Q&A with 8 women who inspire me
Patricia · Faiza · Rosario · Sharon · Natalia · Ana María · Theresa · Iraima · Yliana
I want to honor 8 moms—friends, fighters, intellectuals, and hard workers—who inspire me, who have reinvented themselves, and whose stories should be told
Patricia Reynoso Durand
NATIONALITY: Mexican
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Mom of 4 and a full time wife haha.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
My learning during this quarantine has been huge… despite the fear and the uncertainty have been weeks where I have had the opportunity to stop to give priority to what really matters in my life, fully enjoy my husband, my kids, my house, myself… to realize what we should really take care of it is not outside but what it is inside… that there is no artwork more valuable that what our eyes see at every sunrise or to look at a tree flourish in the middle of spring, that true friends are always there despite the distance and time and that in small things you find the biggest.
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
I have reinvented myself doing what I love the most and that I stopped doing…I practiced yoga again, dance, read, sunbathe, enjoying a long bath, to rewatch those movies that have been part of my own life movie, organizing my drawers, my photos, my life.
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
A day on the beach in ST. Barths
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
The Bonfire of Destiny
DYE OR MANICURE?
Pedicure, urgent!! haha
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Tarte tatin…my favorite
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
My baby’s first laughs and the jokes that my kids make all day
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Health, see my parents again, a thousand tables full from my family laughs
Faiza Bouguessa
NATIONALITY: French
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@Bouguessa
I am the creative director at bouguessa.com
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
I have learnt that it is important to take a break as often as possible, not to just wait for the next vacation. I learnt that our freedom has a cost, and that we have to take care of our planet and of each other
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
It is still in the process and researching. But I am looking at ways to have a more sustainable way of living and maybe even in my work
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
A little trip to the islands
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Not reading but taking a course in interior design because I wanted to for a whiler
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Suits, Selfmade
DYE OR MANICURE?
Manicure
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Roasted Lamb shoulder with thyme, potatoes and zucchini
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
My baby girl
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Be with my mom who is in France at the moment
Be with my best friend who is also in France
Fast forward to 1 year from now just to see what we will learn from this crisis, and then come back in the present with peace of mind
Rosario Esperante
NACIONALIDAD: Venezuelan | Spanish
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Miami, USA
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@rosarioesperantedesign
Interior Designer rosarioesperantedesign.com
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
My learning experience has been being on pause, I am very active and to tell you the truth I have had to get used that I can’t rush anything
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
I think I have reinvented myself many years ago when I decided to do what I love which is Interior design, but now I have dedicated myself to connect with my clients and the public through my social media
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
Being in a Beach in St. Tropez with my boyfriend, my best friend, her husband and all of our kids
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Nothing, I am doing a Master Class online which are various interesting courses
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Unorthodox is excellent
DYE OR MANICURE?
Dye always
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Chicken polvorosa, Venezuelan divine dish
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
I laugh about everything even about myself
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Health for myself and my children
Work, lots of more projects, I love what I do
Love, lot of love…haha and like a friend says, do not forget about world peace
Sharon Drijanski
NATIONALITY: Mexican
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Mexico City
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@thefeathered
I have a store multi brand called The Feathered thefeathered.com
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
Listen to myself, pure medicine
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
Deciding to close my store physically and online and finishing the SS20 season. I want to be part of a new world. I want to be a small grain of sand that helps to heal the earth, I want to learn and be part of it with all of my soul. I will reinvent myself being really who I am in a new project, this time totally connected to my soul and the earth. From a totally different way I used to do it before the pandemic, where I used to live in acid everyday
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
Travel
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
I just finished If Woman Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie, which has inspired me even more
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Good Lab, Unorthodox and now I am watching Money Heist which I have never seen before
DYE OR MANICURE?
I can control my nails but dye or a haircut, URGENT!
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Grain bread, different banana and vegetables pancakes with pickles, cabbage, etc. Which I never had time before to make
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
My husband. Chatting with friends. Being relaxed
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
1- Health
2- Achieve a project that can maintain my creativity alive and my connectivity with earth
3- Feel infinite peace and love always
Natalia de la Vega
NATIONALITY: Spanish
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: Madrid
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@tachabeauty
I am the founder of Tacha Beauty, beauty salons in Madrid. They are beauty salons, hairdressing, wellness and medicine centers tacha.es
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
I have learned many things, being more patient, to control my anxiety, to cherish liberty a lot more, to cherish my friends and family, and to realize that health is the most important thing
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
By many ways, receiving online classes of many things about my sector and motivation of my business
Learning to operate in virtual, I think this will be very important in the future
To cherish the housewives and the people that helps us to clean, iron, cook. Because thats what I have been doing!
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
Buy myself a YY handbag
Get a facial treatment done
Go to the beauty salon
Have dinner with friends at a restaurant
Travel
Human warmth
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Sapiens de Yuval Noah
Reverse the signs of aging de Dr. Nigma Talib
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Vikings
Unorthodox
La casa de papel
DYE OR MANICURE?
