Retail nerd, art + tech enthusiast, design devotee, well-being believer.
I used to think I was all over the map (literally and figuratively) and worried that it was a bad thing. But now I know that those old woes are my superpowers. Superpowers heightened and honed through professional and personal experiences around the world. Each location and moment - past and present - gives me a broad and unique set of inspiration points for approaching everyday design and living.
I was born in Australia to Colombian parents and grew up in Los Angeles, California. When I was 25 my then-boyfriend now husband, asked me to move to London with him for a job opportunity. Saying yes changed the course of my life. We loved London but left the West for the Southeast to live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for another opportunity. After two years of soaking up Southeast Asian culture, we returned to the States, where our next home of choice was Raleigh, North Carolina—where we’d start our family.
In Raleigh, I founded and operated my dream store for five years. It’s where I strengthened my editorial and curatorial eyes, passion for placemaking, and discernment for the why of things.
I closed the store in 2020 mid-pandemic. I was ready to share my interests and experiences beyond its four walls and longed to spend more time with my husband and two young daughters. With a new sense of direction and purpose, I reconnected with writing and expanded my desire to support others in their professional pursuits.
Before earning my own MBA in Independent Retail, I invented an activewear accessory, scoured European flea markets, delighted shoppers in a historical setting, and gave shoes to kids in the early days of TOMS. While at CSUN (California State University Northridge), I got my feet wet in fashion PR, fashion trend forecasting, and retail sales (forever love you, Nordstrom). I graduated with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences and a Minor in Business Marketing.
Today, with my feet firmly planted on the ground – wherever I am in the present – I celebrate being all over the map without feeling all over the map. The endless courses we take in curiosity can show us our everyday superpowers. With that, I am comforted, grateful, and endlessly excited, not just for me but for all of us.