Meet Jessica Santander of Jessica Santander Designs!

Hey, girl! Get ready for some inspiration! Meet Jessica Santander– she’s the Co-founder of Jessica Santander Designs. JSD is a mother and daughter team that creates sparkly, dainty jewelry. Not only do they ship nationwide, but you can also find their lovely necklaces, bracelets & more at markets and pop ups in Tampa Bay. Jessica is such a bright beam of light and creativity. She lives in Tampa with her husband and sweet, scruffy pup named Mr. Potter. Enjoy getting to know Jessica and her story!

xx -Gina

Tell us about yourself and what you do!

My name is Jessica Santander and I'm the Founder and CVO of my handmade jewelry business called Project Moment Designs. I was born in Rochester, NY, moved to Delaware around 7 years old, then moved to Tampa, FL to begin a new and unplanned chapter in my life. I completed my Master's in Marketing at the University of Tampa and grew an immense fascination with the small business environment, more specifically, women-owned businesses. I tried building a life around the corporate world but knew the inner flame for fashion and women's empowerment was stronger than anything else, which led to the launch of my jewelry business. I love living in Florida for the simple fact that there's so much to enjoy just from the outdoors (including all the dessert shops!). I have a huge heart for connecting with other women entrepreneurs and building each other up. A few fun facts about me is that I had studied abroad in Rio even though the college I attended at the time had not offered such a program in South America- I was able to help create one after I got to travel abroad. I'm also a huge dog lover!

How did your business begin?

My business has always been a passion project of mine waiting to be tapped into ever since I was a little girl. Growing up, I was fascinated with theater and acting, and was pursuing a career in acting ( got to work with Mark Walhberg in The Happening) as a teenager. Yet, fear and doubt got in the way, and so I continued on with getting a degree in Marketing and International Business. Fast forward 3 years and completing my Master's Degree in Marketing, I came across another road block where I was receiving closed doors for almost 2 years trying to find a job. Though I was fortunate enough to land a job in Digital Marketing, I still felt incomplete and lost with myself as I knew this was not what I wanted to do with my life. After many heart to heart talks with my family, I pushed myself to just make something of my own and this lead to the launch of my jewelry business! Project Moment Designs can be seen as a reflection of how life is a continuous project awaiting for us to design it with new moments as we grow and learn beyond our comfort zones- and that's exactly how I brought this all together ( always being an open book as I had never taken jewelry or fashion design courses before!).

What's 1 challenge you've faced and how has it effected your business? What did you do to overcome it?

A challenge that I've faced in my business is the insecurity of showing up in person virtually for my audience. I held the belief that I needed to separate business from personal and was solely sharing facts about our designs and collections. Through the current pandemic, I decided to step beyond my comfort zone and find new ways of growth and I've received such help in the form of my coach. Nikita Williams has helped me gain more self-confidence in just being me in front of my audience and embrace the opportunity of having my brand voice be a greater part of myself.

What's 1 success you've had since you’ve created your business? How do you feel when you look back on it?

1 success I've had since creating my business is discovering my potential in this journey thus far. Beforehand, I had never worked with a professional camera and created graphics, and now from my business, I've learned how fun and good I am with such areas in portraying my perspective of confidence and fabulous self-love. Such a success just makes me always be open to trying new things of sharing my brand story.

What's the best piece of advice you could give someone looking to start a business?

Just do it with whatever resources you have now and push boundaries. Nothing will ever be perfect, especially when we're first trying, but the best we can is learn as we go, and that's the best value we can create.

What's a pivot you've made in your business?

A pivot I've made has been to re-invest in my business by diving into my core values and exemplifying such values into more visible ways with my audience. Examples include launching an on-going campaign showcasing the story of various customers to bring a greater sense of community and belonging from my brand as well as doing my due diligence when it comes to creating new designs and events making sure that the message and purpose behind whatever it is I am doing evokes an energy of hope, faith and self-love (i.e. launching the "My Positive Moment Crystal Bracelet for my customers to choose their colors of positivity to mirror such moments that have brought them joy.).

When are you at your happiest?

Seeing women try on our jewelry and sharing their most beautiful smiles of joy and excitement when wearing them. That's a priceless moment!

What do you tell yourself when things get difficult?

That this too is a learning moment for me to thrive out of it and do something greater.

Whats 1 personal goal you've set for yourself this year?

To afford to adopt a dog end of this year. I've been waiting to have one for several years and want to be able to spoil him/her with endless love!

What's 1 business goal you've set for yourself to accomplish this year?

To bring to life a continuous give-back partnership with a non-profit that speaks 100% to my mission and personal story of supporting girls and boys educational opportunities as well as empowering young girls to be the dreamer they are and step forward into the future leaders they envision.

What's the first thing you do on a Monday morning and why?

My am workout of either cardio or Pilates. I truly believe that getting the body moving and blood flowing speaks to the universe of our respect for the new day and for our health. It also helps me feel better, mentally especially.

Where can you be found + what will you typically be up to on a Friday night?

100% on the couch, in my PJs, eating oatmeal and watching movies with the hubby. Love those cozy moments.

Finish these sentences:

My go to karaoke song is... “God is a Woman” by Arianna Grande.

My signature drink is... Tropical Martini.

My favorite quote is... “She believed she could and so she did!”

Jessica is a Babe Crafted Member. Video by Cristina Danielle Creative. Location by The Meet Suite.