Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Valdez.
Hi Alexis, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having my own business. The thought of working for someone for the rest of my life just didn’t sit right with me. I always knew I wanted more in life rather than just going to college and seeking a 9-5 job once I graduated. After I graduated high school in 2017, I made a promise to myself I was going to graduate college but also work on building my dream life. In my freshman year of college, I was attending college full-time and I was working late night shifts as a server. During this time, I decided to save my checks and I invested them in my first online business, Pink Vanity Cosmetics. I began by offering silk lashes and slowly expanded my business by selling eyebrow pencils and makeup sponges. Growing up, makeup has been a strong passion of mine as well as being self-employed. I decided to combine my two passions in one and with lots of hard work and consistency, I was able to grow my brand. In 2018, I began to work two jobs, I attended college full-time and was still running my online website.
Unfortunately, with so much at once, my business became distant and almost forgotten. In 2019, I decided to get back to where I left off. Except for this time, I decided I was going to start from the beginning. I not only wanted to sell quality lashes, but I wanted to offer affordable fashion. It was in May of 2019 where I launched my first online boutique, Pinkville Apparel. Now, it has been over a year since I have launched my online boutique and it has slowly been growing. I have been so blessed and thankful to have my boyfriend, family, and friends supporting and cheering me on. And most importantly, I am thankful to anyone who has ever referred my boutique, shared it on social media, or has ever purchased from me. It’s people like this who encourage me to not give up on my dreams and to stay focused on my end goal; to be self-employed. Today, I am a 21-year-old Latina who is proud to say I will be graduating college and fulfilling my dream of being my own boss. As I enter my last year of college, I hope to inspire other young women that anything is possible. Regardless of what others may think of your dreams, it’s important to chase after them. Do not allow other opinions to control your life and always stay true to yourself.
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?
From an outsider’s perspective, it appears that I have it all together. I’m going to college full-time, working full-time, and working on growing my boutique. But, the public doesn’t get to see the back end of things. I want to be as transparent as possible and tell you that things do not always go according to plan. There are moments where I begin to doubt whether I will reach my end goal of making Pinkville Apparel my full-time job. I have found that one of the biggest struggles is investing so much money in products that end up sitting on the shelves. As a small business, these negative financial impacts can set us behind in buying and offering new products to our customers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Pinkville Apparel?
Pinkville Apparel is Latina owned business that offers affordable fashion and quality cosmetics. Compared to other brands, we love to offer stylish basic pieces that can be worn year-round. We believe that basics are a girl’s best friend; you can dress them up or down and wear them day or night. Pinkville Apparel is proud to share that we don’t believe in using animal fur as lashes and don’t support animal testing. Pinkville Apparel offers quality silk eyelashes that can be worn up to 20-25 times if cared for properly. We want our customers to feel confident in what they wear and embrace their beautiful selves.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
If you are interested in supporting Pinkville Apparel, you can follow our Instagram or visit our website. It is always a pleasure to collaborate with other brands and brand ambassadors. Pinkville Apparel enjoys working as a team and can be reached via email at [email protected] or through direct messages on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Pinkvilleapparel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkvilleapparel/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXOQ3LXNOu6F8yMNB7nO2Hw
Image Credits
Alexis Valdez
