Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Mae Valenteros.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachel Mae. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Three motivations have continually shaped the person I strive to be, which ultimately influence my intentions for Waipahe Co.—The Need to Create, Giveback, & simply… Be Happy.
PARENTS // I believe a person’s childhood and upbringing has a tremendous effect on how they decide to take on this unpredictable adventure called life. My parents instilled the practice of consistent volunteer work in my brother and I from a young age — whether it was playing our instruments at nursing homes, feeding the homeless, or donating our toys/clothing. Much to my initial dismay, they decided to send me on a two-week missionary trip to the Philippines for my senior year spring break:
“We live in San Diego, Mom & Dad, wouldn’t Cancun be a more realistic option? Or better yet, just staying here in San Diego?”
My negotiation skills were unmatched and off I went to the Philippines… by myself… with zero familiar faces. Upon arrival, I was assigned to Children’s Ministry where we went to visit and feed kids in the local barangays (barrios), held puppet shows, mini musical programs, sat with them as the Medical/Dental/Vision Ministries tended to their needs, and spent time at the local orphanage. Needless to say, I did not want to come back to my reality after my experience there. I realized then that because of a simple 11-hour flight my mom took to Honolulu, HI and 16-hour flight my father took to San Diego, CA back in 1980, a world of opportunity was given to me. All my dreams could actually come to fruition by the simple formula of adding focus & hard work. Like many immigrants, my parents came here with one suitcase each and are now business owners themselves. They’ve also managed to develop a self-sustaining, non-profit evangelistic Christian community in the Philippines complete with farms, a church, housing, and outreach programs to help the surrounding local communities. This is what motivated Waipahe Co.’s practice of giving back to children-in-need with every purchase.
EDUCATION + CAREER // I’ve always enjoyed creating — by any medium necessary. My stick-figure crayon masterpiece won the contest to be the cover for my kindergarten graduation program, so I mean if that doesn’t scream Picasso-in-the-making…
Fast-forward 15 years: After wanting to be an Art History professor then an architect, I finally decided on Fashion Design and received my first degree from FIDM-LA. I was employed by Guess? for five years, joining their design team at the age of 19. I worked my way up to the main Knits & Loungewear Designer (G by Guess Young Contemporary) before deciding to move back to San Diego and pursue my Business Marketing degree in 2011. My most recent position before starting Waipahe Co. was working as the Director of Client Services at a boutique CPA firm in San Diego, CA. While I no longer have the time to design things from scratch or maintain a full-time job at the moment, I get my creative fix from all the different hats I wear as a one-woman-show running a small business.
WIFE + MAMA // In 2014, I found out my first boyfriend from high school and good friend over the years, John James “Joji” Valenteros, was in San Diego for a few weeks and we went on the most casual catch-up date for bagels and coffee. We ended up getting engaged in three months, married in seven months, and in another four months, I was pregnant with our firstborn, Maverick James! In just a little over one year, this clear goal-oriented path I was going down completely evaporated and I had absolutely no idea how to balance my previous aspirations with these new roles of wife and mama. Little Dude Mav is now 22-months and getting bumped up to big brother come October. These new roles forced me to get innovative with my goals in order to bring back order and balance to my life. Sometimes it’s easy to feel guilty for wanting “me-time” as a mother, but I believe it is necessary for one’s well-being. I’m sure many can relate that being a burnt-out parent isn’t good for anyone. I came across the perfect quote during this process: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
WAIPAHE CO. + PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTS // I like to think that failure is an inevitable part of the experimentation process to take away the negative connotation of the word “fail”. At the same time, it gives the perspective that new ventures, like experiments, take time to reach success. Things need to be recalculated and tweaked before finally resulting in something that works the way we need it to.
In 2013, I had started an apparel business called Polite Era that donated school supplies to children-in-need with every purchase. In 2015, I got married and we spent our honeymoon doing a Pacific Coast Highway camping road trip from Monterey to San Diego. We then went to Florida for a week and did a road trip from Orlando to Miami. At this point, I put Polite Era on hold and started a blog called Waves & Wilderness based on places to visit, scenic routes, camping meals, road trip playlists, book suggestions, and so on. I became a full-time mama in 2017 when Joji got deployed. When I found out I was pregnant with our second born, I decided that if I were to continue sacrificing quality time with my kiddos I should at least figure out a way to monetize my efforts. The many experiences I’ve shared helped form the concept, but it was at this exact moment that the pieces started fitting together and Waipahe Co. was born.
