Cornelia Velazquez, owner of Compras de Catalina’s. Photo by Susi Franco, JEFAS Magazine.
By Karlha Velásquez
Every obstacle became an opportunity for Carolina Velásquez. Didn’t speak English? Translation apps solved that. Expensive flowers? She found Ecuadorian suppliers. An ultimatum from her partner? That became her divine sign to expand. Velásquez’s story illustrates a simple principle: when faith meets action, obstacles become opportunities. She has applied that lesson, from immigration challenges to entrepreneurship, to build two thriving businesses in Nebraska.
Velásquez, 31, is from Quiché, Guatemala. From a young age, Velásquez showed the same drive and determination as her mother, Catalina, an indigenous K’iche’ speaker who traveled widely selling nutrition products despite not speaking Spanish fluently or holding a college degree. “For her, language isn’t a barrier. Even through gestures, she reaches her goals,” Velásquez says with admiration. That strength inspired the name Catalina’s Shopping, in honor of her mother.
From Guatemala to Nebraska: Cornelia Velázquez’s Journey
A strong work ethic shaped Velásquez from the start. She recalls her mother urging her to work when she was very young, yet she felt she didn’t fit a system built on working for others. When her mother suggested moving to the capital for a job, Velásquez refused: she didn’t want to be separated from her mother, and she didn’t want a life that didn’t feel like her own. So, she made a decision that changed everything: she would migrate to the United States on her own.
Her mother sacrificed to gather the money for the trip. In 2011, Velásquez reached the border, stayed with cousins, and began working in Maryland. She didn’t stay long. The Central American community established there reminded her too much of Guatemala. Her goal was clear: no looking back.
She moved to Fremont in 2013 and took a job at a meat-packing plant. Over time, she tapped into her entrepreneurial streak, selling perfumes and catalog products at work. Sales grew and boxes filled her living room. But her partner at the time wasn’t supportive. He threatened to toss her products and yelled, “Get yourself a store!”
Velásquez didn’t give up. She took it as a sign to dream bigger. She prayed for a store she could afford. Less than 15 days later, she found one.
Without speaking English, she used translators and apps to negotiate the lease. The space had sat vacant for three years, but as soon as she signed at the end of 2021, other interested parties surfaced. She opened her shop in January, her birthday month.
Today, she has two locations. One, quite spacious, houses a boutique with women’s clothing and jewelry. The other, opened four years ago, features a successful line of floral arrangements.
Celebrating love, innovation and faith through flowers
Her floral line began unexpectedly. Someone gave her birthday flowers, and she set them out as décor in the shop. A customer asked if they were for sale. They weren’t, but she saw another opportunity.
As Valentine’s Day approached, she bought supermarket flowers and began creating her own arrangements. At first they were simple; gradually, they became more elaborate. She incorporated chocolates, rings, and jewelry, always adding a personal touch. To her surprise, the margin reached about 60%. “I couldn’t believe it,” she says.
Because supermarket flowers were expensive, she looked for suppliers in Ecuador. “I handled all the logistics. A good friend helped me identify the right partners. Now I pay three taxes plus the cost of the flowers, and I still make a profit,” she explains.
Velásquez has become an expert. She studied quality, stems, varieties, and strict customs processes. Despite early challenges, she has built a profitable business with sales peaking on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas, as well as florist-promoted dates like the “21 Yellow Flowers” day in March.
On that day, tradition calls for gifting 21 flowers as a sign of fidelity. “When customers come in for their girlfriends, I tell them, half-joking, that the superstition about 21 flowers is real. Poor things, the women who don’t receive them,” she adds with a laugh.
Cornelia Velazquez, owner of Compras de Catalina’s. Photo by Susi Franco, JEFAS Magazine.
Strength, resilience and confidence as guides
Velásquez describes herself as a woman of strong character: resilient, warm, and firm, a legacy from her mother. She believes in action over words. For her, problems have solutions, and limits are starting points. Although she hasn’t taken business courses, her entrepreneurial instinct and determination have taken her far.
Today, she works with her brother, now her business partner. He handles accounting, technology, and the personalized ribbons that accompany the arrangements. Together, they operate Catalina’s Shopping Monday through Saturday. Sundays are reserved for worship, with the same faith that carried her from a teen who refused to work for others to an entrepreneur who creates jobs and brings beauty to her community through flowers and fashion.
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