Today we’d like to introduce you to Elee Joven.
Hi Elee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born on the island of Guam and raised by my grandparents who took me back and forth between Guam and the Philippines while growing up. My grandmother pressured me to become a doctor, engineer, or attorney – none of which panned out. Instead, I became a young mother at 18, something neither planned nor anticipated in my wildest imagination.
Fast forward to four children later, I first took a stab at entrepreneurship in 2009 when I decided that I wanted to return to school to become a shoe designer, even though I had an established career in real estate finance. I was accepted to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and attended from 2009 to 2011. Unfortunately, it was the height of The Great Recession. Finding employment took a lot of work. I also painfully discovered that starting a shoe business would require huge financial capital, something I clearly lacked. I had no choice but to retreat to my previous career. I was very fortunate and grateful to land a job again, but I must have become too comfortable because, for the next 10 years, the entrepreneurship aspirations faded away. At least until I resigned from my job in April 2022, joining “The Great Resignation” era to return to a former employer. Spoiler alert – that return did not work out.
By June 2022 I was unemployed, something unexpected and unplanned. So I took time off in Colorado to visit family and it was during that visit that I discovered the Color Street brand. I was so happy and hopeful that I could rejuvenate my entrepreneurial spirit by selling Color Street as a hobby. While also in Colorado I received an offer for a contract position. I signed on as an independent stylist with Color Street the same month I started the new job. This was my chance to redefine my journey.
While browsing through my Facebook, I noticed one of my friends had gone on three cruises in the past 12 months and wondered how she was able to do so since cruises are pricey. We chatted and she introduced me to the travel advisor business. Because travel is my passion, I immediately knew I wanted to become a travel advisor.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth at all. There were a few major struggles I encountered along the way. I resigned from my job in 2010 to focus on my schooling at FIDM with high hopes of launching a shoe brand by graduation in 2011. As the breadwinner in my household, I quickly depleted my 401K funds that my family and I lived off of. Three months after graduation and no job prospects, we were homeless. We slept in different inns and motels. That was when I realized I needed to swallow my pride and return to my previous career in real estate finance. I was thankfully hired five months after graduation and used my very first paycheck to pay the first month’s rent.
The organization I worked for was wonderful, but multiple attempts at a promotion did not happen. This is how my second attempt at entrepreneurship was re-ignited. For five months in 2019, I worked hard to try and launch a necktie line while employed full-time. Many nights I lacked sleep from running around working with the SBA Small Business Development Center in Los Angeles and Orange County. I felt exhausted and worn out and ignored my body’s signs. Then one day, my body won. It was at the gym that I discovered what vertigo was and ended up in the ER. That vertigo incident spiraled into anxiety and eventually led to depression. I was on disability leave for two months but resigned in April 2022 just after celebrating my 10th anniversary. The one month in May with my former employer was agonizing. I cried the entire month. My depression returned so I went to Colorado for a mini break in June.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since July 2022, my 8 to 5 job is now in commercial real estate. I love the organization and the new industry I am in. But what happens after my 8 to 5 is my “everything else” bucket. I am a senior pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management through an online university. I hope to finish by June 2023 as this is a 30-years-in-the-making journey. I am also an independent stylist for Color Street beauty brand since July 2022. Color Street is known for selling dry nail polish strips.
In October 2022, I took my entrepreneurship further by becoming an independent travel advisor for the host agency InteleTravel. I can now recommend and book vacations, create packages, advise on and book cruises, destination getaways, experiences, tours, sporting events, and so much more. Also in October 2022, I became an independent marketing representative for PlanNet Marketing. As an independent rep, I help others start and become successful travel business owners.
What sets me apart from others is my love of learning and curiosity. Not surprisingly, I took a VIA Character Strengths survey, and these two characteristics came as my top two. Learning is more than just having technical knowledge or intellect. Rather, it is having an awareness of differences in opinion, culture, language, experiences, beliefs, and values. I have been fortunate enough to have visited over 20 countries and numerous states in the US, and with each visit, I learn something new that I take back and try and apply to better myself. Learning has allowed me to realize that life does not always go according to plan, but how we perceive and deal with what comes our way is what defines us.
Today, my three micro businesses are doing something meaningful for myself and others:
- Being a part of travel experiences and making memories for others
- An opportunity to change one’s life
- Providing cute and fun nail strips and beauty products
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Growing up, having kids was last on my To-Do list. School, career, travel, house were my priority – in that order. But instead, kids came a shocking first. I felt confused and unsure of what I would do for my future. Thankfully, my grandmother instilled some business and educational values in me. Out of my 4 kids, 3 were unplanned, but I was determined to make things work. My children and grandchildren have been the greatest inspiration in my life, through the bad and good times. My oldest will be 30 in 2023, and my youngest is a senior in high school. I also have two granddaughters who have taught me to be a kid again. During my times of anxiety, my mom (RIP) reminded me to be happy and that in reality, I already had everything. There was no reason to keep worrying. Lastly, I have to give a shout out to my school program mentor Arcola who has coached and guided me since December 2020.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087196883302
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeysjourneysjourneys/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elee-joven-745b2523/
- Twitter: https://www.colorstreet.com/funtagiousnailswithelee
- Youtube: https://www.tiktok.com/@journeysjourneysjourneys?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=8Bs4yedxATLd5aIiUmvIgA
- Other: https://eleejoven.inteletravel.com/booktravel.cfm
