Today we’d like to introduce you to Raylene Perez.
Hi Raylene, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I got out of the military in 2019 and was going to college in pursuit of getting my bachelors in Criminal Justice. I have always wanted to start a small business of my own since I was a little kid. I remember waking up at 5 am to sell at swap meets with my dad where we would sell a bunch of miscellaneous items. My dad was a big inspiration to my business endeavors as he was always talking about starting one.
The first line of business that I wanted to experiment with was sewing baby clothes, blankets, and toys. I bought a sewing machine from OfferUp, which ended up breaking after 6 months or so. I never got passed the learning stage of sewing since the machine broke on me, but I would like to get back to it in the future. After the sewing machine broke, I was transitioning into selling boutique jewelry which to my surprise, I ended up getting a few sales on. Although I did not sell as much with jewelry, I did learn a lot of selling and marketing tactics that have truly helped my embroidery business today. At the end of 2020, around November, I just decided to go for a huge investment and bought an $11,000 embroidery machine. My mindset was kind of like, If I spent this much, I just have to fully commit to it. For the first year, it was more so of a hobby, and something that I just loved to do, and I noticed more and more people were liking the designs that I was doing. Halfway through 2021, I was able to purchase another embroidery machine and pay off the first machine I bought. I believe that when starting a business, it’s crucial to enjoy the industry you’re getting into because, for me personally, if I saw it only as a job, then I probably would not have progressed as much as it did thus far.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, not really. From drawing out designs, digitizing (term used to convert images to embroidery files), and just the entire process from start to finish, have had some struggles in each area. The worst thing always happens in the most inconvenient times. For instance, there have been several times when I would complete a 3+ hour embroidery job, and either oil from the machine drips onto the garment and becomes unfixable, or the needle sometimes makes a gnarly hole around the embroidery. I’d be lying if I said I never had an unsuccessful drop, especially with a design I spent so much time and effort into making, but I realized it’s just the nature of getting into clothing in general; you’re going to have people who like your designs and you’re also going to have people who don’t like your designs.
It’s crucial to me that I have a good work-life balance, especially with my 2 daughters. I used to think that working from home, let alone a small business, was going to be smooth sailing, but that mindset changed instantly lol. It’s a constant grind 24/7, and managing the work-at-home schedule with kids was a challenge that took some time to figure out.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I operate an embroidery business that was established in 2020. I want readers to know I truly appreciate how much they helped me grow my business. When making new products, I like releasing designs that revolve around what most of my supporters are currently into or something that can give them that nostalgic feeling. At first, we did our own designs and customs for customers, but now I primarily focus on collaborations with other artist and releasing designs of things that I enjoy. I enjoy collaborating with small artist and allowing them to put their art onto wearable products because I get to help them get the exposure that they deserve. There’s a lot of artist who I still want to work with, but just the whole-time restriction ordeal is getting in the way. What I am most proud of is that I found a business that I can truly commit to and put my everything into it. Also, I’ve been able to work from home doing embroidery, and I’m nothing but grateful for it! When I can, I do love to interact with my supporters and followers and listen to what designs they want us to release. I wish I could cater to everyone’s request, but it’s just not possible with the lack of labor power and machines that I have. Typically, I try to come out with 3-5 new designs a month, but it all depends on when I complete the prior month’s orders. On average, I would say it takes me anywhere between 2-4 weeks to complete all orders from a single drop. I always try to expedite the orders as fast as I can, and when I get another machine, I’m hoping I can bring that time of completion down to 1-3 weeks. I am are currently working on expanding this field of business so I can offer wholesale to other small businesses and artist.
Also, I pride myself in providing the highest quality of blanks/hoodies that I sell. They tend to be more on the costlier side, but nonetheless, my supporters and followers love them. I put my love and all into each piece that I embroider!
Pricing:
- Customs – $85+
- Avg Hoodie cost per design release – $50-$100
- Woven Blankets – $75+
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stitcheddownsd.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stitcheddownsd
