We recently connected with Melina Lovera and have shared our conversation below.

Melina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope my legacy is that through my brand, podcast and blog I changed many lifes. I want to encourage others to take a chance on themselves, create something out of nothing but their imagination. I want people to remember me by my tenacious attitude, stubborn mindset and creative thinking. I want them to learn from their mistakes and never give up on their dreams. I went through a dark period in my life and instead of letting the odds stacked against me hinder me I found a way to navigate through the storm and rebuilt myself. Now, I realize the storm was the awakening of my true identity. I am an advocate for women’s rights, and nonprofit movements.

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 was born in Uruguay, which is a small country between Brazil and Argentina. My family moved to the U.S. when I was five years old, and they say in grade school, I would be sketching dresses on the desk. When I was seven, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and with no hesitation, I said fashion designer. I took my first fashion ROP class which was careers in fashion, the summer of my sophomore year in high school. In high school, I was also in costume design and was the designer for a few main stage productions. I attended Huntington Beach High School which had an amazing Academy for Performing Arts program (APA). I obtained my Associate in Science from Orange Coast College with an emphasis in Fashion Merchandising and entry-level marketing and entrepreneurship certificates. I am currently attending Cal State Fullerton, finishing my Bachelors in Public Relations with a minor in Digital Marketing.

During my time working on my degree, I interned for Show Me Your Mumu under the accessories buyer, who taught me a lot about accessories, packaging, data entry, keeping track of inventory, sales reports, and writing item descriptions back in 2018. In 2020, during the pandemic the idea of starting my own women’s empowerment brand hit me, I was having coffee with a good friend from the fashion program, and we asked ourselves if we had a chance to do it all over again, what would we do differently? I told her I would start my women’s empowerment brand; I would start with my beaded bracelet designs and expand to graphic t-shirts. I went back to the final in a retail buying class where we had to create our own brand and how I had a business plan made, and that’s how Shop Lovera started.

My jewelry line has some aspect of spiritual healing jewelry. I like to use natural stones. While I was in the beginning of my self-healing journey I learned about the seven chakras, the stones for self-love, intuition, and guidance. I incorporate these stones in my designs, rose quartz for self-love, amethysts for intuition, tiger eye, and hematite for grounding. I learned several of my chakras were blocked and needed healing, so I created the seven-chakra design and started wearing it. When I would meet someone, and I was inspired by them I would gift it to them. It was a great conversation starter. I also have angel number designs. My personal angel number is 444, which I created this line originally just for the store Adore,Temecula that carries my brand, but after seeing how great it did I started carrying those designs to popup events. I then collaborated with my mother who likes to paint art canvas using the pouring technique and for her it’s art therapy. I have tried painting myself, and although I enjoy it I am nowhere near as talented as she is! Some of her pieces are also at some of the store locations.

I am most proud of my graphic tees. I had the sun/moon eclipse with the quote “old soul, rum, rock n roll printed on it. I created this design back in 2019. It was my iPhone cover design for years. I think I manifested it to life, I was so excited when I got them printed I cried. What sets my brand apart is the uniqueness of the designs, the contributions we do to our local community, and bring empowerment and advocate for change through our designs. I like to refer to myself as an old soul modern-day hippie. Every piece is made from the heart, thoughtfully planned, reviewed, and produced and some you could argue and say are a reflection of different times of my life. I created art and turned every negative into a positive to inspire and help others feel and look their best in our designs.

Today, Shop Lovera continues to donate to the nonprofit, and I volunteer my time to spread awareness in the community about Autism. It is a cause that is very near to my heart, along with Breast Cancer Awareness nonprofits which I also have someone near to me who went through their own journey battling and surviving it, and in their honor, I created a Breast Cancer Awareness line.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

When I decided to start my business as a side hustle I began to attend Popup events and set a booth in areas like Glendora, West Covina, Lynwood, Long Beach, Anaheim etc and in the process I would network with other vendors at the events and event organizers. One day I found a DM on Instagram about a boutique that wanted to carry my brand in their store. I was so excited but I didn’t have a clue on what the requirements were and it required a lot of thinking. I remember telling my boyfriend and he came with me to the first meeting, the entire car ride I was nervous. He told me you are not afraid you can’t do it, you are afraid you can. You know if you sign the contract you can no longer play small and that is what scares you. He was right, I was trying to self sabotage. From signing that contract, a world of opportunities opened up for my brand which lead to other storefronts carrying my line. This July through December my line will be carried at the Poppi Seed Market in Irvine. My line is also carried at the South Bay Galleria Mall with Popup Shop Un Poquito de Todo Market. I am working on my most creative project and the most personal one to date. I am in the process of publishing my first book along with our new line Awaken which will be carried in both store fronts.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy is telling my story, I have met so many people by networking at events who had the right connections, advice or ways to help me as my brand grew. I met vendors who later became event organizers I worked with, I met other creatives who taught me about paying with Square app to take credit cards. One event organizer opened her store front, I did my first popup event with her in Lynwood and when I saw she opened a store front I sent an email inquiry. I have sent various applications, emails, and inquiries telling my story and what I love to do. You never know who you are meeting and in the small business community we are all very supportive of one another. I like to think we are all inner woven in this fabric called life. God always puts the right people in my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shoploveraboutique.com/
• Instagram: Beautybylovera, Shop_lovera
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melina-lovera-a3657013a/
• Youtube: Lovera’s Self Love Cup
• Other: Spotify: Lovera’s Self Love Cup

Image Credits
Robert Colon