Within every mujer is a story of beauty and power
May 2, 2022 - This month’s feature is the story of Julisa Castellanos Gonzalez. Julisa is the owner of Yerbitas - a handcrafted herbal tea company in Los Angeles, CA with the business motto Hecho con Amor. As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, a proud mom of two, a new Latina entrepreneur, and a mujer with multiple passions, Julisa infuses love and humor in everything she does. She is a self-described “woman of few words” but her powerful story of transformation and self-discovery speaks volumes about her bold vision for her business and her life. In our conversation below, Julisa shares her personal story about how culture and wellness combined with softness and resilience inspire her to keep becoming the fullest version of herself.
What are 3-5 words you would use to describe yourself?
I am resilient and persistent. I never give up and I keep moving forward. That comes from the way I was raised. But I am also soft. In spite of everything life has thrown my way, I have remained soft. I grew up with a lot of strong women who hardened under life circumstances. It’s how they survived. Remaining soft is my nature and how I’ve survived life’s trials and tribulations. My daughter says that I am creative and I agree with her. Most of my career has been in product development, which has allowed me to be creative, resourceful and multi-passionate. I have lots of ideas and I want to go after all of them.
How do you identify ethnically and culturally?
I identify as Latina, Mexican and American. Mexican is first and foremost because that’s the blood that runs through me. Both of my parents are from México. My mom is from Durango and my dad is from Jalisco, and I grew up in a traditional Mexican immigrant family. What we ate, how we dressed, the people we hung out with (our immediate and chosen family) - it was all Mexican. I also identify as American because my parents came here to provide me and my siblings with an American life. They sacrificed so much for us. And I’m Latina because that’s the larger community we belong to. [Within Latinidad] There are many similarities in our customs, our origin stories, how we love, how we express our feelings, our passions, our food, and our music that I feel part of that larger community.
Who and what inspires you?
Women and mothers have really been my inspiration for the last couple of years because I have found so much safety and community with other women. Their stories remind me that I’m not alone. TheIr resilience and their strength have gotten me through some really hard days. I’ve particularly been inspired by young women lately. Their badassery and chignona attitude have inspired me to rediscover who I am in this season of life I’m currently in. I want to instill some of that in my children. I want my daughter and son to go after their dreams and be who they are.
What was the inspiration behind Yerbitas?
At the beginning of 2020, I was laid off from my lucrative job as VP of Product Development and decided to take some time to decide what I wanted to do next.
Then the pandemic hit and it caused me to question everything. I was burnt out from my career and wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back. I wanted to do something that makes me feel whole, that celebrates my culture and how I grew up. I grew up with teas as holistic remedies. For every ailment there was always a tea.
The idea for Yerbitas came to me like a dream. It was scary at first because I didn’t know anything about starting a business or making teas. But once the idea popped into my head everything came naturally after that. The universe kept dropping ideas for me and I felt it in my core that I had to pursue it.
As a mom of two and an entrepreneur, how do you practice balance?
I am hardworking, it’s in my DNA, but entrepreneurship affords me the freedom to set my daily schedule. I haven’t arrived at balance yet, but I am able to make conscious choices that allow me to be there for my kids and build my business [at the same time].
What does community mean to you?
Community is where I feel at home. In my early years, community was mostly extended family. I grew up in the South Bay/Harbor area [of Los Angeles] and I had a lot of relatives living close by. Our community was a gathering space and a support system for us. Because my parents worked, I spent all of my summers in Mexico until I was 14 with my grandma, who was also part of our community and our support system.
More recently, I have been building community for myself outside of family. It has been beautiful and powerful to be among women who inspire me. The communities that I am a part of are safe spaces to be myself and be vulnerable.
Name a recent or current challenge you have worked through or are working through.
My life drastically changed over the last 4-5 years. My husband and I separated so I went from being a spouse to being a single mom. I went from working in corporate and having a high level job to being unemployed. I went from being a home owner to living with my parents. Those challenges can break a person. But I have grown through the process of detaching my self-worth from those labels.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the woman I am becoming. I’m proud of being in a space of growth and allowing myself to be open to trying new things. And doing things in spite of the fear.
If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be?
I would have a big party with badass mujeres who inspire me, starting with my mom and my sisters. There are some women I’ve never met who really inspire me, like small business owners who started with an idea and now they’re on shelves in Target. It would be a big celebration, like a girls’ night out. I would want every woman there to have fun and experience being in her power.
What is your vision for Yerbitas?
I want to build a community that celebrates culture and wellness with remedios that are passed down from generation to generation. I envision Yerbitas being a space for learning and growth, with a community garden and offerings beyond tea. There is so much healing that comes from these small, but powerful herbs and our culture is rich with remedies that many of us grew up with in our own backyard. Yerbitas was conceptualized around blending the richness of my Latina culture with wellness.
What if anything do you hope to leave behind as you keep moving forward personally and professionally?
I’m ready to shed negative self-talk. I’m also ready to let go of the traditional meaning of success. Success is different for everyone, and the path is not linear.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m an open book and I wear my heart on my sleeve. Most people would be surprised to know that about me because I’m shy and reserved. But if you ask me something, I will tell you.