Meet Jean Guzman

We were lucky to catch up with Jean Guzman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jean, 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?

When you grow up in a low income, immigrant neighborhood in NYC, resiliency is not a thought. You don’t have the time to really stop and think about it, which in essence, is what makes you bounce back and keep moving forward. Your family and neighbors are the same. So many people and so many stories that you always know someone who’s experienced something worse. So much so, that you feel guilty at the thought of feeling sorry for yourself. “Fulano” has really been through some sh*t, you’re lucky.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a creative who’s goal is to evoke cultural nostalgia and pride in what we wear. Born and raised in Washington Heights, NYC my neighborhood was my dominican culture. I thought every neighborhood was rich in culture and diversity as where I grew up. As I got older, I realized that not everyone has the same luxury of having tostones on the menu of their local Chinese restaurant. IYKYK.

My experience in the classroom teaching Spanish is where I started creating activities and decor that reflected the Latino culture. I see the joy and pride students feel when they are represented authentically. That joy inspired me to take my creativity beyond the classroom. Aura
Heights is a lifestyle brand where your positive Aura propels you to limitless Heights!
We believe every muñec@ deserves representation because fashion and culture go hand in hand. Our limited edition hoodie does exactly that. The last letter is a play on language and has different designs to highlight different groups such as AfroLatinos and LGBTQ. This limited edition hoodie is a special drop because we’re a conscious brand and don’t want to contribute to overproduction, which is why most of our products are print on demand.

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?

Regardless of your background, these are three things to keep in mind:

Embrace the learning curve- think of your entrepreneurial journey as a degree. What you know as a freshman is nothing compared to a senior. Therefore, it is impossible to cram in so much information. See what interests you and watch free videos at first before you start investing in courses. And yes, there are investments that don’t directly produce money, however, the knowledge, and hopefully networking you get out of it is worth it.

Reach out for help- put the pride aside and talk to your friends, colleagues, family, etc. It is impossible to know everything and do everything. You’d be surprised as to how many people want to help. This was difficult for me because growing up in NYC you tend to be protective thus not letting people in, but what you’re really doing is shutting out opportunities.

Don’t believe the hype- the struggle is REAL. The recent years have taught us that any business or major corporation can go under so when you see yourself as a small business at a standstill- take it as a win. Join networks that are similar to your interests and that’s where the authentic discussions about business struggles take place. Remember you’re not in competition, you’re building community.

Is there a particular challenge you are facing?

Marketing is more important than the actual product or service. That’s right, regardless of the quality, if people are not seeing the messaging, it’s as if you don’t exist. That is definitely my challenge. I thrive at creating and designing and struggle with marketing because not only do you need clear messaging, but you need a budget as well! And the reality is what doesn’t come easily takes more time to execute. As a full time teacher, I don’t have as much time and definitely do not have the budget to reach my dream clients. I’m continuously applying for grants to help with more reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://auraheights.com/
• Instagram: @auraheightslife
• Other: TikTok
  @auraheightslife

Image Credits

Pictures with orange background are by Photographer Vicky Benitez @4the1image
Pictures at the beach Giannell Calderon