We recently connected with Gabriella Cristan and have shared our conversation below.

Gabriella, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

I currently manage all of our social media accounts myself. From posting on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and even on Tik Tok it can be exhausting. Although it is very stressful I feel it is so important to be posting across all the platforms. I do have a passion for creating content and connecting with our followers but it can definitely be overwhelming at times. My advice would be to not get discouraged when it comes to engagement or growth, it takes time.

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

It all started when I was a recent college graduate looking for a job during a global pandemic. I had such a hard time finding a job and I needed to figure out my next step.

I thought about the things I loved and what makes me happy. So many things came to mind but staying at home with my dog is definitely on the top of my list. I thought to myself, “Why not start a dog boutique!” I noticed moms that would match with their babies and I consider my dog my baby so I thought why not!

I made sure to do my research and took my time before becoming operational. We launched in July of 2021 and ever since then we have grown each month. We started with handmade dog bandanas, dog toys, and t-shirts. We have grown since into more boutique clothing for women and developing a variety of bandanas in different styles.

I would say my biggest motivation is finding new ways to help my dog cope with her anxiety. We now offer licking mats which helps them stay calm during storms or even a firework show. I hope to continue finding ways to help my dog and others with anxiety.

We love attending local markets and engaging with our doggy community. I love nothing more than to see people with their little furry companions in our bandanas. I hope to keep growing and eventually open a storefront in San Antonio!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

When it came time to decide how to sell my items it was a very tough decision. You have so many options when it comes to selling anything online. I was fortunate enough to have worked on multiple Shopify websites and I felt comfortable enough to start my business there. Although it has been a challenge I am happy that I made the decision to sell my items through Shopify.

When looking at other options I did not like the idea of someone like Etsy taking percentages of my earnings on top of the listing price you had to pay. I know many people who have started on Etsy and later in their business wish they had their own online store.

You have to choose what is best for you and your business at the end of the day. What works for someone else may not work for you.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media has been tough. When you are starting a business from scratch and you are a one woman show it can be overwhelming. My biggest piece of advice is to try and stay as consistent as possible when posting on any social media platform. My second pice of advice would be to make sure you are staying engaged with your consumers/followers. Without them you will not have a business to post on social media.

You can burn your self out by trying to do too much at one time. I love having a social media day where I can collect multiple photos/videos and then schedule them out for that week. This has helped me not get overwhelmed and staying organized.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pawfectionboutique.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawfection_boutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PawfectionBoutique