Today we’d like to introduce you to Natali & Andrea Lemus.
Hi Natali & Andrea, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Treat Yourself started as a way to relieve the separation anxiety that my mom, my sister and I were struggling with in the midst of social distancing. We began by sending each other self-care gifts to encourage ourselves to find self-love moments at a time where our brains were so distressed with the unavoidable fear of not knowing when this was going to get better. What started as a little box filled with face masks and other beauty products, soon turned into silky satin robes and pillowcases handmade by our talented mother who’s a very gifted fashion designer. One day, I arrived at her house and she’d created a gorgeous satin robe with feather sleeves that made us feel absolutely glamorous at home. As soon as I tried it on, the world felt colorful again, suddenly being quarantined wasn’t so bad after all. That’s when it all clicked: if this had made us feel SO much better, then we could help other women overcome their anxiety. We had to make good use of our time and talents and our newly-born brand “Treat Yourself” was the key. After selling a few items to our close friends and receiving such a positive feedback, Treat Yourself started growing really fast: women were loving it and so were we! A friend talked about our brand to another friend, and so on and so forth, until it turned into a formal business and our full time job! We´re extremely grateful for this wonderful community that we’ve created, they not only saved us, but has given us the opportunity to help so many other women out there.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’re not going to sugar-coat it; It’s been a struggle getting to where we are now. Since my sister and I are both lawyers, we had to learn about so many different areas. The hardest part has been understanding how a business works: addressing shipping issues, customer service, accounting, taxes and even how to balance our relationship as a family. There’s still so much to learn, but I don’t think it ever stops… it comes with the job. But looking back, and seeing how much we’ve grown, it makes all of those days and nights of self-doubt, absolutely worth it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a team of mom and daughters who all make Treat Yourself happen! Our mom is the head designer, and both my sister and I are in charge of everything else, from shopping for fabric, cutting, ironing, packaging, shipping… the list goes on and on. Sometimes we all have to switch areas and help one another, so at the end of the day it’s just us three doing everything. We´re incredibly proud of ourselves for having the courage to leave our 9-5 job and comfort zone. Starting a business is so scary, but doing it and not giving up has been our greatest achievement. Treat Yourself is the most important thing for us, it has helped us strengthen our mental health and navigate these trying times with so much ease. To the point that every single piece that we make, is made with great attention to detail and much love because we want you to feel special when you open your package. That’s the Treat Yourself experience, feeling beautiful, healthy and loved.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
That all our products are handmade by just the three of us! It’s done with such care, that it surprises people to learn how small the business actually is. They think that we have a huge team of people working for us, but no, it’s just us!
Contact Info:
- Email: treatyourselfkit@gmail.com
- Website: https://treatyourself.com.mx/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treatyourselfkit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treatyourselftj
Image Credits:
Treat Yourself
