My Little Maria was formed when two mothers turned their passion for people, their acumen for business, and their love of beauty into an entrepreneurial venture. Jamille grew up in the United States and has enjoyed a successful career in both the corporate consulting and nonprofit sectors. Regina grew up in Mexico and has led successful business and entrepreneurial ventures in her home country. Now they are both raising their children in Austin, Texas — a vibrant, prosperous community, but one facing a growing need to support women and children experiencing crisis situations from homelessness to domestic violence.
That crisis served as a catalyst for both women to come together, combine their expertise, resources, and experiences and create a venture that would allow them to contribute to their community –on both sides of the border. In Mexico, Regina had become enamored with the creativity and craftsmanship of the artisans who embroider, stitch, and create clothing in the artisan communities around Mexico. In the US, Jamille has seen a growing community of women interested in being conscious consumers who enjoy beautiful things but also want their dollars to benefit others.
Thus, My Little Maria was born.
AFL here. We wish we could take credit for the words describing My Little Maria, but we can’t. Those come straight from their website, and as far as giving you a glimpse into these two amazing women, their passion, and the purpose of their business, we could not have said anything better.
We hope you enjoy getting to know Regina, Jamille, and My Little Maria a bit more. And if you missed the style part of this series, click here.
About the My Little Maria Model
We want to spread love to everyone that touches an MLM piece from the artisan community creating it for the community where it is sold. The more we understand each other and love each other the stronger we will all be. With every purchase, we donate back to the artisan community and to a community here in Austin that serves women and children in need.
When we give back to these communities, we also share about the circle of giving and the power and beauty in all the people that touch an MLM piece.
To learn more about their business model, click here.
What do you want people to know about My Little Maria?
We are prayerfully focused on being a force for good. Everyone feels the impact of a beautiful piece and when you know the story behind the piece the power is even stronger. We want the love we have for all the women in our communities to feel the power of love as they engage with our community. We are a place for love, beauty, hope, and community.
What does starting a business at this stage of life mean to you?
The adventure continues… never too early or too late. The world is filled with opportunities and when we felt the tap on our shoulder and the call to move forward with My Little Maria we did so with our hearts open. We hold it loosely and trust in the higher power who guides us.
Being able to work from home with our kids around and to share with them the power of what we are doing has been a true joy. It truly is a family business 😊
For the women out there who want to start their own business, but have stopped for whatever reason, do you have any advice? What would you like them to know?
Just start. It won’t be perfect. It will have many twists and turns you never expected, but for every stumble you have you will have at least one win….something that inspires you to continue. Be patient, give yourself a bucketful of grace every day, be proud you are moving forward, and trust the gifts within you.
What are your favorite MLMATX pieces and how do you like to style them?
We love the broach bows. You can put them on a shirt as a bow tie or a broach, on a skirt/pant as embellishment, or on a handbag – a statement piece – on jeans or a blazer…Literally anywhere! They are so versatile and are simply gorgeous!!!! The amount of hand embroidery in each piece astounds us.
Besides MLMATX pieces of course, what are a few items in your closet that you cannot live without/are really “you” in terms of your personal style?
Regina: Denim Jacket. I love to embellish them. Or black leggings in cotton or leather.
Jamille: Cowboy boots. I love them and wear them whenever I can.
What does style mean to you? Has that changed as you have gotten older?
Regina: Whatever makes you happy and comfortable. You will look great in it.
Jamille: Have a greater appreciation for mixing vintage with something new. And shopping sales, not trends.
AFL again. We hope you enjoyed learning about My Little Maria and how their pieces can be styled for everything from work to play – and anything in between. The best part is knowing that the special item of your outfit is bringing good to women artisan communities who could use the support.
Photography by C. Endo Photography