Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Paiz.
Suzanne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always liked the idea of owning my own business. You could say I started back in 2011! It was my second year in college and I wanted to make some extra money to save up for a car. I remember signing up as a vendor for events on campus at NCTC in Corinth. I would set up my table and sell all kinds of accessories.
I always enjoyed it. For some reason, when I did get my car I stopped doing it.
Fast forward seven years, now it is the summer of 2018 and I left my full-time job to go back to school. I knew I needed to do something, and my heart starting sending all these crazy business ideas to my head.
I didn’t start Pink Shell until June 2019. I wish I could tell you that the reason why I waited so long was because I was preparing myself but that would just be a lie. I’m the type of person that will build my plane as I’m flying.
These past four months have been amazing! I have found strong support from strangers on Instagram and I couldn’t be more blessed and happy.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have only been doing this for four months but I have learned a lot. It hasn’t been easy but it hasn’t been impossible either. Sometimes I do feel like quitting and focusing on other things in my life but I always go back to the reason why I started this again. I know this is what I want, and the pain of regret will be much greater than the pain of hard work.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Pink Shell is a small Instagram shop, based in the DFW area. But I like to tell people that even though we’re local to central Texas, our minds are always somewhere on a beach. Why the beach? Because the beach is so unpredictable! Think about it, no beach will ever be the same two days in a row. The waves come and go, the people come and go, even the sand will come and go. Pink Shell is for women that, like the beach, they don’t want to be predictable.
I think one of the coolest superpowers women have is their wide option in style and fashion! One day you can be a busy mom with your messy bun and the next you are a boss babe with your crisp pantsuit. I wanted to create a business where every woman could feel like they belong. I am all about community vs competition and I am always partnering up with other Woman-Owned Businesses to do giveaways together, or collaborations together.
I am so proud that you can’t look at the Pink Shell Instagram feed and think “this is only for THIS lifestyle and it’s not me”, but instead it is for everyone!
What were you like growing up?
My childhood was spent in Honduras, where I’m from and I still remember being a very quiet and shy student. During my “elementary and secondary school career” I attended seven different schools! I think this didn’t really help me break out of my shell because I always felt like I was the new girl.
After high school, I worked as a waitress and I think that is what has helped me the most to overcome my fear of public speaking. I became a little more confident in myself and was able to come up to strangers and start a conversation – something that I would have never been able to do in high school.
Fast forward to the present, and now I feel like I am truly who I was meant to be. I am that girl that walks into a public restroom alone and walks out with two new friends. I can be standing in line at a Starbucks and I’ll bond with the person behind me over the shoes they are wearing. It took me a while to get where I am, but I’m glad I was able to make that change. If someone is reading this thinking “OMG she’s so brave, I could never talk to a stranger” let me tell you that I used to think that too. It just takes practice and little changes over time.
Besides that change in my personality, I have always had the same interests. I love art and crafting and creating. I love music and dancing. I have a phobia with worms (I HATE THEM). I love food, and I always like trying new food. I absolutely love coconut, and mango and tropical flavors like that. I love the ocean and the beach. I really enjoy traveling with friends and family. I am a summer person, not really a big fan of cold weather. Strangely, I prefer salty over sweets any day!
Pricing:
- All the items you will find on PinkShell are $20 or less. I am a firm believer that you don’t need to spend a million dollars to look and feel like a million dollars.
Contact Info:
- Email: pinkshellshop@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/shoppinkshell
Image Credit:
Gaby Pineda Photography
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