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Meet Nisha Btesh of Hola Gwapa in Carmel Valley

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Nisha Btesh.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Nisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My creative career/journey actually started towards the end of my senior year at the Academy of Art University. As a Textile Design Major, I collaborated with a fellow design student to create a Women’s Wear collection that successfully walked the runway at New York Fashion Week. I mean WHAT?! I hadn’t even graduated… and my prints were being shown at the highest level any Designer could ever hope for. It was wild and magical and beyond my wildest dreams.

Flash forward to post-graduation and the job offers started rolling in. BUT it became blindingly clear to me very quickly that in today’s digital world being a Textile Designer meant generating repeats behind a computer screen hoping to satisfy your boss’s vision. But what about MY vision?! I wanted to get messy and work with my hands!

My family saw me struggling to land my dream job and encouraged me to shift my focus and try a more entrepreneurial route and that’s exactly what I did. In 2015, a year after graduating, I turned the back of my family business’s warehouse into my very own art studio and in 2016, I launched my own company Nisha Btesh Living, aka NBL, where I created custom boutique textiles for the bed, body, and home.

It was during this time that I experimented first hand with product development, different printing techniques and most importantly what it takes to get a business off the ground cuz, IT AIN’T EASY! I taught myself how to create a website, grow my social following, and get my product stocked in local storefronts BUT even still, I wasn’t making enough money to sustain my passion and so I had to shut it all down in 2017. This “failure” lead me to become obsessed with following Artists who were successfully turning their passions into paychecks, and the idea for Hola Gwapa was born.

As an entrepreneur, you’re faced with challenges, opportunities, dead ends, and open doors. The important thing for me was learning how to pivot. You have to be your own best friend and your harshest critic. In the end your mentality is everything.

Hola Gwapa started as a simple Instagram account. The goal was to feature Artists via dedicated posts and takeover stories in order to give up-and-coming Artists the exposure and community that I wish I had had with NBL, PLUS I had a genuine curiosity to figure out their secret sauces to success. Were they working side jobs? Were they waking up at 5 am to answer emails and update their websites? What materials were they using? Were their studios REALLY as “Pinterest-perfect” as they posted? I mean, come on! I wanted all their juicy tips & tricks! And I knew that if that if I was eagerly seeking this information out, then there must be tons of other Artists out there in my same position who would benefit from the information as well.

Turns out I was right. Hola Gwapa is now a community of almost 10K female creatives, a website, a blog, an online shop (yes! I re-launched my own line!), and most recently a podcast.

Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest challenge has been overcoming self-doubt in order to be confident in my ability to run Hola Gwapa as the Founder of a legitimate business vs. it being “just a silly side hustle.” While building the Hola Gwapa community and brand over the past two years, I also worked 9-5 at a PR firm. Due to COVID I’ve since been let go (womp. womp.) But truly the bulk of Hola Gwapa was built in my “spare time” (what’s spare time? lol.) while also juggling a full-time career.

When people would ask me what I do, I would always lead with the people pleasing answer “I’m the Creative Brand Manager at a leading PR firm.” and then add “aaaand I also have a little side hustle going on. It’s a little blog and online shop, NBD”. Without even realizing it I would go out of my way to make meer STRANGERS feel comfortable with my answer before considering the alternative of vocalizing my passion project with any real vigor, weight or value. I would work 8 hour days and then come home to work four-six more, I would give up trips, and relaxing weekends, relationships, parties and workouts to focus my attention and energy on the HUGE goal of developing this online community of badass Artist and Entrepreneurs from all over the world so that we can come together to share ideas, challenges, tips, tricks, and support each other’s unparalleled talents, online shops, blogs, and businesses! But when people ask what I do? Mums the word, better to keep it “a little side project”. WHY?! Why do we do this?!

Why do we play small? Why are we always standing in our own damn way? We keep our big dreams inside like they’re our dirty little secrets and therefore, we feel wrong for believing in them, for speaking to them, for manifesting them. I want anyone reading this to feel like you’re not alone on your journey towards greatness just as much and I want you to comment, engage and reach out to me on my social or website so that I don’t feel alone on mine.

I certainly have not perfected confidence or found the cure for imposter syndrome. I myself still have a lot to work on in regards to not apologizing for the big dreams and massive goals I have set for myself and Hola Gwapa but the thing that I’m most proud of myself for is that I keep showing up to try.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Hola Gwapa is a creative community, website, blog, online shop and most recently a podcast that connects, celebrates & supports female creatives, artists & entrepreneurs from all over the world. What sets Hola Gwapa apart is the connection creatives are able to build by being completely transparent about our processes, failures, struggles and mistakes. With this open mindset, we are able to share tips, tricks and resources in regards to what works and what doesn’t work allowing more and more up and coming artists to learn from one another and turn their passions into paychecks.

It’s also important to note that I’m also a creative! A total doer, not just a talker! If you haven’t yet checked out the Gwapa Shop, what are you waiting for? A little under a year ago, I launched my line of handmade accessories and gear in an effort to help women express the most unique, badass and artistic version of themselves possible! I take the HG community along for the ride, exposing my process and the roller coaster ride of being an entrepreneur on my social media, blog and podcast so I’m truly in the trenches alongside the female artists within the HG community building our brands together. As I share my own highs and lows, I encourage my community to do the same, and there is something SO inspiring, motivating and empowering knowing that we can only grow our own baby businesses by uplifting our fellow creatives and allowing them to shine.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! It’s a bummer to think that anyone would ever imagine they couldn’t shine creatively because of where they are located. A major thing that we talk about in the HG community is to spend less time complaining and more time getting busy and resourceful. The mantra I often use whenever I’m feeling stuck is “start by starting”. A simple concept that reminds me that no matter the excuse I’ve come up with that’s holding me back, the only way to overcome it is to start by physically doing the work. No planning, no prepping, no daydreaming: just full steam ahead dive on into it! SO to answer your question, yes! I think San Diego ( as well as wherever you are in the world reading this) is a fantastic place to get creative and start a business. If you’re struggling to find that strong support system of fellow female creatives facing the same struggles and challenges you check out @holagwapa on Instagram on holagwapa.com and join our girl gang for inspiration, tips, tricks and resources today!

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Image Credit:
Nisha Btesh

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