In order to highlight the amazing local businesses in Florida’s 47th District, the Anna For Florida campaign has launched “47 Means Business,” an ongoing blog series to spotlight local business owners in Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, and throughout the district.
Our blog digs deeper into local businesses by collaborating with business owners to showcase their success and to identify what the legislature can do to support them. Together, these profiles come together to create a larger picture of the amazing diversity and ingenuity of local business owners that Anna hopes to serve and represent in the Florida House.
This week, our team is proud to set the stage for Jazmin Diaz of Queens for Queens. Cue the applause because this is an organization devoted to unifying millennial women. Female empowerment is a journey — financially, socially, and emotionally — and Queens for Queens makes that journey a little more strategic and a lot more fun. Learn below how this organization built its roots in our own District 47, girl power and all.
Team Anna: What inspired you to start your small business?
Jazmin Diaz: My entire life I have always been in awe of women. I was fortunate enough to be raised by a queen of a mother, who never let a day go by without reminding me of my innate strength as a woman. I am proud of all that women have stood for, all that we endure, and all that we accomplish, even when the odds are never in our favor. With that being said, I never understood why women and young girls were so often against each other, especially considering all of the incredibly power we have as a gender. So, after taking a hard look at our society as a whole, I realized this message of comparison and cattiness has been ingrained in our culture for hundreds of years. From then on, I have been determined to remind women of the power of female unity every single day.
TA: What is the most exciting part about owning and operating a small businesses?
JD: Accepting that I have the great privilege of impacting my community by pursuing my greatest passion.
The original Queen of Queens, Jazmin Diaz
TA: Describe a perfect day at work.
JD: I wake up early enough to meditate for 30 minutes, stop by my favorite coffee spot (Lineage, always), and spend the day connecting or strategizing with Queens on ways we can create an even stronger community.
TA: Are there any current policy issues impacting your business? If so, how?
JD: The lack of female representation in office is a huge issue that impacts us at Q4Q. Due to the misrepresentation of women in our political realm, girls have difficult access to sex education, birth control, and overall reproductive support. As a result of this, Q4Q women feel dismissed and unimportant to the policies that are in place.
TA: What could the legislature do better to help you thrive?
JD: Educate women and young girls on ways they can put their frustrations and concerns into action! I cannot begin to tell you how often our Q4Q attendees reach out to my team asking for ways to make an impact in our community, state, and nation. It must be a group effort. Legislature must prioritize educating our youth on ways they can act to make change.