Jan has drawn clothes since she was a child and watched image and style shows. After college, she and a friend started a fashion and image blog that reached more than 2 million visits. Then she worked in social media at agencies and corporations, until a layoff left her without a job. At 24, she launched her own image consultancy.
Today she has more than five years in business, with clients in more than six countries and a 100% digital service. In the episode she told us what she wishes she had known before starting, and the mistakes she made without realizing. If you are about to start a business or already have, this will help.
The problems she faced
1.A partner or friend with a different vision
Jan's blog was working, but she and her partner, who was also her friend, did not share the same vision. Jan valued the friendship more than the project and decided to shut it down so each could go their own way. It is a hard decision that many entrepreneurs avoid making.
2.Getting laid off and not knowing what comes next
When the company where she worked cut staff, Jan left happy, although something was missing. She spent time traveling and on her sister's wedding, but then asked herself what she was going to do. She had always wanted her own consultancy, but saw it as far away, something for when she was 30.
Someone asked her: "so why not do it right now?". It was a Saturday, and by Monday she had already told her parents she wanted to start a business.
3.Starting from zero, with no savings
Jan had no debt, but no savings either. She started "literally at zero in everything". At the beginning, she says, you have to "grind it out" and invest in equipment and other things, and it is not what you imagine, that you will earn millions from day two.
4.Not separating your money from the business's money
Nobody told her that as an entrepreneur she had to pay herself a salary. For the first two years she did not have one as such: whatever came in, came in. Everything was hers, and there was no division between her and the company.
5.Working nonstop, then swinging to the other extreme
When you have no schedule, she says, work eats everything. She became strict, controlling and addicted to work: at 9 at night she was still working. She also heard comments like "and what is Jan up to now? she is just at home", without anyone seeing the work behind it.
She burned out, and in reaction she went to the other side: she relaxed too much. She says she still has "all or nothing" seasons, and that is why balance is complicated.
6.Being part of the statistics
Jan remembers the statistic that gets repeated a lot: that eight out of ten businesses do not make it past two years. That is why she is so proud to have reached five years in March 2024.
What she learned (and it can save you years)
1.Save before you jump
Her first piece of advice, and the one she did not follow: save everything you can. At the beginning, capital will go into investment, and having a cushion gives you a lot of freedom.
2.Try working in the field you want to start a business in
Her second piece of advice is to work for a while at a company in the field you want to enter, to see if you like it and how the business moves. She admits it would have helped her to work for a while at an image consultancy she admired before starting her own.
3.Define a clear vision from the start
Since she first came up with the idea, her consultancy was going to be digital, so she could work from anywhere in the world. That saved her steps and let her have clients in several countries. The vision can be recalibrated along the way, she says, but having a guide helps.
4.Treat your business like a company
Her recipe for order: pay yourself a salary, keep set hours, have an accountant and do things formally. She says you have to take the business seriously, and the business will take you seriously. It is also okay to rest.
5.Your essence sets you apart
Jan maintains that two image consultants in Toluca, the same age and working with women, will not be the same: each will have her own story. What makes a business different is the essence of the person running it, not something "fake" or disguised.
6.Find mentors and recognize your achievements
One of her mentors was someone she admired and approached respectfully, offering help. That person recommended books and perspective. Jan also argues for recognizing your own achievements: for her, reaching five years is something to celebrate.
“You have to take the business seriously, and the business will take you seriously.”
Is something like this happening to you?
Before you jump in, or if you already run a business, answer this honestly:
Listen to the full episode
This is only a summary. The full conversation has many more details, stories and tips. Watch it in full on YouTube (it is recorded in Spanish; turn on the captions and choose Auto-translate to read it in English) or find every episode on the Pandas Creativos podcast page (in Spanish).
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