We recently connected with Johnny Valencia and have shared our conversation below.

Johnny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a customer success story with us?

One of of my clients had been hunting down a pair of Schiaparelli Haute Couture shoes from 2021 (I source items on behalf of my clients) and she couldn’t find them on her own. I called up 3 different places that may have had them, went through 3 different waiting lists and finally found them. The main atelier in Paris, because we have a good relationship with them, was able to expedite my order. It was very much like magic. Especially when you see the type of shoes we’re talking about, mile-high platforms with solid gold-toes.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into fashion sort of by accident – I studied first within the realm of Animal Science (I even lived on a farm) and it was the desire to get away from the farm life that I wound up in Paris. I fell in love first with fashion by way of the differing styles I’d see during my travels and I learned how to appreciate textiles and quality craftsmanship by going thrift shopping all over Europe.I want to say that this is what sets Pechuga Vintage apart from the rest- this unique way of studying not just fashion but the motives behind why we wear what we wear. There’s the love for learning that always comes first and that translates into my passion for teaching. My company is all Latino owned & operated and we’re proud to have the strongest business partnerships with women POCs based in Los Angeles and Shanghai.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Oh- that’s actually a great talking point : social media. The biggest tip I have for newbies is : experiment, try anything and everything out. There’s this big fear that everyone is judging your every move online but that’s just not true- you’re lucky if you get at least one reaction let alone a *negative* reaction from a netizen. It’s only through experimentation that you’ll find your online voice. And then have fun, be yourself, remember to engage with other users. Post other’s contents when you can and tag everyone involved, if your content isn’t going viral just yet, just wait. Post consistently! And analyze what hits.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Great customer service (I was inspired by Zappos actually, if you can afford to do free shipping do it!), honesty, no need to lie to make a sale, your clients will appreciate you being 100% honest with them upfront, you’ll get repeat clients that way, and presentation. I sell luxury goods and I make sure that the item is packed nicely, don’t skimp on the details. A hand written thank you card goes a *long* way! Trust me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pechugavintage.com
• Instagram: @pechuga_vintage
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/yonnivalencia/
• Other: TikTok @pechuga_vintage

Image Credits
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