Luxury is Not a Logo

The Beginning

I always had the feeling I had to leave my country. I did not know where or when but I did know my path was abroad.

I had always worked in education and although I enjoyed it I felt it was not for me and I wanted to do more. It was only when I relocated to the USA I thought that opportunity had arrived to redesign my future. Although it was not a smooth road, it allowed me to explore options that I would have never thought had I stayed in my homeland.

I have always had a passion for leather and leather goods. Coming from Argentina, I also had grown surrounded by polo and horses. El Jacaranda was born as a homage to the fantastic purple trees that line the large avenues in Buenos Aires and are so representative of South America. The combination of textures, design and affordable luxury led me to design leather handbags that would represent the beauty, practicality and effortless fashion of South American women.

Polo Games gave me the opportunity to promote and display the goods while enjoying fantastic events and promoting luxury without logos.

The financial crisis of 2008 caused the business to stop since it was no longer sustainable. By then I was already working in the Social Care sector in America, which allowed me to work with the most inspirational nurses and clinical staff and support individuals to stay at home and live independently through disease or disabilities. I got to love my job and worked tirelessly to develop an international team that made us very successful and was extremely rewarding personally and professionally.

Shop Hunting Divas

In 2012, we had to relocate again. This time it was England. By then I considered myself a professional expat, having navigated unchartered territories and tried to get to understand the personalities of the countries and their people. In America, living very close to NYC, I had got used to being surrounded by amazing designers and the most creative fashion forums. I had developed a professional approach to shopping and getting to know the small little shops where the magic happened. NYC has that welcoming approach to the most edgy and inspirational creatives and it allows anyone to be yourself and create the best image of your work.

Once in the UK, I decided to work with those emerging designers who, like myself once, have trouble being seen or getting their first collections in front of buyers. That is how Shop Hunting Divas started.

Shop Hunting Divas is an international platform that allows any designer or creative to present their work and use it freely as a marketing tool. Through this platform I got to meet the most dedicated and sometimes not known well enough designers, painters and artists from all over the world. I have seen some of these designers become famous, create remarkable collections but as always, fashion is tough and the possibility to support them in any way is always extremely rewarding.(Photo: AlcFashion above and Nev Tejidos below)

I, again, resumed working in the Social Care sector in the UK where, not surprisingly, I found the same heartbreaking challenges I had found in the States. Working in Social Care makes you extremely aware of the fragility of the present and how it can quickly change, for the better or for the worse and how our realities now cannot rely on others as used to. Families do not live in the same countries any more or even the same towns and looking after our loved ones is becoming very difficult and in some cases, impossible. The social care sector like the health sector allows you to meet the everyday unsung heroes who go above and beyond their jobs and work tirelessly to promote independence, support and legislation to protect the vulnerable.

Words of Wisdom

I was lucky enough to meet a coach once who said to me “ Susana, your focus is the people”. This stuck in my mind for the following months and allowed me to make some drastic changes to the way I saw myself.

I decided to change careers and focus on myself and the positive energy towards others.

Exciting Plans for 2018

While continuing with the work I have already started, I am now working into recruiting international talent through my work with Talentoo.net. Over the years, I realised the amount of talented individuals stuck in positions with no personal or professional growth, being bullied or harassed, unable to develop or too shy to speak for themselves. I have seen managers crush personalities and promote themselves, destroy teams and discard people without any second thoughts. I have witnessed worn out staff go out of their way to make sure shifts were covered and employers not only unaware but also disinterested or too busy to bother. Talentoo.net allows candidates to be seen with no recruiter filter. It simplifies talent search and promotes the work of those who feel recruiting firms do not offer variety or allow them to be creative.

I am looking into becoming a certified coach and purposely connecting with inspirational people even more. I have changed the way I look at work and how it can benefit me not only professionally but personally and learning how to channel my talents and positive spirit into new opportunities.

I have decided to stop finding excuses to become a Personal Trainer and certified Spinning Instructor and have signed up for the training already, looking into working with adults who want to improve their wellbeing and stay active.

Tips or new Bible to Self

• Connect with those who selfishly will have a cup of coffee with you just to have a chat and a laugh
• Learn to accept criticism but be stubborn and know who you are: Stand up for yourself
• Do not get discouraged, there is an avenue you have not explored yet
• The world is too small, everyone is a foreigner in their own land. Explore.
• What is next. I do not know and I love it.
• Stay focused. Make sure you do not miss a chance to learn something new.

Network with me

My profile in Linkedin :

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/shophuntingdivas/

www.shophuntingdivas.blogspot.com

www.talentoo.net

Twitter @shophuntingdiva

Facebook @shophuntingdivas

& @talentoo UK

Instagram @shophuntingdivas

Join me in taking part in the 2018 One Million Woman Link Up to monetize LinkedIn. #SmartWomenPartnerGrowRich

https://bit.ly/2JeQAfO

https://collaborativebusinessmatch.com/2018-one-million-woman-link/