Most of us go on vacation to get away from work and the responsibilities of daily life. Perhaps that is what Lilia Pantoja had in mind when she traveled to Taxco, Mexico’s capital of silver, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and bought some jewelry at the local market.

However, what happened afterwards has kept her working even more ever since. The reason? Those beautiful pieces of jewelry Lilia brought back caught the attention of friends and family who literally bought them right off her.

It was there that Lilia saw an opportunity to go into something that brought together her two loves: jewelry and shopping. Lilia, with the help of her husband Carlos, founded Lilia’s Silver. A thriving business that they run only in the summer by making the jewelry available in street fairs, events and conventions. This unique approach allows Lilia to truly enjoy managing a business while keeping her life in perfect balance. Lilia spoke with me at a recent event and shared a bit of her journey.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered in the course of running your business?

We only sell through local events and for us it is important to be at the right one. Sometimes we attend events where we make few sales, our challenge is to choose the right ones. That means, with a large attendance but also where people will want to buy jewelry. Not all events lend themselves to that and like the Mexican saying goes “Hay veces que nada el pato y hay veces que ni agua bebe”.

What is the biggest reward of being an entrepreneur?

Meeting people!

How would you say Latinas are shaping the world of small business today?

I see how they are coming out more and giving it their all. Before it was strange to see a Latina managing a small business but now, when I come to events like this one I think “wow!” There is so much happening with Hispanics today and here is where you can see and appreciate that.

What advice do you give to a Latina wanting to start her own business?

If you really want it, do it and always be positive. Sometimes starting out is difficult but it is worth it because the experience of running your own business is like no other. Also, know that it’s competitive out here but if your idea is strong enough there is enough market for everyone. What is important is for Latinas to be supportive of each other.

Website: www.liliasilver.com