Many people at some point in their lives have wished to be the owner of their own company, to become independent and not have a desk job working for the dreams of others. At a minimum, people want their effort to be valued and taken into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valentina Santiago is a 23-year-old Venezuelan who runs an online business called Ocean Trending<\/a> that offers a variety of products. She migrated to the United States in 2017 and has found her greatest motivation in her quest for independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My greatest motivation is to have my independence; Since I left my country, and arrived here, I always had to be dependent on someone else, working long shifts and very hard for very low pay, and in the end, it was more fatigue than satisfaction.” <\/strong>Valentina shares.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Since she was young, Valentina has focused on bettering herself and devoting quality time to those around her. This is also what drove her to launch her online business store Ocean Trending<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “At my young age, I have many goals and every day I want to excel and be able to dedicate quality time to people I love.\u201d <\/strong>Valentina says.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Valentina manages an online business called Ocean Trending<\/a>, which offers a wide variety of products for both men and women, from beauty to technological accessories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “<\/strong>Ocean Trending<\/strong><\/a> is unique because from the beginning we wanted to lean toward trends and innovations to offer the best and most authentic products to the public.<\/strong>” Valentina explains.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Ocean Trending started in November 2020 when Valentina realized she was working endless hours and had no energy or time for herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEventually, the time came to let go of what had me tied for so long and look for independence. This could give me that tranquility and stability that I wanted and needed so much because it\u2019s true that if you are not at peace with yourself you will not be at peace with anyone. As always say, work hard, but for your own business not for someone else’s<\/strong>.\u201d Valentina adds.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The biggest challenge for Valentina so far when it comes to entrepreneurship is dealing with investment or lack thereof. Not just financial investment, but also the dedication and time it takes to launch a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbove all, people looking to start their own business need to have a lot of perseverance. I always say that people have to be mentally strong. Mindset is key in order to be successful and not get derailed from your goal. On the contrary, mindset will make you fight better for what you dreamed. That\u2019s why for me having a positive mindset is essential.\u201d<\/strong> Valentina says.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n When it comes to fear, Valentina sees it as a feeling that can both lead you to miss a great opportunity and lead you to make the best decision of your life. This is because fear itself does not determine the consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany times because of fear we don’t do things or we miss opportunities, but fear also drives us to make important decisions. That is why fear is inspiring for me. At the beginning of this project fear was something that affected me, but to fight it I asked myself \u2018why not?\u2019 whenever I doubted doing something. Instead, I said \u2018let\u2019s do it.\u2019 Now here I am making a dream come true, materializing it little by little.\u201d <\/strong>Valentina shares.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Valentina\u2019s future projects include growing Ocean Trending<\/a> <\/strong>to be able to provide international shipping of their products. She would also like to have a physical store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n