As a Latina journalist, I find comfort working in a women-led business and here’s why: 

I had so many jobs where my coworkers were mostly men, and though they were professional and treated me as equal, I still felt so isolated in a job place lacking diversity. Whether it be one to two women in a business meeting, or some of our projects missing a female point of view...we needed more representation. 

I grew up in a spanish-speaking, Latinx home my whole life. So it’s a bit different. We have our own traditions, holidays and ways we celebrate special occasions. That’s usually how it goes when you come from a different kind of culture and it definitely showed in some of my writing and humor around the office.  Sometimes my writing at work got edited out because I was told readers wouldn’t understand it. Topics like telling the difference between the words “Latino” and “Hispanic” didn’t really seem like it would appeal to readers. But I think our country is so diverse that we can all relate in some way to one another no matter what our background is.

This is what I love so much about the work we do at Mint + Laurel. We show the art of different cultures and preserve the heritage of talented artisan communities. Mint + Laurel was founded by a diverse group of female entrepreneurs who are determined to connect others with the stories of artists who have overcome unbelievable struggles and displacement from war. We employ a community of refugee Syrian women in Lebanon who make fine art embroidery, displaced Syrians in Aleppo and Damascus, and soap makers in Aleppo. Inspired by the Hamam Purification Ritual, widely known across the Middle East as an ancient tradition, Mint + Laurel’s soap collection is made in Syria using traditional techniques. It means so much to me to give the public a window into cultural history, while supporting talented artisans. 

As the business world continues to evolve, we as women are taking charge more than ever before. We’re creating spaces in places that used to not exist. Inclusion and representation is necessary for a company’s success and it can mean something truly special to the people they’re promoting their products to. According to Forbes, nearly half of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women. Women in the U.S. are the main driving force behind 70-80% of purchasing decisions in most households. The female perspective is a powerful thing. 

There’s something unique about women-led businesses. There are so many layers to us as humans – we are daughters, mothers, caregivers, entrepreneurs and dreamers.  We share our knowledge and success stories with one another because we are relationship builders. This kind of visibility and diversity is necessary for the business world to thrive. 

Now is a critical time to spread a positive message and stand in solidarity with refugees and those who are displaced like the Syrian women we work with in Syria and Lebanon. We have been in close contact with our team in Lebanon since the blast in Beirut. They are thankfully safe, but shaken by the tragedy that has devastated the country and taken more than 150 lives and injured thousands. We are deeply inspired by the resilience of every artisan we work with.

Many of the women we support are now the main breadwinners in their families. They’ve lost their husbands through war, displacement and other types of trauma. It’s important for us to support them in their struggles. Women’s rights issues are human rights issues, and at Mint + Laurel it is a part of our mission to celebrate the resilience of the artisans we support, tell their stories through the art they create and show our love of the cultural arts.