5 minute read
Interview Juanita Guerra Arellano
In this issue of the magazine, we interview Columbian born Juanita Guerra Arellano, now living in Austria, she is the founder of artisan company Juanita’s Nähbox and CEO of Hilos Viajeros.
Who are you?
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I am from the beautiful country of Colombia. Sixteen years ago, I met a wonderful Austrian man named Erich Kaltmann. As all love stories go, we fell in love and started a family in Austria. Our daughter, Emilia, is the inspiration for my creations. She gave us the gift of her smile and her kind heart, and now I see the world with new eyes.
I’m currently CEO of my artisan company, Juanita’s Nähbox––13 years in the market, and CEO of Hilos Viajeros. I stand out for my community work and leadership capacity. I’m currently a representative to the Austrian and Graz Chamber of Commerce as organiser and spokesperson for the artisans. In 2020 I was elected in my town, Stattegg, as a councillor. My work has been recognised in specialised forums and in various Austrian, North American and Latin American media.
What was your motivation to achieve what you have?
I love to do things for Emilia. The handcrafted toys that I have made for her combine the best of two worlds: the creativity, happiness and warmth of my homeland, with the discipline and sense of family of the people of Austria, my new home.
How do you take care of your body, mind and soul?
I mainly take care of myself from within; the most important thing is to be at peace and at ease with myself; clarifying and speaking clearly is the basis of everything.
Daily routine and organisation are the basis of every principle. Never go without making a latenight list of what you want to achieve the next day. Not leaving anything undone and completing each item to the very end is the key. In this way you make your body and mind feel satisfied and complete, to be able to continue building every day.
If you were in the jungle what kind of animal would you be and why?
I would be a squirrel––mischievous, crazy, jumping up and down and going from here to there collecting experiences, making friends and being free, brave and happy.
Who inspires you and why?
As I said, Emilia is my first and most important inspiration, and gives me the strength to keep going. Day-to-day and the situations that arise make me grow and make me stronger to move forward with the tasks in my various fields of work.
Who has supported and influenced you on your life journey?
My family and my friends, who are with me in every step of the way. Each of them have contributed the best they know, giving small pieces of this enormous puzzle that is my world.
What do you miss the most from your home country Colombia?
From Colombia I miss my family and friends, the human warmth and overflowing smiles, regardless of the situation.
What is Hilos Viajeros big vision?
The vision of Hilos Viajeros is to transform the world into a better place through the experiences of people in different places, in order to smooth out differences between locals and immigrants, as well as develop a sense of belonging and understanding in each place. I believe in the transforming power of ideas and meaningful work. My purpose, in all the areas in which I operate is that we embrace multiple cultures so that we may enrich the vision of current and future generations with their wisdom. By consolidating an inclusive platform, we will create well-being and opportunities for all the inhabitants of our beautiful region.
Hilos Viajeros is a 100-chapter docuseries that tells the story of modern-day explorers who leave their countries of origin for different reasons, but who face personal and professional challenges during their journey that bring about positive changes in their lives, thereby becoming successful people. They become important reference points in the places that host them today. This all joins the story of Juanita Guerra, a Colombian who left her country of origin 16 years ago and today is an important pillar of community-life in Austria. She has brought together these inspiring characters who will star in each episode of the series on the YouTube channel, Hilos Viajeros By JNB, with broadcasts every two weeks.
Tell us about the inspiration behind Juanita’s Sewing box and how it has developed.
Creating brings me much happiness. My closest friends encouraged me to teach them how to sew and create. That’s how it all began and today my threads of colours, the fabrics, the buttons and the ideas are not just for me; they give happiness to many others.
My business, JUANITA´S NÄHBOX is actually a network of friendships. Many of my friends have spread the word to their friends, who have in turn invited their friends, and so on…. Each new customer that comes to us instantly becomes part of my circle of friends. We may share our ideas over a cup of tea and freshly baked cookies. Then we get down to business and watch our hands become magical instruments that create for the children that we love so much.
What is your vision for the future of Juanita’s Nähbox?
Over time, I have seen my NÄHBOX grow bigger and stronger with all the ideas floating in my head. I have friends in many countries, so JUANITA´S NÄHBOX will continue growing, just like my Emilia, fed by the laughter and the dreams that are left on the table after each afternoon of dressmaking. My Latin-American friends tell me that we should have these sessions online (in Spanish there is a specific term for these meetings dating back to the days of our grandmothers: we call them “El costurero” (the sewing box).
The future of Juanita’s Nähbox is to continue to provide a unique, personalised space for reflection, personal growth and self-love through sewing. Believing in ourselves through our hands takes us to a higher level of inner empowerment. I believe in myself and I can do the things from my interior.
Believing in ourselves through our hands takes us to a higher level of inner empowerment
