Bunnie de Guzman, founder of NiQUA, www.Ni-QUA.com
Bunnie de Guzman was a corporate professional for 17 years before she decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur bug bit her while she was in high school and she hasn’t stopped since. “I’ve had businesses on the side since high school. I had the opportunity to make bags about 10 years ago, and then that business transformed into manufacturing, exporting, and now, this local brand NiQUA,” she says.
NiQUA has gained popularity the past years for its high-quality leather bags. And 2018 has been just as promising with the launch of their sandals and footwear line. Bunnie sources local, handmade leather and ensures that each piece is a work of art. No wonder there is a strong following for her products.
Despite Bunnie’s entrepreneurial tenacity, her passion for business only comes second to her passion for motherhood.
“My business has allowed me to be a hands-on-mom. During my corporate life, I worked very long hours. I was not able to teach my kids the basics of ABC and colors. But NiQUA allowed me to homeschool my daughter last year,” she adds.
Time and flexibility are perks of mompreneurship that Bunnie loves the most. Homeschooling her daughter has put her on a new exciting journey. She’s realized that homeschooling is beyond an academic adventure. She says, “I am able to teach her tidbits of life, like how you interact with people, and being able to correct character that isn’t nice. When it happens, I am there to correct them. And since my kids are very interested in my work, I can teach them things early on that they can only learn in real life.”
Interestingly, it was letting go of her professional career that paved the path to her success. “When I was younger, my priority was always work and then family. Now, it’s family first, and then work,” muses Bunnie.
From pleasing corporate clients, Bunnie now finds herself tickling the fancy of NiQUA customers and enhancing the academic and life lessons of her kids. She’s a busy lady, that’s for sure, but also a momprenuer with the freedom of choices and Bunnie would have it no other way.
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