Today we’d like to introduce you to Esperanza Mesa.
Esperanza, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a little girl I always dream of Having a Children’s clothing store , in 1980 i made that dream come true, I open my store with the help of my younger Sister, this was an exciting adventure. We love it , we had our store for 15 years . In 1995 our mom got sick and she needed us to care for her , so we had to close the store . But I told myself when I am close to retirement I will open another store selling the same style clothing and with use the same name “Lisette’s Children Boutique,” and that’s exactly what I have done. We starting in Huntington Park, Ca and now relocated in Downey, Ca. I sometimes think about how long we have been in business and all the many amazing memories we have. The best part is I’m creating new ones in my store now. Since our clientele and the community has changed completely since we we first opened in 1980, I just love sharing our memories. I always find myself connected even more with our customers because there is such a great history that we carry. My desire is to encourage others and let them know if you have a dream you can make it come true because everything in life is possible. A little passion and dedication can go a long ways.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a business owner we all have our ups and our downs. Back in the 80s and 90s things were a lot different than they our now. In my line of work, parents during those times dressed their children different. It seemed as if style was all the same and had a different meaning. As a whole they dressed their children in one particular style! Things have most definitely changed in the day we live now. Style and fashion is something that’s more open. Parents dressed their kids according to how the child feels. Parents give they children the option to be themselves and find who they are. Also another big change has been social media and how you market. In the 80s and 90s there was no instagram, Facebook, twitter and more. Bringing my business back in this century Has been such a learning curve for me. But it has also been an amazing experience. Stepping back into the store owner scene has been a great deal if excitement and has taught me a lot. In order to get through you have to learn to adjust and figure out where you fit in. I don’t believe we have to change who we are, i believe we just have to change our approach. So we have built an online store and now moving further into social media and marketing! We have taking on more designers and brands from all over the world: Spain, Japan, New York, Colombia, Mexico and more! Overall I would say this has been a smooth transition, but that’s totally up to you to make it that way. There is a market for everything and this a big world where everyone can do what they love. You just have to get a plan and figure out what approach works best for you and go after it! Never give up!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are luxury unique children’s clothing store. We carry brands and designers from all over the world: Spain, Colombia, Mexico and Japan. Our children’s clothing is very high quality and ranges from Newborn to 12 yrs old. We sell clothing for every occasion: Christenings, birthdays, holidays, weddings and more. We have a physical store located in Downey, Ca and an online store www.lisettesboutique.com
What were you like growing up?
I was a happy child always with big dreams. At the age of 13 my grandfather had a small business selling jewelry, so I would buy from him a sale to all my friends on credit . I had an accounting book and receipt for payments . I always wanted to make that little extra money to be able to buy gifts for the family during Christmas. The business mindset is something that always felt apart of me and I always knew one day I would have a business of my own.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8034 Stewart and Gray Road
Downey CA 90241 - Website:www.lisettesboutique.com
- Phone: 562-381-0788
- Email: [email protected]
- Other: LCBdowney / Instagram
Image Credit:
Gabrielle Lewis
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