We recently connected with Samandra Diaz Diaz and have shared our conversation below.
Samandra Diaz , thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
For the longest time I felt like I didn’t belong in the room. Who was I to be surrounded by such successful women? Why was I sitting at the table with Directors and Partners through high level meetings? I often felt like I had faked my way in. It took a really long time for me to realize that I not only deserved a seat at the table but that I in fact had earned it. The Catering and Event Planning world can be such a small industry when you consider the lack of diversity. Most planners don’t look like me and cater to a different demographic. When I started my career I was always the youngest and only brown person in the room. Forcing conversations at conferences and interactions with most colleagues was exhausting. I’d avoid networking events or even meeting other people in my industry with fear of having to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
Because I never really felt like I fit in, I learned code-switching at a very young age. I’ve always been that kid who never felt like I fully belonged. The feeling of not belonging eventually forced me to be my true self. It sounds cliche but being my most authentic self has allowed me to create meaningful connections with colleagues and other people in my industry. I now embrace being the only person in a room who looks like me, as this allows me to be the bridge for other Latinas, to join me in those spaces where we have not often been able to. I use being in spaces where diversity is scarce as a platform to push for inclusion and introduce my fellow Latinas.
I find that opening up about my story and my background has allowed me to be successful in rooms where everyone looks the same except for me. If you go into a room with an open mind and being yourself, people are excited to celebrate your authentic YOU. It’s okay to be different. In fact, leaning into being different can open many doors. When you get to the top, send the elevator back down.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a first generation Mexican-American, mother to a sweet angel named Matteo and wife to Matthew. I am very close with my family. They are amazing and I truly have no idea what I would do without their support! My sister is my best friend – I am honestly not sure how people who don’t have sisters go through life – especially without a Marlene in their lives. It’s difficult to describe what I am focused on at the moment because I currently have a multitude of projects that I am working on so my focus is spread though all. As a working mom with three businesses sometimes my focus is on getting through the day.
I was born in Illinois but raised in Morelia, Mexico for most of my childhood. I moved to Chicago for college and ended up meeting my husband Matt at work. We both worked in the industry, he was a Chef at the restaurant I worked at and I was a host. Wile he continued to move up in his career I began my journey as a Catering Manager and then eventually a Director of Catering. Although always on the verge of burnout we both loved our careers and usually our jobs. It worked well for us. He was back of house and I was front of house. We loved the fast pace and random nights out with our crazy work hours. Matt and I dated for a few years and got married.
At the time I was often working 12+ hour days however. when I got pregnant our work schedules became a huge concern to us. Although I always knew I would eventually begin my own business this didn’t seem like the right time but burnout forced us to make the decision for Matt to leave his full-time job. He began pop-ups for Shorty’s 312, a Smash Burger & Wings concept we launched last summer in 2023. After a year I too quit my daytime job and focused on my recently launched business La Botanita. When I launched la Botanita the plan was for us to offer snack carts and event planning services however, this has quickly expanded to offering cooking classes and soon will also be doing workshops in our community. We are grateful that Shorty’s 312 and La Botanita have been well received. In the short time that we have been in business we have been booked for not only private events but large festivals and pop-ups.
I am also very much focused on my jewelry business with my sister who is the co-founder of Joyeria Coquette which will be opening its first retail store later this summer. When Marlene and I were thinking about the concept we both quickly realized that this was more than just a jewelry store. We both feel very passionate about women gaining financial independence. My mom raised both my sister and I to be strong independent Latinas and so we knew we wanted to do something for women to feel empowered. For those reasons we are building out a financial plan to make being an entrepreneur more accessible. Our products will be sold at our stores and online as retail or wholesale. We will offer fine jewelry and gold plated. Our financial plan will be a great opportunity for women who would otherwise not have enough cash readily available to invest in starting their own business or side-hustle. We are also looking to expand to other retail stores so ask your local shops if they carry Joyeria Coquette – we hope you can find us at your local shops soon!
Although I have many projects to focus on I never forget how my network and community has showed up for me. I stay active in Chicago and have recently joined Women Unite! as a board member. It’s an amazing organization of women doing incredible work for our city, It is an honor to be able to contribute to our communities through an organization like Women Unite!
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 the three most impactful qualities and skills that have helped me throughout my career and personal growth have been self-determination, taking initiative and relationship building.
My husband always says “once you have a vision you are laser focused to make it happen” and I think this describes me very well. I am a self-determined person and my mindset is “I am going to get there, I just have to figure out how”.
Taking initiative is THE most difficult step. Figuring out where and how to start is usually the point at which most people give up. If I have an idea and feel passionate about it, I’m doing it – and that is key to being an entrepreneur.
Much of my success has been due to the relationships I have built and the network of friends I have. I used to think that I needed to know the CEO of a company to move up in my career but having genuine connections with good people around me has gotten me much further in my career and in my personal growth. I am surrounded by the best people! I have a supportive family, ride or die friends, and an overall network of people that show up for me, my husband and our businesses consistently. That is priceless! My husband Matt is the most genuine person I know. He is always looking to help his friends. In every room that he walks in, he names his friends. He has taught me to connect good people around me – he is amazing at that! Now, whenever I see an opportunity for people I know to partner, due business together or become friends I always make sure to connect people to one another. I just think we are all trying to live happy and successful lives, let’s help each other out!
My advice to anyone looking to become an entrepreneur is be a go-getter, have a mentor and above all keep your head up. I think one of the most basic qualities of an entrepreneur is being a go-getter. You have to know that it takes grit to be successful in-order to rise to the top. I will always be grateful to the people around me who helped me throughout my career. I have had two people I consider my mentors and looked to them for guidance and in turn they have granted me with many opportunities. The first was Kiran Pinto who offered me my first internship in the events world. She has been someone I admire for their work ethic and knowledge. Meaghan Tiberio has also been instrumental in my career and personal growth. She has mentored me through my career from negotiating my salary to leadership skills. Thank you both for being part of my journey!
I would not have been able to excel in my career path and now as an entrepreneur if I had not been positive and kept that energy going throughout my journey. There will be seasons that are tougher than others. It’s easy to be positive and feel motivated when things are going well and you are being promoted or your business is making money however, it takes a special kind of person to be able to not have a single sale for weeks and say – I am still in it and I am still committed to this!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents did such impactful things for me it’s hard to say which was the most important but I will say that currently the most useful has been leading by example. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs. They’ve worked very hard their entire lives and owned their own businesses at a young age. Like many immigrants they came to this country having to work extremely hard and sacrificed a lot for their families.
My parents have had to shift gears and reinvent themselves many times and have continuously succeeded in their ventures. Their journey is inspiring to me particularly because they have taught me to be fearless, to not be scared of failures and to think of how I will achieve my goals and not “if” I will achieve them.
Seeing how hard my parents have worked, seeing how they never gave up motivates me to do what I do. If they were able to be so successful with the little they had, I know I can do what I set myself out to do considering all the resources I have that they did not.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labotanitachicago?igsh=MWg5dnY0aGgyaWc5bA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samandra-diaz-skolarus-2021?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Karina Mora Prints
Nick Napoli Photography
Zuno Photo
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