We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lissette Cortez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lissette , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The story and the meaning behind my mission, and my vision is essentially inclusivity, diversity, and celebration. Growing up, I didn’t have many role models that looked like me (that I was exposed to that is- maybe just Oprah), especially any that were/are at the “top” or being the soul owners of a company/legacy. I had always envisioned opening up a space, in any capacity, where creativity, diversity, colors, laughter, and sweet memories filled a room. Coming from a hosting background and always having family gatherings, I envisioned this space would have that touch. Of course I want people to visit our studio, my new baby, but I also want them to experience a sense of belonging and a joyful spirit! It’s important for me that people not only have a great experience, but that they also can live out the meaning behind my mission. I come from with a beautiful story, one of migration, adversity, devotion, but best of all richness and wealth in culture. In many ways, the inspiration is still feeding my mission, and I want that to continue. My mission isn’t to be the most popular paint n sip, though it has a nice ring to it. In fact, between myself and my mission, I want to seeds to be planted in our community. Life is too short to miss out on chances to connect with someone, share an anecdote, have fellowship, and simply forget about the world and just have a good time. It’s not just painting, for me it goes deep into how you feel when you are doing it and how you feel when you look at it.

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?

My name is Lissette Cortez and I was born in Evanston, but raised in Skokie. I come from two amazing parents, who happen to be high school sweethearts and I am blessed to say they are here in life with me. My dad is Mexican, and my mom is Peruvian – they’re my hero’s. I also have three older brothers, so yes, that means I am the princess! I am married to my husband Richard Garcia and I am blessed to be a boy mom to two cuties; Nicholas and Oliver. I am Latina and 100% proud! Growing up, I have always been involved in fine arts or some kind of organization – whether that be theater, playing the flute, taking a sewing class, baking, or painting for fun, Latino Club, Student Government, you name it – I was always busy. As I got older, I began to find passion in event planning, table setting, coordinating, and overall seeing a project through from start to finish. I don’t consider myself a professional artist, but I certainly enjoy having a paintbrush in hand and following steps to create my version of a masterpiece or simply creating whatever comes to mind. That being said, I learned very quickly I didn’t have to be an expert in order for my vision to come to life. I needed determination, grit, and a lot of coffee! I owe who I am and still aspire to be, to my parents and my siblings along with some amazing people I’ve met over the years – influence matters! The first time my husband and I went to a location to paint, as a random day date, (similar in concept to my now studio) it was one of our first visits and at the time it was a lot of fun! Living in Skokie, it started to become too far for me to constantly drive there so we stopped going to classes for a while, and the thought of opening up a shop was just that, a thought. I’d be lying if I said that everything was organized and I was totally prepared once I was ready to start the process of creating the business. I think in a lot of cases, that’s a very smart way of starting and very common for a lot of people. April 2024, I had extra time on my hands and quite literally I had my coffee in hand, and said what the heck am I doing? What am I afraid of? Plant the seed in Skokie. I started to look for spaces in downtown Skokie to call our own, I’ll be honest I let a little voice tell me it wouldn’t work out. Fast forward, and the ball was rolling toward my goal (that seemed very far into the future). De Colores is a paint and sip, independently owned. Our patrons register for a class on our website (www.decolores847.com) and then are welcome to bring some snacks and their drink of choice. We have an instructor that leads the class through whichever is painting/canvas of the night. Anything can happen during this timeframe, and not one class or painting is ever the same to another. Being Latina, I wanted to create a space in my own hometown, which, by the way, I am so proud to say that I come from. I wanted to showcase imagination and personal experiences through things, stories, people, experiences of my culture that I am most proud of. Everything from but not limited to painting food, painting my favorite mariachi singer, or even painting llama on a canvas – I want to normalize the idea that we can celebrate cultures and do it freely in a space I call my second home. For me it is important to make it known to people that might be considering a visit to our shop, that we want them to feel like family and not leave with a transactional vibe. I am very proud of the variety of paintings we have provided so far, but I am also most proud of the conviction that I have held with my vision. I truly believe that history and culture doesn’t have to be boring! For the men and women and our younger generation who may not feel seen or heard on a regular basis in their community, De Colores sees you!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have had to learn how to say no to certain things. What does that mean? Well growing up I didn’t know this about myself, but I became what you would call a people pleaser. I was always saying yes to everything, offering to take something to a party, offering so-and-so a ride to whichever location they had to get to, you get it. In the end, I realized I was burning myself out, but the thought of saying no to someone or something, would leave me feeling guilty so naturally I would go back and continue the same cycle. I had to unlearn that and, it has not been easy but rewarding. I’m not sure if it is a cultural thing, but I got to a point where I felt like I would be judged if I said no to attending an event, or running that errand for someone, or making a dinner or breakfast and taking it to a party. Now that I have my third baby, De Colores, I’ve had to keep in the forefront of my mind that she too deserves, and requires my utmost attention and time. Showing up and sticking out is an important piece of the puzzle. Through unlearning being a people pleaser, I have grown to have better habits and prioritize my time for things that otherwise won’t get accomplished … if I don’t do it, who will, ya know?? After all, I still myself, have a husband, two kids, a dog, family, friends, and a home to run!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

This might be a no-brainer for many companies that have built their empire, but when I realized after being consistent, with a ton of growth to be had if I may add, is that social media is the best source of new clients. What better way to get new clients and capture an audience through a free platform? Here’s the thing, you don’t just want to get on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and post something random. It has to be intentional, consistent, thought out, creative, and colorful! I have to remember that I am basically telling my viewer/audience why they should choose De Colores. What sets me apart from other companies in this industry? I would say word-of-mouth is second and somewhat tied to me going door-to-door and sending emails. At the end of the day, I don’t have to change who I am or what the company stands. However, matching the energy in which our society communicates and connects is important for me to be mindful of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.decolores847.com
• Instagram: decolores_skokie
• Facebook: De Colores Skokie
• Other: Tiktok – decolores_skokie

Image Credits

Adrian Garcia
Naomi Ortiz