Jean Guzman’s lifestyle brand, Aura Heights, began with an unwanted clay doll. Her mother had gifted her the doll, known as a Muñeca Limé, during a trip to her hometown in the Dominican Republic. These faceless dolls are a staple in local households, but they felt outdated to Guzman.
“It’s basically like a porcelain figurine, and it doesn’t have a rostro, a face, because the artist struggled with … defining our features, because we’re such a rich culture. So she purposely left it like that,” she said.
She worried it would collect dust. But she was also concerned about how few Dominican people knew the history of the dolls, which propelled her to launch the brand in 2020.
Like the Limé dolls, Guzman started carving out a space that was hard to define. Aura Heights would celebrate culture, foster inclusivity, and elevate representation with everything from handmade party decorations to a thriving apparel line.
The design process and purpose
One of her first products was a doll redesigned as party decorations. But the pandemic threw a curveball — no one was throwing parties. Requests began pouring in to adapt her designs for clothing, and that’s when her business took a turn toward apparel and lifestyle accessories, under the brand Muñeca. “You can’t create demand for something,” she said. “You have to fulfill the demand.”
Guzman’s commitment to sustainability plays a big role in her business decisions. She wants her designs to be timeless and meaningful, something people will value for years and even hand down to family members.
Most of Aura Heights’ products are print-on-demand to minimize the increased waste due to fast fashion. “The design is a cleaner look, so that you can get more use out of it and hopefully not get tired of it,” she said. “And then do what a lot of us do, [which] is hand it down to a family member.”
Going from educator to entrepreneur
Before starting Aura Heights, Guzman was familiar with social media through her job as a middle school and high school teacher, but she didn’t use it in her personal life.
“You want to talk about a learning curve?” she said. “Prior to the pandemic, I never had social media, never interested.”
Suddenly, she had to learn about marketing, building a website, designing and posting online.
She credits her growth to resources like The Mujerista, a platform connecting Latinas, where she found a mentor and business coach.
“Whatever you don’t see, you can’t feel”
Running a business while teaching full-time is not easy. Guzman often works at Aura Heights in the evenings.
She admits that managing her website and figuring out social media or email marketing, feel tedious compared to the creative side of things. “You’re good at one thing or two things, but not everything,” she said. “That’s where you have to find help. And that also costs time and money.”
Building a network of reliable contacts has been key to helping her stay afloat.
Elevated representation through culture
For Guzman, Aura Heights is more than a business — it’s a way to uplift her community and honor her roots. “I’ve learned you shouldn’t downplay your culture for anyone,” she says. “There are ways to elevate it. It’s just not presented to us.”
Guzman keeps these values at the forefront as she plans to continue growing her company. The goal is to provide meaningful clothing and accessories that evoke nostalgia, connect culture and education, and inspire inclusion.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
When asked what advice she has for others dreaming of starting their own business, Guzman emphasizes knowing your purpose.
“Know your why,” she said, adding the importance of calculating how much time you can really dedicate to your venture.
“The money might not match the time,” Guzman said. “So if you’re just doing it after the money, you will face even more disappointment, versus getting satisfaction over the little things.”
For her, the little things include the value of “getting back to the roots, getting back to the muñeca, getting back to dancing,” she said.
Shop the online store here.
Follow on Instagram and TikTok at @AuraHeightsLife
