Suleiny Altamirano, the founder helping Mexican art go global

About Suleiny

• Founder of Tizana Mexicana, an international Mexican cultural jewelry and crafts company

• Member of the Entreprenista League, a private community created to help founders make meaningful connections that lead to real business results

• Experienced Business Development Manager, having worked in Mexico and the United States

Key ‘a-ha’ moments from this interview

1. Don’t succumb to existing narratives about female founders, change the narrative!

   “My friend asked me why I didn’t try the idea, and it caught me off guard. People told me that in Mexico, it would be hard to be a woman entrepreneur. But, I decided to take it as a challenge, and answer it for myself that I can become a business owner”

2. If you run a company selling consumer products, you need to go to markets and meet your customers in person

   “I joined a business accelerator and tried to leverage all the resources available - grants, competition. Then, I implemented revenue-based growth strategy. I was able to generate impact and sales by going to the right markets, it has been key for me as a consumer products company”

3. Branding is all about telling the story behind your product and solution

   “I realised that telling the story was a big differentiator. Customers said they had seen the items in Mexico before, but didn’t realise the stories behind these products”

4. Share your ideas and seek support from communities you trust

   “I joined different Latino groups, I am a board member of women organisations. This helped me talk to people, talk to customers, and ask questions. It helped me iterate quickly - it changes the whole process!”

   
   “Sometimes, we don’t want to share our ideas, but it can be very helpful to talk about it, especially with mentors”

5. When something doesn’t go well, take the opportunity of reflecting with mentors and learning from it

   “It’s not always going to be great, but take it as a lesson to do better. Share these experiences with people you admire and see how they can help you reflect on it…it is easy to get busy with the everyday tasks, but it is important to focus on the vision and the big picture”

Suleiny’s advice to women who want to build businesses on their own terms

“Cultivate the mindset of continuous learning, resilience and adaptability. Take the risk of believing in yourself. Once you do it, you will feel more confident. Even if it didn’t turn out the way you want, at least you tried it!”