Patricia Bonilla attributes many of her successes to one thing—faith.
From the beautiful island of Dominican Republic, Patricia Bonilla went after her dreams and created “Lunacon.” The company founded in Miami, FL., now has 5 office locations including Puerto Rico and serves more than 300 customers worldwide. Having been recognized for a number of awards including 2014 SBA State of Florida Minority Owned Small Business Person of the Year and 2015 Government Contractor of the Year, Bonilla continues to be a powerhouse in the industry.
TOP 5
1. Follow your dreams and have faith
During the recession, as a single-mother with 3 children, Patricia Bonilla acted on faith. She had to decide whether to leave her then comfortable job, to follow her dreams of having her own business. Therefore, with over 17 years of experience in government work, she quit and started her own company, proving a little faith is sometimes all you need.
2. Prepare before the opportunity opens
Many times during the conversation, Bonilla speaks on how she prepared before the doors opened. Before the opportunities came, she hired staff, using Starbucks as her office since their garage wasn’t very promising. Within a month, she hired 25 people, which prepared her in advance for the work she was about to receive.
3. Invest in yourself
“Some people don’t understand the value of investing in marketing and networking,” stated Bonilla.
Marketing, conferences and events are all tools Bonilla used to invest in herself and back into her company. She continued seeking knowledge in order to propel her company forward and put their name out there.
4. Keep Going!
“When you’re about to give up and you’re really at the burst of giving up, this is when your blessings are about to come.”
These are words from Bonilla that we can attest to. When you feel like giving up, keep moving forward. You never know what lies at your next step.
5. No one is responsible for your growth but yourself
Instead of conforming, Bonilla decided to be part of the change. As she states, “Nobody’s responsible for your growth, but yourself.”
Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she could’ve let a number of barriers affect her but she didn’t.
“I try not to look at this stuff…When I worked for a company in Miami, they.. you didn’t see a woman more than a project manager. You didn’t see any in the leadership. You didn’t see a woman. You know that, that was it. So when I realized that, it was time for me to go.”
Was it easy? Probably not. This is why it’s important to also manage your growth and success by finding something that grounds you.
For Bonilla this includes faith, meditation and fitness. “So what would I say…without my peace, my emotional sanity, I can’t really do much and inspire the people around me,” says Bonilla.
Inevitably, the challenges will come and there will be times where you want to give up. Therefore, learning how to manage your mental stability through these tougher times and having something that grounds you and keeps the peace is key.
These 5 tips are tools you can use to grow not only yourself but also your business if you’re willing to put in the work.
Are you willing to put in the work?
If there is a country that allows you to get to wherever you want to get to, whether it’s good or bad is this one. If you were willing to work and, you know, work hard cause I think you have to work, and, go through that process and be honest to the process. You can get to wherever you want to be and everyone including those that don’t look like you, will give you a chance. If you have that desire. Well just believe that you can do it. That’s the only job we have. Believe it. – Patricia Bonilla
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