Neivis Paulino is a Christ believer, a wife, mom of two beautiful girls, daughter, sister and friend. Neivis is a Health Care Administration graduate, and an entrepreneur. Founding Galilee Life came with great sacrifice, but she was driven by her love, obedience to God and deep desire to make a positive difference in the lives of many. Despite some troubled times in her own life, she is certain that her relationship with God is where she has found her true strength, deep love for herself, family and others. Trials of all sorts have only intensified her longing for empowering others. Working closely with people in need, she saw the power of personal connection and how something as small as a piece of clothing or handmade item could inspire joy through difficult times.
With Galilee Life, she longs to grow an inspiring unified community of makers, resellers, digital artists and business service owners. Her vision involves serving others with tools that not only lead to a financially free life, but a life of emotional and spiritual wellness and as cliche as it may sound, helping them make their dreams come true. She has the full understanding that money is one of the key drivers in creating a financially free life, but when there’s a community and a family to help encourage you along the way, there is a greater certainty in the possibility of making that dream come to life.
What is Galilee Life all about?
Galilee Life is a Christian online marketplace that caters to small businesses in search for more than a platform to create, buy, and sell goods. It is for small businesses in search of one-on-one connection and encouragement. Our mission is to restore the hopes and dreams of small online businesses. Passion fuels everything that we do at Galilee Life. We are inspired by our community, the love and support from our small businesses and customers, the carefree calm that is felt while browsing for something beautiful; the eager anticipation after checkout; the joy of opening a package just for you; the confidence of putting on a new outfit that makes you feel incredible. Galilee Life is about making life more beautiful so that you can shine inside and out.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
My name is Neivis Paulino. I am a Christ believer, a wife, mom of two beautiful girls, daughter, sister and friend. I am a Health Care Administration graduate, and an entrepreneur. I founded Galilee Life in 2018, with great sacrifice, while working full-time and schooling. I have always been driven by my love, obedience to God and a deep desire to make a positive difference in the lives of many people. Despite some troubled times in my own life, I am certain that my relationship with God is where I have found my true strength, deep love for myself, family and others. Trials of all sorts have only intensified my longing for empowering others. Working closely with people in need in the healthcare field, I saw the power of personal connection and how something as small as a piece of clothing or handmade item could inspire joy through difficult times.
We not only have a community of sellers that with their amazing work, place so much love and time into all that they do, but we also have a community that loves on each other with sincerity and prays for one another as well. Online sellers and vendors that want a community that will walk and journey right along with them, should join Galilee Life. Being an entrepreneur is hard, being a small business owner takes heart, and being a Founder / CEO of a company can be downright stressful. These are all real situations that a small business owner, should not have to be left alone to fend for themselves with. Our marketplace allows the opportunity to ask for advice, have someone pray for you when you need it, along with devotionals and words of encouragement when life seems to go the opposite direction of what you have planned.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
The top 3 skills needed to be an entrepreneur are: willingness to learn, quick to admit to mistakes, and ambition/passion.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
I am waiting on God to show me what else he wants for my life. In the meantime, my work will continue with Galilee Life. I would love the platform to speak openly about Jesus and to use my gifts of love and encouragement, in the way(s) that God wants me to. One of the many lies of the enemy, was that I did not have a voice. God has obviously demolished that wall, but I work hard every day on my relationship with God, so that the devil does not have an entry way, not in the slightest, to get me to where I once was.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I separate myself from competitors because I have come to the true realization that I am working within my purpose. I am in the field and niche that God designed me to be. I was created to love, encourage, and help people succeed in a special way. With true and genuine personal connections.
Do I think of competition? I cannot say I think of it much. When God reigns in your business and you come to the full understanding that you were created with a purpose, there is nothing or anyone that can change that. My competition is often times myself, when I doubt the power of God.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
The top three mistakes I made starting my business were the following: not doing enough research, diving into the business and taking on way too much without enough help, and spending money without truly investigating who I was spending it on and/or whether or not it was a good investment.
