Marcela Aguayo: "I gave up a great job to fulfill a great dream".

Giving up the job you've dedicated your whole life to is no easy task. But when that difficult step allows you to take the first one to fulfill one of your biggest dreams, it's worth it.

That is what Marcela Aguayo, a marketer and communicator by profession who for almost 20 years was part of one of the most important cosmetics companies in Latin America, understood.

She quit that job where she had worked her way up to a management position, so as not to give up the dream of owning her own business.

Now, together with her friend and business partner Fiorella, she leads a promising specialty coffee brand: Cerella. We talked to her to learn more about one of the women behind this company.

What do you feel has changed after you left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur?

I feel freedom, not because I didn't have it in my job, but because there is freedom with your schedule and because the decisions depend on you. But there is also pressure, because success depends 100% on every decision you make, which also implies your income. Something very different from the "comfort" you felt working with a big team, having a salary and so on.

In your business, you cannot stop answering an email or a call, although there is a "freedom" with your schedule, you may also have to work on a Saturday or Sunday. So, it is a constant search for balance, because entrepreneurship enters a little more into your daily life.

Was it difficult to leave the corporate world?

Yes. But I am grateful for that experience, because without those 20 years in the corporate world I would not be able to move my business forward with knowledge that was shared with me by great leaders with whom I worked and who guided me, even at the time when I made the decision to leave the company.

In addition, it allowed me to generate a networking that helps me to be able to move Cerella forward. So, that stage has been an important complement or base to be able to fulfill this dream.

How do you divide your entrepreneurial world and your day-to-day life?

Well, it is only one Marcela who has learned to recognize the moment when her family needs her and I have to distribute my time. Fiorella, my partner and friend, is very important because we divide our roles to support each other.

There is definitely no perfection at work, but there is motivation. Motivation is different when you dedicate yourself to something that will be a legacy for you and your family.

What do you spend your time doing when you're not with Cerella?

I am a lover of sports. I wake up every day at 5 a.m. to train, I have been doing it since I worked for a company and I continue to do it as an entrepreneur. In addition, I dedicate space to my friends, to get my son's school things ready and to enjoy time with him and my husband. I always try to make time for myself.

What would you say to people who are thinking of making a decision similar to yours?

There will always be fear, because you leave your comfort zone to start from scratch. I made the decision many months in advance, which allowed me to prepare and plan everything. Family support is also an important decision.