We recently connected with Laura Arellano and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Being stubborn for starters, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has reached their goals who has taken “no” for an answer or who gave up after the first try. I believe that having an understanding and acceptance that you will encounter obstacles and failures along the way but doing your best to not only to overcome them, but to also not let obstacles and failures define you, which goes back to being stubborn. I think a big part of how successful someone can be is making connections and networking with people and showing gratitude to those whom helped you along your path and show unwavering support for your livelihood. Lastly, I think success comes to those who truly enjoy what they’re doing, it brings fulfillment, satisfaction and happiness to their lives. Like the saying goes: “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m just a kid from Chicago, the city where I was born and raised and also where Blue Betties Boutique got its start in 2009. I started sewing when I was a little girl. My grandmother would make clothes and I would help her, the time I spent with her and learning from her really made me fall in love with making clothes. I attended the International Academy of Fashion design where I got my degree in fashion and merchandising where I honed my craft that eventually led to me starting Blue Betties Boutique.

I specialize in women’s clothing and jewelry and home decor. What sets me apart from the next person is I combine aspects of my culture with my personal style. I was raised in a Mexican household and I love the rockabilly styles of the 1950s.

I also host classes where I teach people how to make jewelry such as earrings, necklaces and even rosaries. With the classes, I make it fun and encourage those who participate to be as unique as possible and to let their personalities come out in what they make.

My proudest moments are moving my business from Chicago to San Antonio and surviving the pandemic. Being able to still say that Blue Betties Boutique is thriving and not surviving is what I want people to take away from this.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As I had mentioned prior, I’m originally from Chicago and that’s where Blue Betties Boutique got its start. I had my storefront for many years but eventually I felt like the business plateaued. That plus other factors led to the decision to pack up and move to San Antonio. I didn’t have family, friends or connections in San Antonio, and when you are relocating like that, it can feel like starting over again. I had to establish a presence, build a book of business, get familiar with the landscape of an industry in an entirely new market after having been in Chicago my entire life. I would participate in vendor events around the city where I can set up a booth and sell some of my items. They helped establish brand awareness and start networking plus it was something I did frequently back home so it made adjusting to a new city easier. Then came the pandemic and all the momentum I built came to a grinding stop. It was a gut punch that I’m sure everyone felt but I had to change my approach so I decided to design masks and sell them. The masks really helped keep Blue Betties around throughout the pandemic. Once things started to return to relative normalcy, I was able to get my own studio space and set up shop again. I don’t think I would’ve gotten back to where I am if I didn’t just keep moving.

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

Being friendly, personable and transparent. Everything with a Blue Betties label was made with love and a bit of my personality and I think that allows for what I make to resonate with people. Often times, the objection I get from women when they see a skirt I designed or jewelry I made is it won’t go with their body-type. We all have our insecurities and I do my best to make all my clients feel comfortable in their skin and empowered when they try on my clothing. I design clothes for every woman, whether size 6 or size 16, 5ft tall or 7ft tall. Everyone wants to feel good in what they wear and I built my reputation on making them feel good in what I design.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/bluebetties
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluebettiesboutique
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/laura-arellano-a8b3174a
• Twitter: twitter.com/bluebetties