Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Gonzales
Crystal, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been in the corporate world my whole career and around 2022 I began to get an itch to do something creative. The universe started really giving me signs and pushing me to leave the corporate world and telling me to build something for my kids and I. I am a mom of two and when I had my second baby in 2018, I fell in love with finding fun items for him to wear such as fun styles and designs. As he grew older it became a hobby that we did together, him and I. We would find fun designs and because he dealt with skin sensitivities and ran really hot in most clothing, bamboo was a fabric that we loved for him. Bamboo is hypoallergenic, making it suitable for people with skin sensitivities and it’s also a fabric that can easily be worn all year round as it’s very breathable. In 2022 I started doing research in how to start a clothing line and it was easily one of the craziest things I had done. I was leaving the security of a 9-5 to build something out of nothing. I officially launched at the end of 2023 and we have continued to grow little by little. It has not been an overnight success but more so a slow climb.
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?
I don’t think any small business owner can say it’s ever a smooth road. My first launch, my family members were the ones that mostly purchased (and thank God for them or I would’ve had no sales lol). The next several launches, while we did begin to gain more traction, we were only selling a very small amount of our inventory. It’s still an uphill battle at times being able to sell but it has gotten a lot better. There has been drops where I just literally cry because we just didn’t sell enough and I think behind any small business there is always fear of not succeeding. How you handle that and keep going is what matters.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of being able to build a clothing line from having no fashion background and no knowledge of how to even start a clothing line. I made a lot of mistakes along the way but I have learned so much. I come from a background of poverty and being latina in a world that does not set us up to succeed has been hard. I have taken my own money and have been able to build a beautiful business alongside my kids. I think what sets my business (& me) apart is that not only am I really creating an amazing, great quality product but I value every single one of my customers. They’re support does not go unnoticed and I think they feel that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mandwally.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandwally/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandwally/