Both
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Stuffed pasta with vegetables and cheese and tomato sauce
Tiramisu
Tudela vegetables stew
Healthy banana cake
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
My husband and my kids
My mother, my team, I am easy to laugh with and especially about myself
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
a. That coronavirus wouldn’t exist
b. That the world leaders would be inspired focused leaders that could serve citizens
c. Taking care of our planet
Ana María Simon
I am an actress, producer and I like to be constantly searching and refocusing whenever necessary.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
Have been many experiences, but the most important one is that I will be more selective in who I will invest my time when we get the chance to meet again. We will recover everything, except the time lost.
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
I haven’t quite. I am in that process and that process it’s a wonderful process.
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
That the hair salon that I go to opens, spa and my manicurist.
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
The Having by Suh Yoon Lee and Jooyun Hong
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
La Casa de Papel, Locked up, Unorthodox
DYE OR MANICURE?
The most urgent? All of the above
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
I have not betrayed myself: I still don’t know how to cook and not even quarantine made me change. (Neither I started to do yoga and neither made myself a tiktok account)
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
The Instagram account of the genius @tunomandas
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
a. Health
b. Money
c. Love
I want my life to be back to simple. Never bored. I want it back to simple
Theresa Balderas
NATIONALITY: Mexican
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: NY
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@theresabalderas
Photographer theresabalderas.com
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
At the beginning of all of this I was opposed to all of the changes that this pandemic brought to my life. I used to cry daily because I didn’t know how to take care of my children and take care of my house, thank God I always had help and all of this was new to me. In the moment that I accepted the reality and I put my best attitude, I started to enjoy being at home and I started to get creative in the kitchen and I learned to organize myself with the chores at home.
I have learned to flow, to multitask more than ever in my life, but above all to take it easy!
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
Meditate and I exercise 30 minutes every morning. To give myself that time has changed that switch with the children and at home, I fell more positive.
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
I would love a relaxing massage!
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Audiobook, "The happiest toddler” we are in terrible two’s!
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Unorthodox
DYE OR MANICURE?
Dye
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
I been getting very creative with salads and my healthy bowls
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
I reconnected with my childhood friends in a WhatsApp chat and it’s always hilarious!
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Health for the whole world
That the world economy can be stabilized soon
That this experience can help us to start fresh and build a better world
Iraima Yepez
NATIONALITY: Venezuelan | American
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: NY
WHAT DO YOU DO?
iraimayepez.com
I’m creative, mostly writer. I write about everything—love letter, TV commercials, digital content, blogs and even slogans
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
That it’s impossible for me to get bored, not even if I leave in a shoe box!, that I’m the only one who choose my state of mind, and that is very hard to live without hugging
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
I’m creative but not that much! Actually what I have done during this quarantine is catch up with my life: movies, books, blogs, sites, social media… all the things I like the most, but due to lack of time I can't enjoy enough. I’ve been part of a juror at a film festival; for the first time I host a 35 virtual meeting to record and edit a video by myself; I finally used a bunch of beauty treatment that have been stocked in my bathroom cabinet, and I've shopped the groceries without rushing BTW! I learned it’s funnier dancing with the iron table, than dancing with the broom
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
A three hours massage
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
El puente invisible, de Julie Orringer
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
Vivir dos veces, Same kind of different as me, Seventeen and Merlí
DYE OR MANICURE?
I’m in need of both! But I think coloring my hair is a priority
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Duck confit with dauphinoise potatoes and cherry tomatoes on a yogurt bed
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
The tons of meme I had watched on social media! Some time it was hard to stop laughing
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Find the treatment to cure cancer
Give a job to everybody
Win the lotto. It doesn’t matter if I get only 5 million
Yliana Yepez
NATIONALITY: Venezuelan
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: NY
WHAT DO YOU DO?
@ylianayepez
Handbag designer
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE DURING THIS QUARANTINE?
It's been wonderful being able to connect with myself and the things that make sense to me, discovering what truly gives me well being. Making pause to cherish the present and the simple things in life. Being able to get to know my family from a close perspective without pause haha
HOW HAVE YOU REINVENTED YOURSELF?
At the beginning I was on denial and I didn’t want to do anything, but one day I got up and decided not to look at news anymore and there it started. I did online courses, I focused on audio books, I retake things that I always wanted to do but never had the time, like to play piano, learn French, numerology, cooking. I turned myself into the housewife of the month haha I am a very positive person and I was happy to be able to help other friends to enter into a positive mode.
SUPERFICIAL WISH?
Install myself at a Tacha Beauty salon for days!
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The Vortex by Esther Hicks, Jerry Hicks
NETFLIX RECOMMENDATIONS?
The Spy
Onorthodox
Chernobyl
Catherine the Great (HBO)
DYE OR MANICURE?
Manicure and pedicure
TOP DISH MADE BY YOU:
Sour Chicken
WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH?
The memes and my friends jokes
IF YOU COULD MAKE 3 WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
- That no kid with hunger could exist
- That more love can exist on the world and on the planet
- Health always