Meet Jaylean Pina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaylean Pina.

Hi Jaylean, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My name is Jaylean I am 25 years old and my journey toward entrepreneurship began when I was eight years old. I come from a Mexican family who believes anything is possible with faith and hard work. So, when I told my mom I wanted to make some extra money, she took me to buy some balloons to sell outside of our home. At eight years old, I realized I enjoyed seeing the smile balloons brought to others’. Fast forward many years, I joined the military and met my now husband Matthew. We had our first son Amell in 2021. On his first birthday, I made a small balloon garland, and when he saw it, his little eyes lit up, and his smile was so big. At that moment, I realized my life had made a full circle because now my son was smiling because of the balloons I had created.

The nostalgia and all of that joy that I once felt as an eight-year-old girl came rushing in. I realized it was time for me to pursue my dream of owning a business surrounding balloon decoration and more. So with faith and hard work, I established my small business Designing Memories by Jaylean, on October 12th, 2022. My priority is to provide balloon décor for any special events while using eco-friendly and biodegradable air-filled balloons. My business motto is to create “Balloons for YOUR Special Memories” and also provide backdrop and mosaic/marquee letters.

After establishing my small business, my first event was with the Andre Lucas PTO at the Andre Lucas Elementary school in Fort Campbell. This event will always have a special place in my heart and is the highlight of my career as a balloon décor specialist. Not only because it was my first significant event but because the event planner Brittany was so welcoming and all of the volunteers, parents, and kids were grateful and full of smiling faces. Nonetheless, I could not be in business without my husband, son, parents, siblings, close friends, and most importantly, the support from my clients and other small business.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is without a doubt that every established business has encountered some obstacles. The road has not always been smooth for me as I am not only a mommy and wife, but I am also in the TN national guard, a student at Trident University, and still a full-time employee. Although balancing my professional and personal life is challenging, the most challenging moment for me as a business owner was marketing. When I established my business marketing was not a smooth road for me because I did not have any social platforms therefore I had zero following. I was determined to learn how to utilize social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to promote my business, engage, and create content.

It was challenging for me because I was not accustomed to using my phone many hours of the day and learning what content attracts and engages followers and clients is not as easy as it sounds. Although the marketing aspect created the challenge of risk, lengthy business work hours, and extreme critical thinking I am so proud that I had the courage to step outside of my comfort zone. The truth is being a small business owner I am not just the owner, I am the content creator, the accountant, the salesperson, the customer service center and so much more! Although it has not been a smooth road, I take on every challenge that comes to me and wears many hats that I do because I love balloon décor and the smiles it brings to my client’s faces. I enjoy knowing that my balloon décor and hard work will be a part of someone’s special memories. Those smiles and happy memories are my motivation and drive to make my small business successful.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
COVID-19 brought about many unknown situations that impacted businesses and humanity. An important lesson I learned from the COVID crisis was that life is unexpected and we only get one life so it is essential to make the most of it. I also learned to prioritize and cherish those I love. I was not yet established as a business when COVID-19 happened, however, my life was affected by COVID-19.

Both of my great grandparents nearly died from COVID-19 and the thought of losing them to this virus put a lot into perspective for me. It was a challenging time because the borders were closed, and I could not make the trip to visit them. Almost losing my grandparents to COVID-19 taught me to slow down and prioritize engaging more with those I love because you never know when catastrophic events such as COVID-19 will take place.

Pricing:

• Affordable. I offer a 10% discount to military, firefighters, and police.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://designing-memories-by-jaylean.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_memories_jaylean/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087371352053