We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Cortez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

Running a business alone can become very exhausting; from being the only seamstress, designing new products, answering customer service questions, packing orders, posting photos on social media, to dealing with suppliers and ordering materials to keep the business going smoothly. Like anyone else, sometimes I find myself in need of a pick-me-up or a positive affirmation to get me through times when I’m feeling mentally drained. Recently, I was feeling a bit wearied and motiveless so I went on a weekend drive to browse at a few local shops. During my outing, I received a notification for my business page saying that someone had posted to the online community group. Upon opening the page, I found that one of my return customers had posted their collection of Simply M. seatbelt bags; displaying a collection of over 25 bags! My jaw dropped at the sight of their wonderful collection and it turned my entire mood around! I couldn’t believe that someone was collecting my bags, I never dreamt of the possibility. Although it was posted over a month ago, I am still riding on that energy- it made me step back and admire how far I have come and how my business has grown from the day I started. It made me feel very grateful and was a boost of motivation to keep going; because at the end of the day, I’m making people happy by making their seatbelt purse dreams come true!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Growing up, I recall watching my grandma sew on large industrial sewing machines. I was always awestruck by the clothing and accessories she made. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to learn from her, but my longing to sew remained. At the age of 23, my mom and I began making roses out of seatbelts and selling them to friends and family; officially establishing “Simply M.” When I moved to Michigan for Graduate school in 2019, I took my seatbelts with me and continued to sell roses to help me pay for college. Through the months, I not only made pin backed roses, but I made seatbelt rose bouquets for special events from holidays to weddings. However, as time went on and I established a fanbase, my clients began to request more items: bows, coin purses, and makeup bags- so I saved up for a sewing machine, and with help from my dad, we purchased a sewing machine and I taught myself how to sew. Surprisingly, sewing came natural to me and I spent the rest of my academic career managing my small business while studying- making a living on small seatbelt accessories. Upon graduating, I made the decision to manage Simply M. full-time and expanded my product range.

Now, I not only make roses that last forever, but I’ve expanded my line to include seatbelt bags and accessories with the ability to design and print my very own seatbelt webbing in house; providing one-of-a-kind items that can’t be found elsewhere. I strive to provide long lasting items using high quality materials that are meant to be used through every day life.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One of the strategies I’ve found most effective to grow my clientele was to take a broader view of my customers’ needs and priorities. With everything in the world becoming more costly, I have found that clients are prioritizing their money differently than when I first started my business. Through studying my customers and competition, I have learned that quality over quantity is more appreciated as it satisfies the audiences need to “get what they paid for.” Therefor, I always make sure that I rigorously test all of my hardware and triple check my workmanship before sending products to their new homes. I take the quality of my items very seriously and I believe it has been one of the key factors that keep clients not only returning to order more products but, also recommending me to friends and family.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Lately, the best source of new clients has been vendor shows and word of mouth by customers. Being that Michigan is home to the Big Three and the famous Woodward Dream Cruise, I wanted to introduce my items to the car culture in hopes of tapping into a new type of audience. This year, I began selling my items at local vendor events affiliated with car meets. I found that my items peaked a lot of interest from vehicle enthusiasts and they were particularly attracted to the ability to create a custom item that matched their car. These shows resulted in an influx of new media followers and customers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplymadelaine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2000811680059957/?mibextid=c7yyfP
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/simplymadelaine/

Image Credits
Grand Canyon photos- Ryze Artistry Customer submissions: Joanne Campau, Mandy Burns, Chrissie Deeter, Sara Yeoman