A Cuban known on TikTok as Yami (@yaimaecheverragon) became the star of one of the entrepreneurship videos on the island by showing how she generates income from the island: making pet beds from a small workshop set up in her sister's home.
"Come, I’m going to show you how I make money living in Cuba," she says at the beginning of the minivlog, recorded on September 2 as a glimpse into her daily routine.
The video begins with Yami getting ready after dropping her son off at school —it's his first day— and it candidly showcases her return to work after several days off. "I've spent days not working, thinking I'm a millionaire, and I'm not yet, but we’re going to make it happen, of course," she humorously confesses.
The heart of the business is a mold that she herself designed with her grandmother over three years ago. Despite being "a bit old and worn," the mold is still in use because, in her own words, "I’m really excited to work with this mold." Yami acknowledges that she will need to prepare a new one before the current one wears out completely, but she plans to keep it as a memento.
The day shown in the video includes a visit to the farm, where she buys meat, guavas, and papaya, before returning to continue with her sewing. One detail that does not go unnoticed: the band-aids she puts on her fingers for protection. "I always end up doing this so that I don't get any calluses," she explains.
The casual and friendly tone of the video immediately connected with the audience. The clip garnered over 168,000 views, nearly 7,000 likes, and 177 comments, figures that reflect the growing interest in the authentic stories of Cuban entrepreneurs on the platform.
Yami's case adds to that of other Cuban entrepreneurs who have gained visibility on TikTok by showcasing their businesses from the island, with revenues that in some cases have reached 30,000 Cuban pesos in a single day. The platform has become both a showcase and a sales channel simultaneously.
The market for pet products and services in Cuba has diversified in recent years, particularly in Havana, with businesses dedicated to selling food and accessories, as well as grooming, boarding, and veterinary care services.
Artisanal ventures like Yami's—custom production, home-based work, direct sales—represent one of the most creative responses to the economic crisis the island is facing, leveraging local demand niches with minimal resources and skills passed down through families.
Private entrepreneurship has gained visibility in Cuba in recent years, amid the economic crisis and the search for sources of income outside the state sector.
"I know I will have to prepare another one because this one is already going to break, and I will keep it as a memento, but for now, I am taking care of it and still using it," he says about his mold, in a sentence that could well summarize the philosophy of those trying to build something of their own in Cuba with what they have on hand.
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