We recently connected with Stephanie Rodriguez and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

We opened our business to create a more inclusive workspace for Yamel, my business partner. After she graduated with an associate’s degree in Fashion Merchandising,  did multiple internships and applied for numerous jobs within her field, she was never extended an offer. Through networking, she later found out that some of the people hired for positions she applied for had fewer qualifications than her. After job searching for a few months with no luck I said “if you can’t find a job let’s create one” and that is how we started But Wait There’s More.

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 wanted to break out of the corporate world and help Yamel in the process of finding a job within her field. We both were very interested in fashion from a very young age and wanted to create a stylish and affordable brand. We created But Wait There’s More which offers quality fashion pieces that will generate numerous outfits for different occasions throughout the seasons, unlike trendy fast fashion that goes out of style quickly. We are most proud of taking that leap of faith to start our small business against all odds that have come our way.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I met my co-founder/business partner back in 2007 while we were both in high school, we had mutual friends in common but didn’t really become close until after her spinal cord injury accident. We started spending more time together in school during lunchtime when I would help feed her lunch. After high school, we stayed in contact which blossomed into this beautiful friendship that turned into a business partnership.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had a pivot in my career and lifestyle when I decided to leave my job of 8 years as an administrative assistant to open our business and become a flight attendant within days of each other. We opened our business and I left for training within a week, leaving everything in the hands of my business partner. It wasn’t the easiest path to take but it was the right choice for us at the time and for me career-wise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopbwtm.com
• Instagram: @shopbwtm
• Facebook: @shopbwtm