people are so insightful, no matter what their age or surroundings in life is. They accept their feelings and emotions and work with them rather than having an internal battle. Watching and listening to Gabriella has opened my mind. She never lets me give up, driving into me that I am special, brilliant, capable, and talented. Isn’t that what a mother is supposed to do for their daughter? Bella has helped me become a better mother, a better listener, far more empathetic, and unafraid to be genuine.
Making good choices is a big part of all of this. We don’t always know what the outcome of our decisions will be. It doesn’t matter how well thought out and with the very best intentions. Understanding that no one can control another person’s actions or behavior, is also incredibly important. Letting go is hard, however, it is often what saves us. Much easier said than done, I know.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Where do I begin? I am so grateful my daughter and my best friend share my passion for beauty, uniqueness, history, and creativity. Each brings their talent and insight to the businesses.
Bella and I started Vivir Bella while we lived in South America. We found handmade jewelry in the most remote areas. The Indigenous people create beautiful intricate designs. Few people in this world, travel to an active volcanic region, high in the mountains of a developing country, to buy these treasures, made by artisans, who have passed this tradition down for hundreds of years. We want to change the reach of their audience. They loved the idea of getting their jewelry out there. One creator told me that my purchase brought her more funds for her family in one day, than she’d had the entire previous year.
In addition to the jewelry business, I have a pop-up boutique in Michigan, filled with vintage and antique treasures, as well as new trinkets. It is so hands-on. Meeting customers in person is such a highlight. We have had incredible growth this past season and may add Autumn and Christmas events this year.
I also model (the all inclusiveness and realism existing at this time, is so uplifting). I am completing my first book and have begun writing my second. The busier I am, the more content and peaceful I feel. Ideas are flooding my and my daughter’s brains. We have so much more to share!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
What a cliche, but I’m going to say it! “Believe in yourself!” If you love it and feel passion for it, why wouldn’t others? Bella and I have felt frustrated when we have tried to find a specific garment, piece of jewelry, or decor that only we imagined. Later we’d find it in multitudes, as the newest trend. Wait…we thought of that ages ago! We would also get a bit annoyed when we found others copying our style or buying the identical item, after asking us where we got it. Now, even though I believe we should all develop our own style and own it, there is a feeling of honor that someone would trust what I like that much.
The biggest catchphrase I have taken on, these past couple of years, is one I started saying to myself, during moments of procrastination or even disappointment in myself. Nike may have hit the largest nail on the head, “Just do it”…what a concept! I have become addicted to flossing my teeth, making my bed, and running every day just because I got tired of the excuses I came up with not to. Now, I just get the heck out of bed and do exactly what my mind is thinking of doing…well most of the time;).
One thing worth mentioning…and I mean really worth it…surround yourself with those you admire, respect, and trust. What that can do for your ambition, your confidence, and your success.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My largest area of growth has been the above-mentioned, in a nutshell. Not to say, I don’t have my moments of doubt, procrastination, exhaustion, and sadness, but if I don’t create the life I want, can I depend on someone else to do that for me? What gratitude feels like when you give it to yourself…it’s an almost unexplainable emotion. At times, I catch myself teary-eyed over being appreciative that I didn’t quit. The first pop-up boutique sale we ever had, my mom was my greatest (and one of my only) customer. Keep in mind, she was rebuying the antiques she’d given me to sell! I didn’t let myself quit. Excuses like a bad day, too hot, everyone left town for the weekend…whatever reason we can give ourselves to keep trying.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: vivirbellaglobal; la_petite_chateau
- Linkedin: Nicole Renteria
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