It Girl is a Women in Business feature highlighting the NextGen of female entrepreneurs.
By Althea Engman
Mom and daughter duo, Claire Genereux and Carmela Tyquiengco, are this issue’s IT Girls.
Genereux runs Hibiscus Guam, a popular handmade jewelry brand with her daughter, Carmela Tyquiengco, who also runs Bloom Guam, the go-to shop for leis, mwarmwars, gift baskets, and more.
Genereux started Hibiscus in 2018. Tyquiengco started accepting orders for Bloom in 2022. They tell the Magazine that Bloom and Hibiscus got their starts by making items for family and friends, eventually attracting a wider customer base through word of mouth and a growth in their social media presence.
“In the beginning I just wanted to make things for people and bring my creativity to life,” Tyquiengco says. As her business grew, she continued to create personalized items that were tailored to customers’ wants and needs.
Tyquiengco also hosts workshops at DFS and other establishments for those interested in making leis and mwarmwars. She emphasizes the importance of infusing love and positive energy into each piece, a lesson she learned in Hawaii. Tyquiengco says that “despite the challenges of balancing business demands with maintaining a positive energy, I continue to find the balance in success and passion.”
Bloom Guam sources local flowers from florists and uses artificial flowers as well for those who want to keep the pieces for a long time.
With Hibiscus Guam, Genereux has a similar approach as she creates her pieces based on what inspires her in her day-to-day life and suggestions from her family and customers. Genereux faces the challenge of “ensuring that her business success does not overpower her passion for creating her pieces.”
Genereux’s goal is to “retire and continue the business and have fun without feeling overwhelmed by pop ups and in store inquiries.”
Both women understand that it may be easier to hire people to help with the workload, but both are determined to maintain the same love and effort put into their pieces.
Tyquiengco learned how to make leis and mwarmwar at a young age at a summer workshop in Hawaii and continued to learn on her own and hone her skills as the years passed. Similarly, Genereux also started at a young age, as she was always a creative spirit. She learned how to weave at CHamoru culture classes in Merizo. She uses those weaving skills in her business today.
Hibiscus Guam offers woven jewelry, statement pieces, and flower and coconut leaf jewelry. Genereux’s goal is to grow her business, reach new demographics, and continue to be creative in her designs. Tyquiengco’s goal is to figure out the next step in her business.
One of the joys of owning their businesses, they say, is “seeing people wear and show off the things you have made.”
Their advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is to just, “Go out and try it, you never know until you try.”
“Although there will be mistakes along the way, you will learn, and if you don’t make a mistake, you are not learning,” Genereux says.
Tyquiengco says, “Time has changed and so many more things are available and open to women especially with the use of social media, which can help reach different corners of the world even if you are in Guam.”
Tyquiengco encourages others to not be afraid to start their own ventures.
You can follow their businesses on Instagram @hibiscusguam and
@bloomguam for updates, inquiries, and new drops.