Today we’d like to introduce you to Verónica Hernández.
Verónica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in San Diego, California on August 16, 1976. Lived my entire childhood as well as my adolescent years in Tijuana until 19 years old where I commenced my marketing career at TEC de Monterrey in the Queretaro campus then graduated from at Mexico City.
I proceed to live in Mexico City for a couple of years where I began my work experience in the field of new business development and marketing with companies such as Dupont and Grupo Salinas.
When coming back to Tijuana, I was invited to become the Commercial Director of Developer Espacio 5, a project with an innovative idea in architecture and design for the city. During five years being part of the company, I collaborated in strategic commercial and marketing for Espacio Chapultepec, housing and apartment complex; later on, as Commercial Director for the sister company, Grupo Basica, commercializing construction finishings and furniture designs subsequentially visiting Asia on several occasions as the buyer of the company.
After a hiatus of three years and a half from work, time in which I lived in Italy and gave birth to my daughter Penelope, I decided to return to Tijuana for the second time in 2011 with the intention and inspiration to do something that contributed to her city and her life. Be Love Projects is a brand that was born with the objective to generate funds to promote education in Mexico by fabricating handmade bags made by Mexicans and destination a part of the sales towards educational programs.
Once in the world of helping the local economy and promoting design, she opened OBJECT with Adriana, her sister, and Rodrigo, her brother in law, which is a concept store of Mexican design. We began with 10 brands in a small space located in the red light district of the city. Two years later, we were published in T Magazine from the New York Times as “The store putting Tijuana on the design map.” In August 2018, we celebrated four years since our opening and now we have over 45 brands of Mexican designers and twice as much space in our showroom.
Simultaneously in 2015, as a third Project within the creative industry, Illya Haro, her my business partner, invited me to launch NERO48, an itinerant Mexican design store. Illya with her experience as an art curator and her continuous focal point on the development of initiatives focused on the cultural and creative sphere combined with my experience in marketing and relation with the top Mexican designers, we have achieved a Project that began with no budget and only the support of a handful of collaborators and sponsors which now closed its 7th edition.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Trying to make business in the art and design world is never easy, but it’s 100% fulfilling. Being the pioneer in promoting Mexican design in a city makes it’s even harder, but after a few years when the community starts understanding and learning the value, then you get your reward.
My advice for you women starting a journey would be to chose something you have a passion for, that is what helps you get along the difficult moments. Put all your heart into it, do things right, never halfway, leave fear behind.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into OBJECT story. Tell us more about it.
I run OBJECT on my own now, I have a team of young creatives that help me and that are as passionate towards the exquisite Mexican contemporary design we carry on the store.
Im know for having good taste in many things… I believe people trust me on whatever I recommend, can my food, wine, mezcal, best service, best spots and of course the best design.
Every single piece you find ion OBJECT is something that has been delicately selected, the way we approach our customers, the experience that gets in our space is always unique and amazing.
The uniqueness is what sets us apart from others, a design that makes a Mexican feel proud.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I try to see opportunities instead of barriers, Im in the creative industry, so for us women, there is so much potential and a possibility to stand out.
My generation is experiencing this big cultural evolution where women are having more power every second, each one of us has the opportunity to empower other women and so on and so forth.
The barriers are mostly in our minds, in learned ideas and concepts. And that applies to all genders.
Contact Info:
- Address: Amado Paniagua 3017 Interior 5
Colonia Aviación
Tijuana, BC 22014 - Website: object.mx
- Phone: 52 664 685-1595
- Email: info@object.mx
- Instagram: object.mx
- Facebook: objectmexico
- Twitter: objectmexico
Image Credit:
Kashia, Luis Garcia
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