Today we’d like to introduce you to Astrid Duenas.
Hi Astrid, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Astrid Duenas and I am from Colombia. A few years ago, around 2014 I noticed there was very little variety in jewelry. Especially when it came to Colombian jewelry so I decided to start bringing in natural materials from Colombia to start making and selling jewelry that was good for the environment and made with materials that you can find anywhere. These jewelry pieces were made in materials like orange peel, Colombian coffee bean, and cantaloupe seed, which are materials you can find in someone’s compost bin at home (in Colombia), there are also Soursop and little coconut seeds which are more frequently found in Colombia and South America. My jewelry business is called Astrid Duenas Colombian Jewelry and throughout the years it has evolved from being a jewelry business to also having different accessories such as hammocks, Wayuu bags, shirts, and ponchos made by Colombian artisans who we work with to bring the most quality pieces. As of March 2022, we are located at 3 different Colombian restaurants, selling our jewelry and accessories and changing the inventory every month as we see fit. We’ve gone from selling at jewelry fairs to slowly selling through other establishments.
I am an entrepreneur since I have memory, I started my first business when I was 12 years old. My motto and passion in life are to serve people. I am sharing this because in addition to my jewelry business around the same year, in association to a small group of Colombians we started the Colombian Independence Celebrations, then, in 2017 we created the nonprofit organization called “Colombianos en Austin” to serve and support Colombian and Hispanic population. I was one of the co-founders and first president until 2018. Then, in 2019 I met a couple Colombian entrepreneurs to create the Colombian Fest ATX a festival to celebrate the Colombian Independence, I participated providing my intellectual property to support the creation of the festival (legal, administrative bases, and working on bringing the sponsors of the festival, we are working now in our 3rd year. While I was working with these businesses, I decided to start another business at this time as a health consultant to educate and support healthy life and habits here in USA, Colombia, and Canada.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a struggle has always been difficult. I believe one of the biggest struggles is showing people why natural jewelry is a more sustainable option. Many people are always more hesitant to purchase jewelry made with natural materials due to it being bulkier but it’s all about knowing what fits you and opening your mind to it, sometimes it’s healthier to wear something natural than something that’s made from a metal that might irritate your skin. Since moving to displaying the jewelry in multiple different places though, it’s become easier to convince people and let them be open to trying it now that the sale no longer relies on jewelry fairs but in different places in person.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business specializes in Colombian Jewelry and accessories, we import natural seed and plant fibers from Colombia as well as work with different artisanal families in Colombia to bring in hammocks, clocks, purses, etc. We create many different jewelry sets with cantaloupe seeds, orange peel, etc. that amplify the skin tone and looks. Our pride is all of our jewelry made with everyone’s hard work and made with natural materials for everyone to enjoy. We offer all types of pieces for everyone.
About my other businesses my goal is to conscientize people about the importance of a good health and educate them through creating relationships identifying their needs and helping to improve their habits and decisions. With the festival my goal is to show Austinites and incoming population about Colombian culture.
How do you define success?
Success has different levels for me to be happy in my life by doing what I like and impacting the people around me, sharing what I know and what I am. Also, success has 2 levels: personal and professional. First, success, on my personal level, is to be able to keep my core values present in all interactions with people, create long-term relationships, and have a positive impact on people that I am in contact with. Second, the professional level is to accomplish my goals generate a positive impact not only on the people I am working with, on the economy and on my family but also my personal income.
Contact Info:
- Email: astridsjewelry@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrid.duenas.jewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astridduenasjewelryATX
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/astridsjewelry
