On August 2, 2023, I sat down with Monica Gil Barcelo in her beyond cutesy inspirational boutique, Casa Abba, to learn more about her and her gorgeous Cartagena-based gallery boutique.
A little backstory, I discovered Casa Abba in Cartagena, Colombia during my very first visit to South America in March 2018. It was the sparkliest, cutest and most inspirational boutique, and I instantly fell in love with the vibe — so much so that I dubbed it “my beautiful home in Cartagena.” 💕
During my second visit to Cartagena, nearly five years later, the one definite plan I had was to visit Casa Abba and I hoped to meet Monica. I just had to learn more about how Casa Abba came to be!
The interview is in both Spanglish (on my part - lol) and Spanish. Luckily, Monica arranged to include a translator.
Monica’s interview is as inspirational as her lovely boutique. If you’re interested in starting a business or building a brand, check out Monica’s inspiration and vision, and learn more about Casa Abba!
Monica and I discussed the following:
First, tell me a bit about yourself.
What was your primary inspiration for Casa Abba?
How long has Casa Abba been open?
What other cities do you intend to expand to?
What do you want customers to experience when they visit Casa Abba?
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business?
Watch the full interview here.
English interview transcript is below.
Enjoy and very special thanks to Monica and her team -- Meraris Carvajal (translator), Angel Gil (first camera man); Wilmer Arias (second camera man)!
And very, very special thanks to Gobind Paul Singh (my personal translator), who greatly assisted with the translation of the interview and related blog posts.
See Yaa, Caba Abba!
When you’re in Cartagena, be sure to visit Casa Abba!
Casa Abba - Gallery-Boutique
Cl. 35 #3-2 a 3-124, El Centro, Cartagena de Indias, Cartagena, Provincia de Cartagena, Bolívar
