Meet Eva Farina

We were lucky to catch up with Eva Farina recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eva, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

I think this question is so important and I think it’s even more important to revisit it often– to remind and fortify yourself. Persisting despite what people say about you is such a difficult thing to do, when everyone around you can have something negative to say. I’ve found that it seems to stem from a lack of confidence and self worth within themselves and I think it’s important to remind yourself of your own self worth. The way I try to manage it is to remember that I’m doing it for me, not for them. I’m intensely passionate about my business and at the end of the day, I have myself to sit with. When I’m reflecting on what I accomplished, it comes down to if I’ve satisfied myself. I think it’s near impossible to keep the opinions of others out of your mind, but as long as I’m happy with me, then that’s what I try to keep at the forefront of my mind. I think one of the ways to happiness is internal validation and that keeps the haters at bay. They can’t get to you so much when you know you’re solid within yourself. And that can be a tough thing to accomplish, but if and when you do, it’s hard to shake that.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I own an online bookstore that is currently focusing on the concept of “blind date with a book.” The idea is you select a genre and I pick a book, wrap it, I add tea, stickers, and other fun goodies for a lovely surprise. My goal right now is to make reading a self indulgent experience. I eventually hope to expand to a brick and mortar so I can continue to help foster a love for reading. I find that people say they don’t have time to read, or that they love to read but never get around to it. I want it to be that, if you enjoy it, reading is something that you have no problem making time for. Something that you want to make time for. My passion for reading started when I was very young and as I’ve gotten older, my love for it has only deepened. When I was young, if I got grounded it wasn’t my TV or phone that got taken away– it was my books. They were always so much more important to me than anything else. I hope that my business can help foster a love like that for someone else, too.

I noticed with other blind dates with a book, you put in the genre you wanted and it was kind of like you get what you get when it comes to it being paperback or hardcover. I am a particular reader and I know a lot of other people are, too. I wanted my site to give you as many options as possible. With that, I have several genre options and I even have the romance split into “spice” level. There’s a lot of romance books out there, and not everyone wants to blush as intensely as the next person, so I wanted to make sure I got the right books to readers. I’m constantly looking to expand on the genres that I offer. At the moment I only offer paperback, but I’m hoping to expand to hardcover soon.

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?

I think some qualities that helped me were determination, my insane Type A organization and, most importantly, being okay with failure. I think the last one is the hardest to achieve but once you do, it opens up doors for you. I’ve always known I wanted something better for myself and something bigger for myself. I have not always known what that would be. I have tried a lot of different avenues. I’ve gone from wanting to be a music teacher after studying music for 12 years, to a paralegal, to an electrician apprentice and much more. I’ve gotten a lot of funny looks and snarky comments on all the roads I’ve taken steps on. But, I firmly believe in leaving something if it’s not making you happy, and working toward finding something that does make you happy. It isn’t always the most obvious thing when it comes to discovering what will fulfill you, but I think staying determined and dead set on wanting something more for yourself is so important.

My Type A personality is built in to me and that level of organization has made some pretty big steps seem more manageable because I was able to compartmentalize things into more bite-sized pieces. That’s not going to be a given for anyone, but I think it is possible for everyone to find a process that works for the way their brain works. I think it’s important to understand who you are and realize that your “bad habits” or “downfalls” aren’t a handicap, but rather a way you can learn yourself and learn how to work with yourself rather than against yourself. It doesn’t serve you to bash yourself, so figuring out how you can make the most of what you’ve have and working that to your advantage is important.

Lastly, being okay with failure is something that I’ve had to learn but it’s been instrumental in me persevering in finding what fills my cup. Had I listened to some people in my life and let my first failure knock me down, I would have taken the “safe” route and I would be working in a bank, finding myself unhappy because that isn’t what I feel I’m meant to do. I heard somewhere that rejection is redirection and I think the same thing about failure. Either what you’re doing is meant for you, or the approach you’re taking isn’t meant for you, and something has to change. Every time I started a new venture, I could see the judgmental look on people’s faces. It was comments like “oh, you got a new job again?!” that hit the hardest, because no one wants to be on their fourth job in one year. But, had I let that feeling of failure take over, I wouldn’t have found the thing that makes the most sense for me.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I think I’m struggling most with imposter syndrome. I’m never the first person to bring up my business when talking with others. I avoid the topic and kind of swat it away when someone says “I know a great person for books!” My boyfriend has been amazing in trying to hype me up to others– he’s the best PR person I could ask for, but I still blush, bow my head, and say “it’s really nothing. Just something I do on the side.” It’s difficult for me to associate “business owner” to who I am as a person. It feels wrong to label myself as such. There’s no way that could be me, right? This is just a silly little hobby. But it’s not a silly little hobby. It’s something I want to have grow into something amazing. I’ve done a few vendor shows and I’m consistently nervous. What if no one likes my idea? What if I don’t sell anything or make any connections? That just makes me a fraud, doesn’t it? So, trying to sit and realize that I am real, my passion is true, and this business is something that I’ve worked for for a long time. Realizing that I don’t have to be a multimillion dollar company to be just as legitimate as the next person.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your