Meet Miyuki Lopez

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miyuki Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miyuki, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I was supporting students at a company I used to be working, I noticed a gap between the company’s support system and the students’ ideals. I felt that within the constraints of a large organization, there were limitations to what could be done. This realization made me want to directly help more international students, which led me to start my own business. I had enough experience to be independent, and I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted to turn into a business and how I wanted to develop it. The challenges were getting recognized and researching the methods to establish a company in California. To address recognition, I created an Instagram account. Since gaining recognition takes time, I simultaneously promoted the company while going through the process of setting it up. This approach worked well for me.

When I was supporting students at a company where I used to work, I noticed a gap between the company’s support system and the students’ ideals. I felt that within the constraints of a large organization, there were limitations to what could be done. This realization inspired me to directly help more international students, which led me to start my own business.
I had enough experience to go independent and a fairly clear idea of what I wanted to turn into a business and how I wanted to develop it. The challenges I faced included gaining recognition and researching how to establish a company in California. To address the issue of recognition, I created an Instagram account. Since gaining visibility takes time, I simultaneously promoted the company while working on the setup process. This approach proved to be effective for me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are two major factors behind my success.

The first is social media. I have been using Instagram solely for attracting customers. When I first opened my account, Instagram was still in the era of posting a single ‘aesthetic’ photo, and it wasn’t yet the mainstream business platform it is today. At that time, no one in the study abroad industry was using it. My detailed posts about studying abroad, local life, and schools on Instagram hit the mark.

The second factor is people. I received a lot of help from many people, which helped get my Instagram account noticed. Most of the inquiries I receive now are either from students who have studied abroad through me or from referrals by my followers. It’s an outcome I couldn’t have achieved on my own, and I believe that word-of-mouth and connections with people are the keys to prosperity.

Starting my business has been filled with challenges, but the most difficult was the COVID-19 lockdown. The borders were closed, and no international students could come. Just as things were about to go smoothly in my second year, the lockdown hit. I had to handle cancellations, deal with vendors closing their businesses due to COVID-19, and keep up with constantly changing visa and entry rules. It was tough to keep up. However, connecting with people online and consistently sharing on social media increased our visibility. By 2022, we had more international students coming than before.

During the pandemic, I also took the opportunity to revamp our website and service offerings. I spent valuable time with my baby daughter, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. These experiences allowed me to focus on things I normally wouldn’t have had the chance to, and in the end, it turned out to be beneficial.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start with a classic LA experience at the original In-N-Out Burger location and shop at the In-N-Out University.

Visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre, and going to see the Hollywood sign from Lake Hollywood Park are great tourist spots.

Having brunch and explore in the Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach (Abbot Kinney) areas is a must.

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree make for a great getaway trip. I would probably stay at the Sands Hotel or Korakia in Palm Springs.

Having a healthy smoothie from Erewhon and enjoying a visit to Trader Joe’s to pick up some unique snacks and items.

Grab lunch at Grand Central Market in Downtown LA and head to Dodger Stadium for a Dodgers game to see Shohei Ohtani.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Friends, family and business partners I work with!

Website: https://hellomiyuki.com/

Instagram: Ryugakugram