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?
CHALLENGES // There were many personal challenges during the forming of Waipahe Co. that taught me the importance of compartmentalization and time-management. While I was pregnant with my firstborn, I obtained my second degree, found out Joji would be serving overseas with his squadron for six months, and that my sweet mother was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer. I went on full survival mode, shutting off emotions and just going through my checklist of what I believed it took to be a good daughter, good wife, and good mother. In hindsight, that wasn’t the healthiest way to handle that situation. My mother fought hard and this 4’ 11 bundle of badassery (sorry for cursing, mom) completed her chemotherapy sessions the same week my husband came back from deployment — by this time, our Little Dude Mav was 9-months-old. I had an amazing support system with family, friends, and the Marine spouses from Miramar during that time and will forever appreciate them for it.
As many military families know, the reintegration process takes time. Joji was home for seven months before he was sent a few states away for another six months of training. After he left, I found out I was pregnant with our second son, Mav fractured his arm, and this time, it was my dear dad who found himself in the hospital undergoing a heart procedure. My dad has worked so hard in life to provide for our family and is still one of my biggest role models, so it is never easy seeing him in the hospital. My husband ended up coming home for a week (last week) and has now relocated to his new station a few hours away. I can easily say that it has not been the smoothest road personally and that I am still trying to navigate through a copious amount of challenges that have compiled over recent years. At the same time, I’ve found strength through the power of prayer, community, and continuously counting my blessings.
ADVICE // The advice I can give to those who want to start their own business/blog is to be kind to yourself and to take care of yourself first. No one can accomplish your dreams but you and you have to be in optimal condition to dust yourself off and get back up each time life decides to knock you down and then dropkick you while you try to get up — because it can feel like that sometimes. If you aren’t happy with who you are and you don’t have your feet planted in something solid, then it will be that much harder to get back on track to your goals each time a challenge arises. Take things slow and spend a good amount of time researching your market in the beginning stages. Don’t doubt yourself or psych yourself out too much though that it prevents you from taking that first step. Start your blog or open up your business, you can learn and fine-tune your skills along the way. Three Bible verses have been my mantra go-tos whenever I start to feel overwhelmed:
• Philippians 4:13
• Romans 8:31
• Psalms 55:22
I took the time to get to know myself — the type of person I want to be, the type of mama I know my little dudes deserve — and surrounded myself with a community of women I admire. I really honed in on what legacy I’d want to leave behind in life and the people I’d enjoy taking this journey with. This has made a world of difference in how I run my business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Waipahe Co. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My grandmother was born in Hawaii, my other grandparents were born in the Philippines, and I was born & raised in San Diego, CA—which is why the whole tropical/coastal lifestyle comes second-nature to me.
The word Waipahe is the Hawaiian word for “good-natured.” We currently sell tropical & coastal style vintage, pre-loved, and carefully curated goods. A percentage of all proceeds are donated monthly to help children-in-need. Recently we’ve been donating to UNICEF. We also like the idea of doing Mother Earth a solid by giving older items a chance to have another go around the sun. By the end of the year, I’m planning on adding limited quantities of handmade items and tropical/coastal-themed event décor/installation rentals.
Waipahe Co. just opened up its online shop two months ago in June and has been a vendor at the San Diego Vintage Flea Market in North Park and for the San Diego Business Babes most recent networking event in Mission Bay. We are also slotted to be at the San Diego Vintage Flea Market in North Park (9/2), El Callejon in Logan Heights (9/8), and the Palm Spring Vintage Market (10/7) before I’m set to give birth in October. Hopefully, I make it to that last one!
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I would try and attend local networking events and workshops in the near future. I’ve found some good resources and connections via San Diego Business Babes. Be sure to put yourself out there and talk to people! During my first networking event since I became a mama, I kept to myself and kept nibbling on food like a little rabbit to avoid talking to anyone. I was so nervous because at that point I was basically talking to a one-year-old or myself 24/7 and had no idea how to carry a regular adult conversation. The second event, I was much more open to meeting people and have truly benefitted from the connections I made. Surround yourself with people who have the traits, character, mindset, and vision that you admire. They don’t necessarily need to be in the same industry, the same age range, or even have the exact same interest as you — so long as their energy resonates with yours.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.waipaheco.com
- Email: hellorae@waipaheco.com
- Instagram: @waipaheco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/waipaheco
- Other: www.pinterest.com/waipaheco
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
