One Stitch At A time
Atlanta’s Adriana Andrade-Jenkins is a Dream Achiever
Taking a chance, and looking to give herself a better life, Adriana Andrade-Jenkins left Mexico for the United States in 1998. She had no English skills and minimal knowledge of the embroidery industry. Fortunately, shortly after her arrival, she landed a job at a Georgia uniform apparel company.
After lots of hard work, Adriana learned English and diligently climbed up the career ladder. In five years, she was a plant supervisor learning everything from operating the machines, quality control and digitizing, to management skills.
When Adriana decided to be a stay-at-home mom, she soon realized she wanted to put her skills and 13 years of experience to good use while taking care of her daughters.
So she took a chance. With a small budget, she created an Etsy store selling customized children’s apparel.
Early success turned into stagnant client growth. She thought about closing the shop. With little motivation to continue, Adriana came across some interesting social posts. One of the posts was about a Latin American Association (LAA) women’s program.
Adriana soon joined the LAA program, and it was a wake-up call. The program, which is supported by State Farm, opened her eyes to available resources, smart business practices and methodologies. She received professional guidance and a push to keep trying. She then created Georgia Stitch. It is a family-owned business specializing in embroidering uniforms, apparel and spirit wear for businesses and individuals.
“With the support of the Latin American Association, I was able to gain knowledge that allowed me to re-launch my business,” shared Adriana. “These types of programs are a huge resource to the community thanks to companies like State Farm and others.”
Her goal is to make Georgia Stitch the place where companies’ and individuals’ ideas can be transformed into embroidery, screen printing, vinyl and more. Adriana took a chance, rejected the status quo and followed her heart. Now her life reflects her passion for entrepreneurship. She is a Dream Achiever.
