Patricia Guerrero Hinojosa, the founder of MB Global Importing and Pinwinito, was born in a small town called Iquique in the North of Chile. She is a colourful girl, generous, and she loves dancing and discovering new places. She was travelling around South America with her folkloric group when she was studying engineering at the Arturo Prat University in Chile.
Later, Patricia worked for a non-profit organisation called Fundación Superación de la Pobreza in Taltal, a small town in the second region of Chile, where she was recognized by the Lord Mayor for her significant contribution to the community. She also worked with indigenous artisans in Ollagüe at 4,000 m altitude on the border between Chile and Bolivia.
Patricia worked for 11 years for the Tarapacá Regional Government where she was in charge of analysis projects from the community in order to be funded by the Chilean Government. That was a very powerful way to connect with communities in the rural areas.
In 2012, she embarked on a life-changing adventure in her late thirties. A Chilean migrant, she arrived in Australia to study English and explore the country as a single woman. After that, she was granted a scholarship to study for her Master’s degree at the University of Queensland in Australia. However, her life took a dramatic turn in 2014 when she found her Australian love, Marcus, and she was about to give birth to her first child.
Due to a lack of expertise from the medical team at the hospital, both Patricia and her son’s lives were at risk, and she lost the direction of her life. It took her four years to recover both physically and emotionally.
Despite the challenges, Patricia’s determination to rebuild and find herself again led her to create her own company, MB Global Importing, an e-commerce business aimed at reconnecting people through emotions and bringing back happy memories. The company’s name pays homage to Patricia’s son, Mateo Benjamin, whose name means “Gift from God” and “Son of the right hand,” respectively. Patricia’s son has been an inspiration for her to pursue her dreams.
MB Global Importing is an Australian small e-commerce family business whose values are based on respect, empathy, and sustainability. The business focuses on handmade products and no mass production whilst working with artisans to offer a conscious product for conscious consumers with less waste.
Why did you choose to work with artisans and offer only conscious products?
I believe it is important to come back to basics and be aware of contributing to reducing carbon emissions, and learning and putting in practice how to recycle and reuse. In this context, I work with artisans who create products with less impact on the planet. They use their hands to create amazing pieces of art. They create unique, one-of-a-kind masterpieces that take time, love, and care to create.
When I talk with these skilled artisans, their passion and emotions explode into their work. Some have even inherited the craft from their ancestors, keeping the tradition alive.
There are so many ethical businesses out there offering eco-conscious products, what sets your business aside from others?
Our brand is all about connecting people and creating memories based on the emotions that customers experience with our products.
In November 2020, Jeannette, a retired teacher from Brisbane, bought one of my handmade Christmas Products. A few weeks later she sent me a picture of her creation. That was stunning!. It was not a Christmas tree, it was a lady with a beautiful dress made of Christmas tree branches simulating a dress decorated with our products.
In her own words this was what she said to me: “Hi Patricia, my lady isn’t quite finished, a few more pink and gold decorations and a set of lights. So far everyone has been stunned with her. She’s even more beautiful in real life”. Jeannette designed it that way for her wheelchair so the ‘tree’ doesn’t stick out, and she can still move around easily. This is why we are unique and different!
As an entrepreneur, I see the disconnection between human beings with their surroundings. People are rushing everywhere, smart devices are taking out the sense of interaction between people. I see an opportunity to offer more than a gift, offer memories, and a sense of grounded-ness. This year we are creating our brand and our website.
Our brand wants to transform the way of giving things without real meaning to a path of caring about the story behind the product. Our brand proposition is all about being good, feeling good, reconnecting, and making good memories.
What impact are you looking to make with MB Global Importing?
My vision is to be recognized as a brand who has contributed to reshaping the gifting market by offering our customers more than goods. It is to have an impact on society, changing the way that people are buying things.
I want to offer a gift with a story behind them. It is to stop and think if they really need it, and avoid mass production. It is to know where the product comes from and give back to the planet.
I am a social entrepreneur who wants to have less impact on the environment, connect people with their emotions and offer a sense of grounded-ness by creating memories based on the emotions experienced with our product. I started with handmade products and I am working to expand into the gourmet market and inspire people to come back to natural flavours, and cook at home with family and friends.
What role does your family play in the business? And how is it like working with your family in the business?
My son Mateo Benjamin is my inspiration. I want him to learn from his Mum how important it is to connect with people and bring to them the best version of yourself, in our case through our products which are sourced carefully for our customers with a focus on sustainability.
Working with my family is not easy, each one has their own way to do things but all of us get together following one goal.
As business demands a lot of mental, and physical work, my family has played a huge role in my business. They are there when I have success and also when I have not good outcomes. My husband Marcus has been with me from the beginning.
My parents are overseas but even from there they call me and wish me to achieve my goals. Something that I am really grateful for is when my son hugs me and smiles at me. That is my best reward . Also, when my husband prepares a tea even when he is very tired, those little beautiful gestures fill me with the energy that I need for progressing each day in my goal to create memories for our special customers to make the world a better place to live.
What advice would you give other women who are looking to start eco-conscious businesses?
I will tell them that eco-conscious products are the way to go. Each new entrepreneur business needs to consider these concepts and research about the impact of each component of the product on the ecosystem.
So, I will encourage women to follow the path, doing research and finding the best solution to care for the planet. Then, no matter how slow you can move, if you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve the rest will flow easily around you.
Find your purpose for why you are doing this, write this down in a paper, stick in a place where you can always see it. This will help you to have clarity about what you want to achieve.
Be prepared to self educate, read magazines, listen to podcasts, enrol in webinars that will give you an overview of what is going on in the industry that you are interested in. Also be ready to take action and put yourself there.
This can sound very intimidating, in fact it took me a long time to dare to do it, but I did and I can tell you will get great rewards. If you are a woman working at home like me, never underestimate your capabilities.
Follow Patricia at MB Global Importing and Pinwinito.