We have come to our final female founder feature this season! It has been such a pleasure to learn from these women. Luckily, this isn't the end of the road- most of them are now going to be hanging out with me on the LOTP podcast (which is now live BTW- link under Podcast on the homepage) YAY!
I loved reading through this week's feature. Plus any girl who quotes Meredith Grey in her interview- you know it's going to be a good read. #longlivegreysanatomy
Beyond her excellent quoting skills, Mariana Mesquita, co-founder of Giftspawt is doing it all. From staying active and playing soccer, growing a business, spending time with her family and STILL working at a 9-5 job.
Learning how to prioritize things is super important when balancing life's to do's! And it seems like Mariana has her head on straight about how to pretty much everything.
I believe she can rock so many things due to the way she looks at her life. Mariana says, "I'm a big fan of satisfying my own curiosity," how expansive is that?! That kind of mindset allows her the freedom to choose & prioritize her interests without ANY judgment.
Mariana looks at every experience as an opportunity to learn and to challenge herself.
The biggest take away on this one: growing a business while balancing everything life has to offer is ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE. She even states in her interview, that she doesn't have the best schedule, but she makes it work.
Too often, people don't think there is time for growing their dream with everything else on their plate. The truth is we don't have more time, so we have to MAKE MORE TIME.
How do you organize your week to make time for your business?
P.S. Mariana & her business partner Allison are EP 2 on the podcast in iTunes! If you are interested in learning more about Giftspawt feel free to contact her via IG @marianacrw or @giftspawt and through email at mariana@giftspawt.com.
Take it away Mariana!
What is YOUR story!? Tell us a bit about your background both personally and professionally.
I was born in Porto, Portugal and went to school at the Portuguese Catholic University where I graduated with a BA in Sound and Image. In 2014 after graduating University I moved to Canada to be with the love of my life. When I was in Portugal I was working as a photographer for an Event Company but when I moved to Canada I had to start from scratch so I worked in retail for 3 years and currently I'm working in insurance.
I got my first dog Riley in 2015 when I was home waiting to become a Permanent Resident of Canada. Getting Riley was the best decision I have ever made. She absolutely changed my life. I was never allowed to have a dog growing up so when this moment came I was over the moon. We are now best friends and I can't picture my life without Riley in it. 1 year later came Walter. They are so cute and do everything together.
When I created an Instagram account for Riley in 2015 I had no idea all the friends I was going to make, all the adventures I was about to embark on and how it would change my life.
It was on Instagram that I met Allison, my business partner. We both have a dog named Riley and we both watched Greys Anatomy religiously every Thursday so that started many topics of conversation. We became really close and one day Allison approached me with the idea of creating a IG page where we feature Dogs With Stuffed Animals. I was all for it and said let's do it. 2 years later we are at 70K followers and created our dream business, Gift Spawt.
How did you get your idea or concept for your business?
Allison and I have been sending gifts to each others dogs for a while (Birthdays, Valentines Day, Christmas etc). The gifts included a toy and a card and just the whole experience was exciting. We were always curious about what gift our pups were going to receive next. We saw a lot of people doing this and how excited everyone was about it so we decided to create Gift Spawt.
Tell us more about your business and what you do!
At Gift Spawt we focus on celebrating friendships and moments and it's place where we make sending a gift to your dog or other dogs a fun and convenient experience. Each gift includes complimentary wrapping and a hand-written gift card with a personalized message. You no longer have to go to the store to pick up a toy, get a card, get wrapping paper or go to the Post Office. We do all of that for you.
I’m in charge of the creative part of Gift Spawt. I built our website and update it weekly, run all social media, product photography etc.
Looking back would you do anything different?
I don’t think I would do anything differently to be honest. I know that we always second guess this answer because maybe I could have done more research on a specific topic here and there but this is my first business. I’m living everything for the first time and just enjoying the journey. No regrets.
What is your favorite thing about being an entrepreneur?
I can't really just pick one. I love the fact that I get to make people & pups happy. I’m a big fan of satisfying my own curiosity. Everyday I learn something new, it’s a never ending learning experience and I get the opportunity to challenge myself and what i think i’m cable of. Lastly I love the fact that since I became an entrepreneur I get to meet amazing women who hustle everyday and make their dreams come true and that really inspires me.
Share your favorite moment or moments while growing your business.
My favourite moment was when we released our first holiday box for Christmas in 2018. The moment we posted it on instagram and how much people where absolutely loving what we put together and then having our first sold out box was really the moment where I think Allison and I were like wow. We can really do this.
What are some of the challenges of being an entrepreneur?
People sometimes tend to sugar coat things but I’m all about honesty. For me the biggest challenge was money. Starting from zero and having to make sure we had money to start our dream. No investors, no family help, just us. Unfortunately you can’t do anything without money but we both work full time so that was something that helped us a lot when we started.
What about some of the challenges you face as a female entrepreneur?
I feel very lucky that I actually haven't come across any major challenges as female entrepreneur. I work mostly with women and they have all been so supportive and encouraging.
Advice for other other female entrepreneurs or those looking to get started?
Just go for it. I know it can be overwhelming because we tend to think about everything at the same time and I'm guilty of that, however you have to believe that you can do it. You have to reach deep within and trust that you are making the right decision. One thing that helped me a lot when I was thinking about starting Gift Spawt with Allison was listening to podcasts by female entrepreneurs and how they started their businesses. One thing they all had in common was that success did not happen overnight and that gave me more strength to start.
What is your favorite quote?
"We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will cushion the blow. But the future is always changing. The future is the home of our deepest fears and wildest hopes. But one thing is certain, when it finally reveals itself. The future is never the way we imagined it." - Meredith Grey
How do you avoid burnout?
I do my best to stay healthy. I play soccer once a week and I workout at the gym 3x a week. I’m trying to get into running long distance so let’s see if I can do it. I love a nice bubble bath at the end of a long day while listening to my favourite songs and of course lots of puppy cuddles.
We know all entrepreneurs work differently. How do you schedule your day?
Well because I have a full-time job (9 to 5) I have to work around that. Allison and I use the app Click-Up where we write down our to do list and we try to do as much as possible everyday. I do a little bit of social media work for Gift Spawt before I go to work in the morning and then I work at night when everyone is already in bed. Not the best schedule but I try to make it work.
What are your MUST have tools?! (things like organization, calendars, social media, payment platforms, business development sources...etc.)
For me are: Klaviyo for email marketing, Click-Up for to do list & Canva I use to design graphics for our blog etc.
How do you advertise your brand?
We are still learning about marketing but we are mostly on Instagram. I try to interact with people as much as I can and create real connections. We are going to start using FB/IG ads more when the holiday season starts.
Is there anything else you'd like for us to know?
There is no "no right time". There's just time and what you choose to do with it.