Today we’d like to introduce you to Michala Paleo
Hi Michala, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was younger, I loved fashion! I loved it so much that in Middle School, I thought I would go to FIDM for college and become a fashion designer. I loved sketching dresses and different outfits all over blank pieces of paper. As I got older, the dream fizzled out until I had my first baby in 2017. After I had my daughter, I found a new love for baby fashion and wanted to find a way to share that new love with other moms. I wanted to curate a store with many of my favorite things I used for my kids. Although I initially started dreaming up the store in 2017, it wasn’t until 2022 that I finally decided to make it a reality. I was now a mom of two and finally out of the newborn and early toddler trenches, and I felt it was time to bring my passion project to life. I spent countless hours researching the ins and outs of starting an online business, finding brands that fit the store’s aesthetic and would be something I would buy for my children. Once I figured out all the hard stuff, it was time to come up with a name. Because this brand is profoundly personal and a lifelong dream, I named the store after my two children using their middle names. And then Wolf + Rose was born. We launched in August of 2022, and as I am writing this, we just celebrated our second anniversary! It’s a dream come true to make it this far.
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?
The road to Wolf + Rose was not easy. When I initially started creating the store in 2017, there was not a lot of information out there. I constantly watched YouTube videos and Googled any questions I had. I got so overwhelmed by the lack of information and fear of failure that I put it off for five years. In Spring 2022, I finally decided to return to the store and make it a reality. I spent many hours attending business school, watching more YouTube videos, and googling questions. On top of all that, many hours are spent carefully curating pieces you love, and you hope the client will love.
Between all these countless hours of researching and curating items, I was also juggling being a mom to a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old and a wife to my incredibly supportive husband. There were lots of days where I would go right back to my computer after bedtime to make sure I had filed the proper paperwork to become a legal entity, work with my designer to get the aesthetic right for the brand and website, find items to fill the store, working on packaging and all the other little but significant things you do not think of until you are in the thick of it. I cannot tell you how many sleepless nights I had because my brain constantly tried to think of everything I needed before I felt ready to launch. One of the biggest struggles I think we face is we are currently only online. While being online has benefits, the customer cannot get the whole experience and be able to touch, feel, and see the product in person before they buy something from the store. Because of this, we strive to attend as many local events as possible. We have been to the Carlsbad Street Faire in the Spring and Fall and other local community pop-up markets. We try to do as many of these as possible so our customers can see the products firsthand and experience the quality and aesthetic of our brand, hoping that they will love it just as much as we do. That is something we are hoping to change in the next few years! I would love to get us into a brick-and-mortar location at some point.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Wolf + Rose?
Wolf + Rose is an online children’s boutique specializing in baby and child clothing, accessories, and other baby and child essentials. Because this is such a personal project, I want everyone to know that I genuinely spend so much time curating pieces I love and hope they will. I also enlist the help of my children to see if what I am curating is something they like and think their friends would enjoy, too. What sets us apart from others is that this is truly a family business, which my children have watched me build from the ground up. They have attended pop-up markets and street fairs with me, so I am sure if you have seen our booth anywhere, you have seen my children. Wolf + Rose has given us so many great opportunities as a family, and I love that my children get to watch their mama live her dreams. I hope they learn that hard work and dedication make your dreams possible, even if it takes a few years to figure it out.
What I am most proud of brand-wise is how far we have come in the last two years! The support we have received from all over the country has been nothing short of a blessing! It was wild but exciting to see orders from Maine, New Jersey, Colorado, and other states I never believed would find us. I am also so proud that we have loyal customers who have bought from us multiple times since we launched. It just tells me that I am doing something right and that people enjoy our store just as much as I do.
How do you think about luck?
I’m one of those people who believes that any luck comes from you and not from things happening by chance. We all create our own luck, whether it be good or bad. I believe the role of luck has come from our ads because, without them, we would not be able to reach our target audience nationwide. I also think that word of mouth from our customers has helped us a lot along the way. So, if you have ever recommended us to friends or family, we greatly appreciate you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopwolfandrose.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopwolfandrose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopwolfandrose
