Meet Shaunte’ Rodriguez: Mother & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Shaunte’, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I think the most important. thing that I’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact of my child is continuing to go after my dreams and goals. Having my child has given me more motivation to push harder for what I want to achieve in life. By achieving these aspirations I hope that it will set up a great foundation for my son’s future.

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 business Vivid Hues, LLC. is a nail polish and nail care brand. Vivid Hues launched in August 2020. What sets me apart from others is that I am a licensed cosmetologist of 10 years. Having a background in the beauty industry and working in the industry for some time has given me the in’s and out’s of what was missing and needed in the market. Yes, there are a lot of nail polish brands in the market, but there aren’t a lot of Black Owned nail care/polish brands in the market. I wanted to tap into this industry and to make a nail polish line with Vivid and highly-pigmented polish that looked good on EVERYONE’S skin tone.

What I’m most proud of is the positive feedback that I receive from my customers. It brings me joy that people are finding ways to connect with my brand, especially now in the times that we are in. The times that we are in has allowed individuals to take the time out to have self-care routines and Vivid Hues has been a huge part of their self-care regimen. Which make me really happy and proud. I am most excited to see the brand expand and reach new heights.

How I got where I am today business-wise is through self-determination and patience. It took me 2.5 years to successfully plan out my vision for the Vivid Hues before I launched last year. No, it was not easy and there were times that I had to put it on the back burner because I became a mother and was trying to finish college all while trying to figure out this business. I overcame the challenges by not giving up and constantly reminding myself that this was something that I wanted to do. The biggest lesson that I’ve learned along the way is that success does not happen over night and that some days are going to be extremely hard, but you have to keep your eye on your vision and to keep pushing forward.

What I want the world to know about me and my brand and story is that I created this brand to encourage and inspire individuals to be creative and to be their authentic-self. I hope that through this brand and through my story that people will be inspire to also go after their dreams and aspirations and continue to push through; even when times get hard.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were visiting the area I would first take her to Osha Thai Restaurant in San Francisco for some delicious Thai food and a great ambience. Then we would go back across the bay bridge and hit up some bars in Downtown Oakland for some drinks and to dance/hang out. In my view anytime that we have gone out, Downtown Oakland has always been the hot spot to go to for an exciting and fun time. Knowing my best friend we would definitely need a day of relaxation so I would also take her to back to San Francisco for a day at the beach. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few people who deserves recognition in my story . The first person is my aunt Shalon who is no longer here. My aunt was such an inspiration to me going back to school and starting my business. She was one of the closest people to me and always encouraged me to be the best version of myself. I hope that I am making her proud. The second person is mother Alethea McCray. I wouldn’t be where I am without her love and support and raising me to be the woman that I am today. So, shoutout to her for being such a dope individual that I look up to and admire. The third person that I would like to give recognition to is my husband, Mr. Oliver Rodriguez aka Kuya Beats. Thank you for also supporting my dreams and aspirations and for always being in my corner. Your the best! Shoutout to my grandma Curley! And last but not least, shoutout to my squad/my girls. Thank you for being so supportive and being the greatest sisterhood that anyone could have. I love you all.

Website: www.vividhuesnails.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vividhuesnails/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vivid-Hues-102771571441356/