Viridiana Velazquez is the founder of the POPUP application, the platform that can assist you in find a hairdresser, beauty salon, or barbershop available for an appointment right now, today! POPUP application shows you last-minute availabilities that you can book for your self-care time in the moment that you feel you need it.

Viridiana spoke about her decision to launch her own company. She provided us with some priceless advises on how to stay motivated during our entrepreneurial path and why it's important to constantly remind ourselves that everyone of us is unique and should pursue our authenticity.

How did you decide to start your own business after many years of experience in the event industry?

I have had this idea in my mind for a few years (4-5yrs) but I guess I was still internally debating with myself and the opportunity of working in event came up. I landed an opportunity in a big sports company, and I had the chance to see how the various company brands were developed, used, and promoted. Organizing events was also amazing. All the logistics and planning are thrilling. But my contract came to an end and POPUP was still in my mind. So, after discussing it with my husband and doing some market research, I decided to give it a shot!

Why do we all need POPUP application?

I think we all have a time where we either wish we had booked our nails, hair, or just a massage because our schedule cleared or simply because we need that self-care time. I also believe that today we learned to be more flexible, and our habits changed due to COVID.

Your application brings something new to Geneva. Are you going to extend the application to all of Switzerland?

Hopefully, I still sometimes tell myself, OMG it's really happening when I see providers post their availabilities in Geneva. We still need to grow our list of providers in Geneva, but we have started to reach out to providers in Canton de Vaud and hope to be able to extend progressively.

Starting something on our own is not always easy, and we have many challenges as entrepreneurs. What has been your main motivation during your entrepreneurial journey?

To be honest, my motivation is to be able to create a win-win situation for providers but as well for clients (like me, who are super last-minute). But motivation comes from a variety of sources, including the thrills I get from seeing the app come to life, seeing the milestones and goals I set for myself being met (or not), and, when I'm feeling down, reminding myself of the journey so far and everything I've learned. Resilience is also important. I know my project could fail for whatever reason, but even if I had to go back to the corporate world, the growth I have had is valuable and I know it will serve me somehow in my journey.

POPUP application gives us the opportunity to book our hairdresser today for today. What can we do in one day for our wellbeing and that doesn't take a lot of time?

Being grateful, I know it sounds cliché... But I truly believe that taking 5 minutes to remind ourselves of what we are grateful for today, this week, or this month, grounds us in what is truly important and gives us a sense of wellbeing.

What advice would you give to women who are considering starting a small business?

Go for it! Don’t be afraid, and if you are, that’s good. Inform yourself properly and stick to yourself and your idea. Do research on what it is you want to bring. See if it exists, and even if it does, see if there is room for your light. Because we are all unique, your concept might exist, but the way you market it and bring it to life will be different. Do your numbers right. This, to me, is the least fun part, but it's an essential aspect of starting your business. As much as your idea can be great, if your numbers don’t add up, you need to be realistic. And therefore, adapt or change course, but don’t give up. Finally, do take advice and listen to other people's opinions, but don’t forget your own ideas and opinions. You can have great insight and advice, but ultimately the project is yours and you need to believe in it. If you change it because someone told you to, you will see that as you go further down the line, being authentic is indispensable.

We are very thankful to talk with Viridiana, and you can try the POPUP application today and check if you can already start preparing for the massage.