We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nancy Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nancy, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from my parents. I say this proudly because they came to the United States as migrants from Michoacan, Mexico. They left their families there so their future children had better opportunities than them. My dad knew that because of the situation in their country no matter how much they worked they could not have the life they provided us here in the US. I saw how my dad would wake up at 4am in the morning to get ready for his construction job, building this country’s infrastructure. I saw how my mom would also get up at this time to start breakfast and pack my dad his lunch. I use to think that she would wake up so she could start chores early but now I realize these were the few moments that they had to themselves before starting their long day. My mom was a stay at home mom and an entrepreneur. She sold bows that she would make, from there she saved enough money to buy gold jewelry at wholesale and be able to sell it to the other families in our community. My dad and her saved enough money to be able to buy an investment property from their jobs and businesses. This determination and persistence brought me so much knowledge but most importantly the work ethic I have.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Nide Jardin is now a brick and mortar! We started in 2021 in our local farmer’s market selling my plants and sharing my knowledge of care for them to my community. I do not call myself a plant expert but more of an intuitive plant parent. I learned most of my knowledge through my family and through my own experience. I feel a great sense of responsibility to share my culture from my point of view, from the duality that many Latinx or migrant families experience.
Nide Jardin is a representation of this duality. Nide comes from a saying in Spanish, “Ni de Aqui, ni de alla” which translates to “Neither from here nor from there.” In the US, I am seen as Mexican but when I go to Mexico I am seen as American. This reminds me of the monarch butterfly that migrates from Mexico to Canada and back. Through Nide, I am able to share this diaspora experience with my community by providing a space that is centered on BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women.
My goal for Nide Jardin is to create it into a lifestyle brand. One that incorporates self-care, culture, and nature.
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?
Curiosity, determination, and networking have been the qualities and skills that have helped me through this journey. I have stayed curious about a lot of themes but it is this quality that has lead me to amass knowledge about different topics. I give myself permission to ask questions about the things that I become curious about. This has opened up opportunities for me to become more involved in my community which has lead me to know people who have experience in owning their own business. They have been gracious enough with me to allow me to learn from them. Determination has come in handy when I have gotten many no’s. I can take a no but I always ask why? Doing this has been great to understanding where I need to grow or where I am to pivot. One of my skills that I knew I had from early age and continue to enjoy from is the ability to easily network with others. I feel that as humans we all have a story to tell and we want to tell it. I enjoy connecting with others as they tell me a snippet of their story. By having this ability to network and connect with others, I am able to see gaps in our retail landscape by having these connections. They allow me to understand how my target audience buys and why.
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?
“The Alchemist” by Paolo Coehlo has been a book I have read at different times in my life because it serves as a bit of a compass for me. It reminds me that I am all I need to find my purpose in life. This applies to the many aspects of my life. As a Latinx, first generation, Latina learning to believe in myself has been a life long challenge and this book reminds me to do it more often.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nidejardin.com
- Instagram: @NideJardinAurora
- Facebook: Nide Jardin
- Other: TikTok: @NideJardinAurora
Image Credits
Cindy Ramirez IG: @whatupcindy
