Meet Yosmi Trinidad | Yosmi’s Boutique | How it started

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

Hi Yosmi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always wanted to start my own business but I was too afraid. I liked the idea of it and I enjoyed fantasizing about it, but I thought that it was too unrealistic for me. It seemed risky to me and I would always think of every worst case scenario. What if I do my taxes wrong, what if I get sued, what if people hate the product? These are the questions I would ask myself over and over again. Until one day I realized that I was self sabotaging myself and thinking too negatively. Life is too short to be scared. After getting over my fear I had to think about what I would sell. Lashes came to my mind instantly. Lash extensions and strip lashes had become super popular over the years. Tons of girls I knew were constantly going to Walmart to buy lashes that would not last. So why not sell quality lashes, I thought! I also wanted to sell clothes as well and that’s how Yosmi’s Boutique slowly came to life. I knew that I didn’t want to be stuck in one category.
At the time I was a Senior in college. I was taking 18 credits and I was the treasurer of my dance team. I was so broke and my schedule was jam packed. I did not like the idea of taking out a loan to start my business. I was already burying myself in tons of loans for school. One day I decided to start working at the school cafeteria. The only time I was able to work was at 6 o’clock in the morning. I would wake up at 5am, work from 6am to 11am. Go to class from 11am to 5pm and then go to dance practice at night. I was exhausted, but it was worth it! Every penny that I earned I saved so that I could start my 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?
I think what sets me a apart from other brands is that I am a model and content creator as well. It was very easy for me to promote my business because I already had grown my social media following. I had experience promoting other people’s brands so I just needed to apply those skills to my own. The hardest part for me was balancing my modeling/influencer career with my business. Since I am doing so many things at once it was difficult at first to schedule time for each thing. I have gotten better at time management and I am still learning on how to improve on that today. I learned that not everything needs to be perfect. In the beginning I wanted every single detail to be perfect. I was so hard on myself about any little thing. I now know that every business has made mistakes along its journey and mistakes are what helps you learn. It’s okay if things don’t always go as planned. I also want people to know that anything is possible. I started with no money and no knowledge on how to start a business. If you really work hard for something it will happen.

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.
If my best friend was visiting the area I would definitely make sure they had a good time. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to plan! I am the Queen when it comes to planning lol! I would take them to a fun interactive museum in NYC. One of my favorites is the Spyscape museum. It’s a museum that tells you about the history of spies but in a fun way. It took me 3 hours to get through the whole thing. I learned so much and I found out what type of spy I am. After the museum I would take to them to a nice restaurant. It would depend on what they like to eat, but a favorite restaurant of mine is Stardust. It’s a diner in NYC where they sing and dance while serving your food. At the end of the night I would take them to see a movie.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
While I was working to save up for my business I was very stressed. It was not easy getting up everyday at 5am and then going to sleep late because of school work. I would like to thank my boyfriend for giving me the strength to keep on going. He is my number one fan and he believes in me so much. I am so grateful to have someone like him in my life. He motivates me every day and keeps me sane through the good and the bad. I would also love to thank my college peers. After launching my business they showed me so much love and support. Even the people who I have never spoken to were so kind and supportive. They played a big part in my success. They would post on their stories and helped spread the word about my launch.

Website: https://yosmisboutique.com/

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

Image Credits
IG: @_marikane IG: @Taiwhite___ IG: @Rose.claryy