Today we’d like to introduce you to Sienna Bernal.
Hi Sienna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Because I’m special needs, I wanted to have a way to feel independent, and I also wanted to help other special needs adults gain some independence, too. I want to grow my business to be big enough to be able to hire other special needs adults.
I have Dandy-Walker and Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, so I’m missing parts of my brain. I’m also hard of hearing and have Primordial Dwarfism. There are fewer than 200 people in the world with Primordial Dwarfism. It’s a different form of Dwarfism than what most people think of when they think of Dwarfism. It’s a proportionate type, so I look like an average-sized person, just smaller. I’m 4’4″ and only weigh about 50 lbs. To put it in perspective, I’m an inch shorter than Peter Dinklage.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have a good team helping me, so it has been pretty smooth. We started small and are working our way up. It was challenging for me to learn how to do some of the detailed aspects of making the jewelry because Dandy Walker affects how I’m able to use my hands. But I just kept trying, and now I can do it all on my own! I’m still learning the actual business side of it, but my grandma and mom help a lot, and I watch a lot of videos and online courses to help me learn.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make a variety of jewelry, such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. I use beads that are either glass, semi-precious or high-end, or something special like recycled paper beads from Project Lydia, a project that helps women in Uganda by having them make and sell fair-trade beads.
Each piece is unique, and I make custom pieces, too. Plus, some of my designs are unique and wouldn’t be found in other lines. When people get jewelry from me, they know there’s no one else with a piece like theirs, and they’re helping a special needs person gain independence.
They can feel good about their jewelry and feel good about the good that comes from their purchase.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I watch a lot of helpful videos on YouTube. I’ve taken online courses that teach me about social media and other parts of the business, and my Mimi is who taught me how to make jewelry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://itsasinnysize.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinnysized
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sienna.bernal
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sinnysized
