Meet Jana Flores | Refillery Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jana Flores and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jana, what inspires you?
I am inspired by my precious children. They are the driving force behind what I do. I wish to leave the planet in a better shape for their future. My older daughter has been incredibly curious about sea life. She has been passionate about sharks since she was 2. We’ve read many books about ocean and learned together how the ocean suffers because of all the plastics. We wanted to contribute to a solution. We know we can’t fix everything but we can be an inspiration for our community and do our part.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I am proud of adding a value to our city. I believe every city should have a refillery as this is the future. People often ask me if this is a franchise. I have built this business from the ground up and I am not ashamed to say that I learn as I go. I am determined to make this business successful. How to make this work has been on my mind for most of the time. I am being authentic and honest. My mission is to add value to my customers’ lives, to educate our community and inspire more families.

I am so excited to offer solutions that help individuals make sustainable living colorful and fun. I am excited about the impact we are making together as a community.

I am where I am because I have been brave and decided to pursue my dreams. My journey has not been easy but I have been consistent and committed to strong work ethic, open minded to change things if I notice whatever I am doing is not working well. I surround myself with supportive people who inspire me and move away from toxic people. I wake up early to work out and to have a productive and creative day. When I am not in the store, I am present for my kids and cook fresh meal from scratch every single day.

So many lessons learnt:
– not all in small business world are good and kind people. I have learnt to be kind but to have boundaries
– not all the people will like me and my business. I am aware of that and ok with that
– even in darker times when motivation was low, business not good, I have learned to stay consistent and adjust accordingly

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my friend to all the small and local businesses in town. I like the idea to have a good drink and meal while supporting someone real, somebody who took risks and created an unique place. It would preferably be a place that also support local growers and farmers. Human connection while supporting local and small feels like a hope for bright future to me.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would like to give a big shoutout to:

– my husband – he believes in me, he supports me in every aspect. I would not be here without him. One of the things he told me I will never forget is: If you do things with love, you can’t fail…

– our supporting community. Because these people are not willing to wait for years for ideas to be accepted by others. They are open to new ideas and I would not be here without them.

– the welcoming community I live in. I am an immigrant and a black sheep but I truly feel like “home” in Williamsburg. I feel that I am being accepted for who I am and appreciated for what I do even though my accent is different.

Website: www.fillhappy-va.com

Instagram: fillhappyva

Facebook: fillhappyva

Yelp: fill happy