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Name: Rebekah Evans

Business: Beautiful Bride Box 

Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.

Industry: Consumer Goods

Reason for starting: I started BeautifulBrideBox.com with the intention of filling a gap in the bridal subscription box industry. We are the first bridal subscription box to offer 100% personalized items — with the Bride-to-be’s last name on our products delivered each month. Not only are we the first bridal subscription box of our kind, I am the first Latina subscription box owner in the wedding box industry. My goal is to help other women know you can achieve success using what you think are your failures. I’m a millennial woman, so the challenges that I have faced are applicable to many other women entrepreneurs out there. I have recently been featured on Her Truth Project, where I spoke about mental health and how workplace anxiety helped fuel my fire for creating my own business. My passion is for other women to realize their potential, and their capabilities of being a strong, empowered business owner.

Related: Read about another Consumer Goods entrepreneur here. 

How do you define success? Success to me is starting something great in the midst of mediocre progress. It just takes one good swipe of a match to create a sustainable fire! It’s also a mental state – preparing your mind for success will help create the focus you need to produce that success. I am a fan of many small successes. As a business owner and entrepreneur, it’s easy to find yourself wanting that one “Big Success,” but you risk missing out on the abundance of small successes. I make it a point to celebrate even the little victories I have. If I make a campaign that runs well, I make sure to celebrate its success. Or, if I hit a level of engagement on social media, I focus on marinating on that success. Each small success is meaningful and it helps create the “Big Success” everyone seems to be after.

Biggest success: My biggest success to date is realizing that with enough balance and prioritizing, I can “have it all” as a wife, a mother, a volunteer, and a business owner. I find myself trying pour my focus into one thing at a time. There’s a quote that says you can multitask and just do a lot of things “okay,” or you can dedicate time to one thing at a time. Those are the words I go by — I prioritize my day, so that nothing is lacking. I have a solid to-do list and a slew of alarms that keep me on track throughout my day. I’ve established boundaries, and when work is done, I switch my focus over to spending time with my husband and baby, and also scheduling volunteer opportunities. I even carve out time for self-care, which is a necessity for us women! This has made me feel more fulfilled and like I truly can ‘do it all.’

What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? Being a minority (Latina and a woman) in business has proven to be an obstacle. I try to use who I am to my advantage and realize that emotional intelligence is an asset in business! The business sector has long been a man’s playground, I am fortunate to have entered the workforce in a time where women not only have a platform, but also the gonads to go along with it! I’ve been told in my younger years that I was, “smart for a Spanish girl.” I have used that to fuel my passion to make a space for me in the business realm. I encourage other women to create that space for themselves. Do you want to be the first woman tech business owner in your town? Do it! Do you want to impact your industry as a minority? Do it! There is so much reward in taking risks. I have used my challenge of being a female Latina entrepreneur as a catalyst, instead of a hindrance. You are what you allow yourself to be. And if you give people the ability to feed you, you also give them the ability to starve you. Use your challenges to your advantage!

Related: Calling Women Entrepreneurs! Applications are Now Open for The 2018 Resist List!

Who is your most important role model? My mother, who has stood behind every decision I have chosen to make in my personal and business life. She is truly the definition of supportive. Everyone needs a few, quality people in their corner to help guide them and offer up support. There was a sense of anxiety that came along with me stepping out and bringing my passion and vision to fruition. Having the support of my mother helped carry me through that anxious season of my life. What she has accomplished in her life has been infused into my upbringing, and now that my life is finally becoming parallel with hers, I am encouraged by her boldness leading toward achieving her goals. Her ability to exhort me allows me to then be that role model to someone else!