Meet Tania,  from Long Island, New York! Tania is fashion specialist and personal shopper for Amazon Prime Wardrobe. She loves traveling and on the weekends. You can find her at a museum getting lost in the art and reading everything there is to read. To Tania, power means leading by curiosity not fear. It also means finding the discipline to not procrastinate, work hard, and keep reaching your goals while still remembering not everything can be done in a day. Be patient and always remember where you start isn’t where you’re going to finish. This story was submitted in collaboration with ENVSN. 

What did you study in school and why?

I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. I received an Associates in Production Management and a Bachelor’s in International Trade and Marketing. F.I.T was always my dream school, ever since a young child fashion has always been my creative outlet and something I used to express myself. 

What is your job/career?

I am a fashion specialist/ personal shopper for Amazon Prime Wardrobe. My job consists of helping hundreds of women feel confident in a new wardrobe according to their style archetypes. Archetypes are used to identity their style for example a customer can identity her style as glam, edgy, casual, etc. The program also takes into account any parts of the body the customer would like to hide, all while keeping items picked within their specified budget. I also run a fashion trend forecasting Instagram called @trendsandthreads and write about several events on the side.  

What is a challenge you have faced or currently face and how are you overcoming it?

A challenge I faced was finding what I truly want to do within my career. When I graduated from college I felt completed lost. I knew I wanted a creative career in fashion, but I knew from my previous internships that the areas I did work in might not be the right fit for me. I also felt a lot of pressure to prove myself because my parents came from the Dominican Republic with nothing, and I was the first to graduate college within my family. It took a lot of listening to my gut to really have the courage to go after what I wanted even if I knew it wasn’t a guaranteed path, but I always ask myself what do I have to lose? The least I can do is try. I’m closer to my dreams than I’ve ever been, but that happened by knocking on random doors, failing over and over, and hearing the word “no” many times.

What does it mean for you to be powerful?

To me being powerful means leading by curiosity not fear. It also means finding the discipline to not procrastinate, work hard, and keep reaching your goals while still remembering I’m only 24 and not everything can be done in a day. I’m working on giving myself patience and not be so hard on myself. Also, never forgetting to celebrate my accomplishments no matter how big or small. 

Do you have a favorite product or item you love that makes you feel great? 

My favorite item that I own is my double finger name ring that I was gifted by my godparents when I was 16. The ring is a symbol of me growing up and finding my own path while still holding on to my creative fearless free young self.

What are your passions, hobbies, interests?

I love traveling. To me, traveling is a way to gain unimaginable respect and knowledge of someone else’s country. My goal is to travel to 30 countries by 30, I’m up to 15. On the weekends you can find me at a museum getting lost in art and reading everything there is to read. I also love people watching, it gives you an insight of how society is reacting to fashion and how people interpret current fashion trends. You also find the best street style inspiration by just paying attention to your surroundings. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Always remember where you start isn’t where you’re going to finish. I struggled finding a job after college because I was so focused on finding the “perfect” job instead of just focusing on getting my foot in the door and going from there.