Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Orozco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jennifer, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Anxiety and depression are things I’ve lived with since a very young age. I still fight with them as a 24 year old woman today. Following me around like a shadow because I managed to block my own light from shining through me again. I grew up in a chaotic home environment, that eventually made me become a mute. The elephant in the room. Everywhere all the time people wanted to know why I didn’t talk, why I wouldn’t. I became the quick and easy joke in an awkward setting. The jokesters ranging from family, teachers, classmates, strangers, and the list goes on. How common is it to meet a child who refuses to talk when instructed to. It was frustrating and confusing for others, I carried the guilt of being the inconvenience other’s had to deal with. I also didn’t understand why I couldn’t speak. Morning after morning during the three minute drive to my school I built up the courage to maybe participate in class or laugh out loud with the other kids only to have it ripped apart like some day old mail. This lead to me hating school and avoiding certain places where I knew I’d be the butt of the joke or someone’s burden. I had my safe space and that was at home, alone. I didn’t always have my best friend or mother by my side to defend or up lift me. The good does outweigh the bad because I had other wonderful people in my life that encouraged me and helped me through it. For example, I will never forget Ms. Joslin or Mrs. Roy from 2nd and 3rd grade how loving they were to me. The shame, embarrassment, and hate I felt towards myself always managed to slip away when they were with me. What I thought would be a short phase turned into my entire elementary and middle school years. Continuously begging my mom to homeschool me because school was the only place I couldn’t avoid. Only after I graduated middle school did I feel I had the opportunity to start new. Only a few people would know who I was at my new high school, it shouldn’t be too bad.
And it wasn’t. Later on new dilemas entered my life. Friendships, boyfriends, teenage rage, appearances, for a moment it felt better than being the girl who didn’t talk. Eventually realizing that the anxiety and depression wouldn’t just go away, I learned how to deal with it. With help I learned healthier ways of coping with this. A fun one I do is watch scary movies when I’m feeling sad or anxious so my brain is so terrified of what I’m seeing I forget what was troubling me to begin with. These are temporary fixes to give me time to breathe and think that perhaps what was bothering me is not as bad as I may have thought it was. Maybe there is a solution to the problem.
Some days are definitely better than others, but I am so proud of myself for coming so far and for being here today. I have had a great amount of encouragement and love from my family. As I’m getting older I’ve come to realize that family is most important. They are there for me as I am for them and together we push ourselves to be the best versions we can be.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
The Whimsy Hideaway, formerly known as Whimsy Rugs is a small business that sells handmade oddities. I love colorful and fairytale things, I try to incorporate as many dreamy like products as I can think of. I sell rugs, coasters, bookmarks, jewelry, paper, pencils, beaded curtains, and the list goes on! I eventually would love to own a small gift shop, a place people can shop for a cute little gifts or simply something nice for themselves.
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?
Three qualities I would say were the most impactful are my imagination, kindness, and fairness. When it comes to The Whimsy Hideaway there is no limit to what I can create. I wanted to expand my business from just making rugs and bring in new and exciting pieces that I enjoyed making.
I always try to be my best self when it comes to interacting with customers because I get to do what I love because of them. I stand on treating people how I would like to be treated.
I would say my prices are pretty fair. I pay attention to how a project comes out and if it’s not up to my standards I knock some dollars off or offer discounts or free products.
The advice I have for people beginning their journey is to be 100% themselves. Make sure you love what you are doing so that it can be a reason to uplift and motivate you. Try not to compare yourself with others, focus on you and how hard you are working to get where you want to be. Comparison is the thief of joy, the only person you should compare yourself to is you from a month or a year ago. Learn to forgive and not be too hard on yourself, give yourself breaks so you don’t burn yourself out.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my mother taught me was to be myself. She told me to do what I liked and not follow other people’s trends. Don’t get me wrong I definitely search on Pinterest for inspiration, but now I’m not so afraid to incorporate those “weird” things into my style. I’m happier now that I worry less about how other’s may perceive me it feels like a big weight was taken off my back. Before it would be, “don’t wear too much black because people will think you’re emo.” “Don’t post this or that on your social media because what will tia so and so say!?” If I constantly worried about other people when would i have time to make myself happy.
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