Meet Jasmin Martinez | Owner and Founder

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

Hi Jasmin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
The interesting thing about me pursuing a creative career is that this was never apart of the plan. Prior to the conception of what is now Local Gem Collective, my life was all figured out. I spent 15 years in big box retail, that was always the plan… moving up and securing a position where a six-figure income was guaranteed, a routine was created for me, my job at that time dictated my life. My quote-on-quote hobby turned career started with me opening an Etsy Shop when I was in High School- as I got older, and time passed so did my passions. I went from bedazzling things like phone cases to becoming more interested in an intentional healing business. I found a lot of peace creating things and incorporating crystals and herbs. All of this was happening while I was climbing the ladder, in 2023 both paths met at a crossroads and I made the decision to resign from a 15 year career and go out on my own. 2023 was pretty tough, I call this my “Tower” moment. I lost my best friend in the entire world (my grandfather) and I had a pretty big health scare, all of this really forced me to take a step back and analyze my life, my priorities and overall, what do I want out of this life? Once all of that was put into perspective, it was a no-brainer for me, terrifying yes, but no brainer for sure. The sequence of events that lead to me signing a lease is a story for a different time, I find it hard to believe there was no divine intervention or assistance from something much larger than all of us. 7 months in, I couldn’t be happier. I’m now supporting and providing space for 50+ local, small businesses in Orange County. I feel that the last 15 years served it’s purpose and taught me well, business management translates, now I’m just applying that knowledge to my own business.

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?
My magical little shop is located in Orange, California- we’re about a half mile from the Old Town Orange Plaza if you’re familiar with the area. We’re a small business marketplace providing space for over 50 local businesses to display and sell their merchandise. I’m most proud of creating a safe space for small business owners to experience selling in their first brick and mortar verses selling online, two very different experiences. Our shop has become somewhat of a haven for a lot of women. I can’t tell you how many relationships I’ve formed with regulars coming in just to hang out because they love the space we’ve created. I truly believe what sets us apart from the customer perspective, is the intentionality in creating not only a retail store, but an experience the second they walk in. What sets us apart from the vendor perspective is the care and tact that goes into their business when they join my shop. I understand I’m a business owner, but I take a lot of pride in understanding this is a people business and in order to get sales results, foot traffic etc., relationships have to be formed, trust has to be established, the rest will take care of itself. I touched on this in a previous question, I owe my business savvy and overall knowledge to my 15 year career at The Home Depot. I say this jokingly but mean it, Home Depot raised me, I had so many awesome mentors who really took me under their wing, they saw my potential when I didn’t and they believed in me- they taught me how to run a business. 15 years is a long time, I started as a cashier and moved my way up to General Manager, that for sure wasn’t easy but man, was it a blast – I had a ton of fun but I knew I was ready to branch off and take everything I learned and apply it to what I’m passionate about at this time in my life. I want everyone reading this to know a few things, the first, it’s okay to walk away and start over – no matter if that’s a job, a relationship, a past version of yourself etc. I want small businesses to know it’s okay to fail, it’s okay for something not to work – what matters is how quickly you can dust yourself off and try again. I want the world to refocus on humanity, slow down and reconnect with eachother. I believe my brand in Local Gem Collective is creating a culture that embodies everything I just stated, we’re not just a store, we’re a community of awesome humans who support and believe in eachother,

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’ll apply this to the city we’re in, Orange California. True story, I’ve frequented the Orange Circle for years, it’s truly a dream come true to actually see my dreams come to fruition. My itinerary would be stopping at Urth Cafe for breakfast, specifically a Chai and an acai bowl, can’ forget the sweets! Next we’d stop at The Potting Shed, it’s literally my favorite place. I go there when I need to be inspired and find cute things for gifts or for myself. Then we’d hit the antique stores, like all of them. By the time we’re done there it’d be time for a coffee refill, more than likely end up at Play Coffee. Then we’d end the day at Local Gem Collective of course! The Orange Plaza is beautiful, it feels like time stopped when you walk the plaza. If you’re into spooky things, taking the Haunted Ghost Tour when the sun goes down is a ton of fun too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first people that come to mind when I think of love, support and guidance are my family- my parents, my brother and sister, my husband and besty aka my dog, Al. I also think of my friends and their unwavering support and constant uplifting throughout this entire process. The last group of people are my mentors from, what I call, my past life- specifically Michele and Mike.

Website: https://www.localgemcollective.com

Instagram: @localgemcollective

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminmartinez91

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/local-gem-collective-orange