Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robbie De Leon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Robbie, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I would have to say it’s a byproduct of my life experiences. My life has been pretty rocky with lots of ups and downs. I lost my father at a young age to terminal cancer, leaving him in a coma for over a decade. At the time I was pregnant with my first child and we lost everything as he was the sole provider of our family. It was a big change, from a privileged upbringing to now having to fend for myself. My mother was disabled and my husband at war. It was a lot to process as a young woman but it taught me that you can survive anything with the right mentality and determination.
Nothing is impossible, it may not come easily but it certainly is achievable.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
So our brand has gone through some changes. We currently operate as Cosmic Coven and the reason for the name is because a coven is a family of witches and cosmic because we are all made of stardust and on a journey of “figuring it out”. Life is just that, there’s no right or wrong answer we just all sort of figure it out as we go.
My spiritual path is hoodoo , African folk magic, yet my degree is in chemical engineering specializing in cosmetics.
I worked for over a decade in the cosmetics industry helping develop cosmetics for brands you may well know, I left due to toxic chemical exposure in the industry which left me disabled.
Cosmic coven was my way of healing myself and strengthening my spirituality while paying it forward. We are a full metaphysical mobile boutique in the central Florida area. Currently we are working on transforming a trailer into our mobile store which will be available for bookings and pop ups!
Our goal is to help others on their spiritual journey while meeting amazing people.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When I started I failed many times. Actually now that I think of it, I started my journey as an entrepreneur as a teenager in high school. Back then I went under the name of Meraki Holistics and we were a bath and body company that specialized in holistic treatment. I hold a degree as a Naturopathic Doctor and so that interest began in my teens considering my mother was a bodybuilder that developed an auto immune disease. Wanting to help her, my herbalism journey began.
I failed multiple times and my best advice that I learned along the way is that what truly gives you success is determination and drive. Don’t give up, ever.
We are what we say and believe we are. If you constantly claim failure then that’s what you attract. Lack of Determination is what separates us from the Jeff Bezos of the world. You just gotta keep moving forward with your eyes on the prize not the stuff happening as distraction.
I also learned the importance of branding correctly and of sticking to a handful of product selections versus hundreds. Lastly, don’t sell yourself short. If you , as a maker constantly negotiate the pricing of your items then you’ll be poor forever. This is what separates a hobby from an actual business. What’s not making you money is costing you money so stop putting all of your income into your business if it’s not necessary.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
As I mentioned earlier, my life has had lots of ups and downs so I’d have to say that my most impactful book was the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Honestly if you haven’t read this book then I hope you take the time to do so!
It’s a timeless piece of literature that everyone should read at least once. My personal philosophy is that of stoicism and Marcus Aurelius depicts it beautifully.
Stoicism teaches us that the only thing we can control is ourselves and how we react to a situation. If I would’ve stopped and focused on how my father was dying and in a coma, how my mother had 4 strokes and an aneurysm, how I was pregnant with a husband at war and alone, how I had lost my childhood home and at one point was homeless, etc then I’d just be there, frozen in time having accomplished nothing.
Truth is, crying about it wasn’t going to solve my problems. It wasn’t going to bring back the good days of the past and it wasn’t going to get me to where I am today. Hard work and dedication have gotten me to where I find myself now with a profitable business, helping people and making family out of friends.
If you only take one piece of advice let it be this, remember that you are in control of yourself and that where you came from doesn’t determine your ending. Things will always happen beyond your control, don’t focus on that, don’t let that stop you from making your dreams come true.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.shopcosmiccoven.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/shopcosmiccoven
