Three Things I Wish I Had Known in My 20’s: Liliana Ventura

Full name?: Liliana Ventura

Position / Job title?: Owner/Creative Director of Ever Ivy

Why did you seek out this particular job / start your company?

I didn’t have a passion for anything in particular until I was in my sophomore year of college. I was watching T.V. and saw a commercial for a fashion design school and something just clicked. Since I was able to dress myself, I was always very particular about my clothing and showed an interest in the arts for as long as I can remember. Working for large and small companies gave me the experience I needed, but also inspired me to put all of my efforts into my own line.

How has life changed (hopefully for the better 😉 since you landed this job / launched this company?

Life is definitely better, but insanely busy! I found out that I was pregnant three months after I started Ever Ivy and gave birth to my daughter two weeks before I launched my first collection in August of 2014. I love working for myself, but the pressure is always on, because ultimately I am responsible for any of Ever Ivy’s successes or failures. It is my creativity and this pressure that drives me.

And now: WHAT 3 THINGS DID YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN IN YOUR 20’S?

Love What You Do.

Granted everyone has to start somewhere and your first job is usually not the most glamorous, but be sure that it is a stepping stone on your way to a career goal you are passionate about. Most people spend the majority of their waking hours during the week (oftentimes weekends) either at work or thinking about it. If you are spending the greater part of your time at your job, you should love it. Now that I have my own company, I work more than ever before (this says a lot as my last position was on average 60 hours a week if not more). The best part is that I am not counting the hours, because I love my chosen path.

Don’t Let Pride Stand In Your Way.

When I completed my Masters Degree in London, I was desperate to stay for a while to get some overseas work experience. At this point I had 5 years of experience under my belt and three degrees, but finding work in another country is a feat all in itself. Upon applying for jobs most of the responses I received were “You don’t have U.K. work experience”, which was beyond frustrating as the positions were asking for the same skill set used in my roles while working in the U.S. Even the most mundane roles were out of my reach. I swallowed my pride and applied for a retail internship at Brown’s and quickly moved from an intern at Brown’s to a sales associate at Sweaty Betty within 2 months. After five months as a sales associate, I was hired in the buying department at the corporate office. If you know where you want to be, be willing to do what it takes.

Persistence is everything.

I’m sure, like me, some of you have those friends that fall in the 1% of people who never appear to struggle with anything. Dream jobs, boyfriends, etcetera, just seem to fall in their lap. This was not and is still not me. Everything I do and have done has taken all of my efforts. You need to decide if you are a hunter looking for a career or a gatherer looking for a job. If you are a nine to fiver, then more power to you. But, if you are driven to have a successful career and fall into the 99% of us that have to sweat blood to get where we need to be- keep at it. You WILL get there.