Small Business Focus: Avanzando Juntos Grantee Finds Her Niche in Home Staging

Recently we received the following testimonial from Mayleth Arcia, an interior designer who emigrated to Tulsa in 2008 and has been able to realize her professional dreams through help from Avanzando Juntos. What follows is Mayleth’s testimonial, which we’ve copyedited to align with our house style.

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I would like to tell my story of entrepreneurship and how grateful I am to the organization Avanzando Juntos and PartnerTulsa because thanks to their support and the time they invest in promoting, supporting and accompanying people like me: immigrants who came to this country with many dreams in our suitcase. Today I can talk about the success of my new business. 

My name is Mayleth Arcia. I arrived in the U.S. in 2008 with my husband and my son, who was 18 months old. Arriving in a new country to start from scratch without family or friends who can support you is very difficult. 

In my early years while caring for my baby at home, I focused on self-improvement. I dedicated time to learning new skills, mastering languages and exploring various trades to lay a foundation for our future. I had my second baby during this period, a cherished opportunity to personally care for my children that I wouldn’t trade for anything. In 2019 I got my certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (equivalent to my degree in Venezuela) so I started working full-time. In 2023 I got pregnant again and wondered, “What can I do now? How do I organize my life and time to continue taking care of my children and the new family member on the way?” In that search and reflection on what I like to do and what I can enjoy without having to sacrifice time with my family, the idea of house decoration and interior design was born. 

Mayleth Arcia

I’ve always been passionate about interior design, but in Venezuela, my dad used to tell me that it didn’t have much of a future as a career. Because of that, I never pursued it professionally. However, I believed that in the U.S., there would be more opportunity, so I decided to give it a try. When I decided to start a home-staging business, new questions arose: “Where do I start?” “How can I get the money?” But since God does not abandon us and he knew that my greatest desire was to be able to continue working from home and enjoy my family, I discovered Avanzando Juntos. One of their team members told me about the loan opportunities and programs for Latino startup entrepreneurs and this is when I decided to start the process. 

I am incredibly thankful because not only did they provide me with the access to capital but they also provided support by offering training and mentoring to enhance it. Additionally, they connected me with other organizations to expand it and even introduced me to potential customers.

I was able to receive a grant of $400 from PartnerTulsa in collaboration with Avanzando Juntos, which allowed me to register my business. Additionally, I participated in the Small Business Great Jobs class along with 24 other participants. Following this, I engaged in other Avanzando Juntos workshops and through networking, I secured my first client. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and support provided.

I hope that more organizations like these, with a genuine interest in helping immigrants, will continue to emerge and grow so that they can increasingly provide more and more support to new entrepreneurs through their programs, partnership and network. Accompanying this post is a photo from my first client open house.