From the age of six, Vilma was already in business. Growing up in San Martín Jilotepeque, Guatemala, she helped her mother run the family tiendita — stocking shelves by walking miles in the hot sun, bartering eggs for oil, and selling homemade chiles rellenos and tostadas so her family could make ends meet. Her father, a beloved teacher earning just $10 a month, modeled hard work every single day.

By 13, Vilma was waking up at 5:30 every morning to walk to her job at a bakery. She already knew her calling: "If you give me stones to sell, I will sell stones! It was my thing!"

She came to the U.S. at age 16 — and never looked back. She learned English, pursued her education, became a flight attendant at 30, opened a clothing store in Hollywood, ran a travel agency, and managed apartment properties. When she met her husband George — who had a small garage-based label company — she saw exactly what it could become.

Together, they built American Non Stop Label into a full-scale manufacturing operation in Ontario, California. Today, they have 40 employees, serve major retailers like Costco and Target, and manufacture their own paper to produce labels — a true differentiator in the industry. They attend technology expos in Europe twice a year. And when COVID hit, they never laid off a single employee.

Vilma also gives back across borders — she bought 200 chicks for young girls in Guatemala so they could start earning income by selling eggs. Because, as she says: "How I would have liked to encounter a person who could have helped me at that age!"

Her advice: "Never give up. You have to love what you do. If not, you won't go far."