I learned that dreams should not be hurried. It is good to be passionate and actually come through on your word when you say you’re going to do something like build a business, but plans help you stay on track. I learned that it is best to test a product before launching it.
Another mistake was continuously doubting what I had built. If your business involves a product or service that is not meant to harm anyone, and it comes from the heart, keep going, because only those that don’t give up when times are tough, are the ones that truly persevere.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
The most successful form of marketing is genuinely showing up for the people you wish to make an impact on. Success is not defined by how many you can reach at one time, it is defined by how hard you worked to reach that one. Successful marketing is analyzing the tools you have available and choosing one or two that you can give it your all in. For me it has been, direct messaging and using platforms like Instagram and Facebook to get a hold of our target audience. I am still learning, but one thing that I am 100 percent sure of is that knocking on doors and using ways of communication, like phoning, will never go out of style. Marketing consists of being consistent in a specific form of marketing.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenges have been getting exposure so that others know about my brand and finding the right people to work with that believe in this mission. I am still working on exposure. It is not the easiest, but I am very patient because I know that as a business owner, when you do not give up, you win. In my heart, I have already won because I have been able to bring a dream giving to me by God to a reality. In terms of finding the right people to work alongside me to bring this vision to life, he has and will continue to do so. The main ingredient to all of this is fully relying on God, knowing that he’s got it all under control and that he’s putting the pieces of my puzzle together. Once He’s done, those challenges will be looked back on with a smile, and the new ones that will come up will be better handled because of those past challenges I was able to overcome.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
If I started my business again I wouldn’t do anything differently. I’ve thought about this question many times, but I truly wouldn’t. Why? Because all that I have been through, have made me into the person I am today. I am who I am today, this stronger me, because of Galilee Life. God used this marketplace to meet me in my most desolate moments and I have learned to have joy even in my saddest of moments. Those crying nights and moments of discouragement have made me the entrepreneur I am today. I would not trade that for anything in this world.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
The top 3 online tools and resources that I am currently using to grow my company are: having a mentor that can help lead me so that I can help others, reading books and listening to podcasts like those of Donald Miller – Business Made Simple, and finally, always identifying new opportunities like creating referral and ambassador programs.
A book that I can recommend is Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. A Podcast is Business Made Simple by Donald Miller. An Online course I recommend would be from Donald Miller’s Business Made University.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
If I had $1,000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything I know now, I would spend it in starting a small online beta test and everything else in marketing to see if it is a business that others would respond well to.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
There are several things that help me stay driven and motivated, but the most important one is God. He helps keep me grounded. My children, husband, family, and the beautiful people I work with keep me in pursuit of something more, something greater. Our vendors are our family, so I include them in there as well. They motivate me to be better and do better, just so that I can help lead them better.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote would be a bible verse:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them”
– Matthew 18:20
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
The valuable advice that I would give to new entrepreneurs starting out is the same one I still give myself. Which is: True success is living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Success to me is very simple. It is pushing through the obstacles, and learning to get back up quicker every time. True success is not defined by the number of followers or likes on a post. It is not defined by being on the cover of Forbes. True success is defined by understanding that your current situation does not dictate your end result. Money comes and goes and fame subsides, but one thing that remains is God in my life. I may not have a lot compared to others and their standards of what a lot is in this world, but my riches in Jesus cannot compare to any of those. The riches I have found in my father in heaven, have allowed me to be content, happy, and joyful in any situation because my life in him is much greater than a life that is pleasing to others.
Who should we interview next and why?
You should interview Gloria Chou from Gloria Chou PR. I think she is a powerhouse and can definitely help new entrepreneurs and those in the busines for a long time understand their niche and learn to pitch the right way for exposure and to help build credibility the right way.
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can get in touch with me by emailing us directly at info@galilee-life.com , visiting our site at galilee-life.com or directly on Instagram by typing in the search bar @GalileeLife.
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