We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniela Covian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniela, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Turquoise Collective is a sustainable online shop. I curate and carry clothing, jewelry, and beauty products that are manufactured ethically and sustainably with little to no environmental-negative impact. I created this community as a one-stop-shop for sustainability and also wanted to create a space to educate and encourage positive impacts when shopping sustainably in the Fashion Industry. Turquoise Collective is 1% for the Planet, which means 1% of our profits goes to non-profit organizations to cleaning and restoring our oceans. I also am a Freelance Personal Stylist and I help clients make sustainable decisions when it comes to building their wardrobe and help find their style.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been creative. I loved painting, writing, drawing, photography, and even building! I knew I always wanted to work in the Fashion Industry, but my issue is that I wanted to do everything. There wasn’t a perfect “role” when I would search for jobs until I realized I needed to own my own business. When I decided to become an entrepreneur, I was able to have the creative freedom that I always wanted. Where I was 3 years ago when I started Turquoise Collective is completely different to where I am now. It’s been fine-tuned and redefined multiple times, which made me learn that nothing is ever really 100% ready, you just have to put it out there and it will speak for itself. If you create something that is unique and special to you, people will follow. I learned along the way that I needed to set myself apart from other Fashion E-comm stores. I’ve always been inspired by music, nature, and of course fashion. These interests allowed me to create Turquoise Collective for the girl who loves fashion but also cares about the environment. There have been many challenges, especially financially. But, you learn from mistakes constantly and learn to take care of yourself along the way in order to show up for yourself each workday. The “entrepreneur lifestyle” can seem like you need to constantly be working 24/7 – which isn’t the case. The biggest lesson is to be kind to yourself, just like art. You are a work of progress as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m from Austin, Texas! The possibilities are endless here. My favorite season in the city is in the Springtime. During the day there’s paddleboarding, canoeing, Barton Springs (my fav) Go to Zilker park and have a picnic! There’s an amazing cheese shop called Antonelli’s with amazing options to create a cheese/meat plate. Love grabbing a margarita from EL Alama sit on their rooftop. Another rooftop option with an amazing view and cute scenery is P6 at The Line Hotel. For Dinner: Lichas, Grizzelda’s, Uchi, Wu Chow, and Taquero Mucho never disappoints. I’ve never had a miserable time on Rainey Street. The vibe is always great and there is live music! Favorite bars on Rainey: Icenhaurs, Lustre Pearl, Reina. For a more hipster option, East Side Austin is super cool too. Favorite bars are Native Hostel, Ah Sing Den, and Whisler’s. I also love going out to Lake Travis and spending the day on a boat. It’s a gorgeous view of the hills in Austin.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been multiple encouraging books that have helped me create a mindset to be able to do my kind of work. One of my favorite books is “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter–And How to Make the Most of Them Now” By Meg Jay. I read this book after I graduated college and it really helped me sit down and think about what I wanted to create in my life. My Turquoise Collective community deserves my shoutout because without them I would not be where I am without their support.

Website: turquoisecollective.com
Instagram: @shopturquoisecollective
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-covian/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turquoisecollective/

Image Credits
Photo by DANI QUIROZ

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