Today we’d like to introduce you to Dezaray Hernandez.
Hi Dezaray, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I knew I was going to be an entrepreneur since I got in trouble for selling candy in 5th grade and when I got to the principal’s office, I said the teacher was just upset that kids wanted to spend their quarters on Cry Babies instead of pencils!
I am a Navy Veteran, Military spouse, and Mother of two. I joined the Military in 2008 in hopes of traveling the world and paying for college while serving my Great Country. I was stationed in Italy and was able to travel the European theater while starting my degree. In 2010 I got stationed in San Diego where I met my Husband who is now 19 years Active Duty. I transitioned out of the Navy in 2013 when I finished my Enlistment and quickly applied to college. I became a government Contractor where I continued my education and in 2016 had my daughter Isabella and finished my Bachelor’s and started my MBA.
I had my daughter in July of 2016, and in September CUTZ Vinyl LLC was born. I was in my MBA program, and the craft vinyl world was just beginning. I received my first Cricut for my birthday and realized I had found a niche market without even trying. If I was having trouble finding vinyl, I couldn’t be the only one! I took a risk, built my own website, and shared a post on Facebook, and before you know it, I had more orders to fill and ship than I knew what to do with. My husband was on deployment, and my parents stepped in and stepped up. We grew so fast we were just figuring things out as we went. By April of 2017, I had leased a space here in El Cajon. The next thing you know people were asking to come in and shop, so I created a storefront.
Supporting small craft businesses has been a dream come true. I have been able to meet some of the most creative minds in the world. There is nothing that makes me happier than sharing my journey and inspiring the beautiful minds I get to meet every day. Business comes with its challenges, but it keeps us on our toes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Business is challenging, especially when it’s small. My parents helped me start the business by putting in a lot of hours and hard work, I would not be where I am today without all of their help. I was juggling a 6-year-old son, a newborn daughter, a full-time job, a Master’s program and creating CUTZ Vinyl from the ground up, all while my husband was on deployment. We worked tirelessly to create something that would provide for my family, and I left my Contractor job in April of 2017 and put my full heart into CUTZ.
I have a close-knit group of friends that enjoy helping me be successful, and I could not do what I do without their love and support. It is amazing the friends that become family in this world and I would not trade those relationships for anything.
In 2020 I wasn’t really sure what to expect because while we provide materials for small businesses to create end products for their customers, we sell craft materials, and I didn’t know what the demand would be while the world we know was shut down.
When sports moms need no customization because all sports are cancelled, cheerleaders weren’t ordering custom bows for every occasion from their bow maker that buys our material, and people aren’t doing large gatherings and ordering shirts from our customers. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised. Even though all of the gatherings that our customers cater to were gone we were able to watch them pivot in the best way. We all survived 2020 together and came back stronger on the other side. Many people started their side hustles in 2020 because they had more time than they knew what to do with. It was by far not our best year, but it taught some valuable lessons, and we are ready to sign our next lease knowing we made it through the worst!!!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We provide materials for small businesses and crafters to make shirts, signs, cups decals, and more. We also do custom printing such as posters, banners, stickers, and heat transfers. We print a lot of branding materials for small businesses and crafters, such as packaging stickers, inserts merchandise, and logo items. I absolutely love working with small businesses in creating the ultimate packaging experience for their customers. We are the only Authorized vinyl reseller in Southern California, and we ship all over the US. Being and Authorized reseller ensures that we carry the highest quality brands such as Siser and Orafol at the best prices allowing our customers to build great businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cutzvinyl.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/CUTZVINYL
- Facebook: facebook.com/cutzvinyl
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@CUTZVINYL
Image Credits
Wendy Hooks-Kramer
