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

Laura, appreciate you joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

My landlady, Velia Chavez, inherited the property and wanted me to do something with it. The only thing I could come up with was a Christmas shop, since when I had young kids I decorated to the point that my friends would tell me I should charge to come in & see my house. I had been a bookkeeper for 33 years, had no experience with the retail business. When she gave me the go-ahead I was totally lost as to how to even start the business. With her encouragement and her generosity I was able to start at square one, not knowing what the next steps might be, but learning as I went along, Without Velia I wouldn’t be here. Without Velia I would not have made it through Covid. She has been my biggest fan and is the reason I am still here after 12 years.

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

I am the owner of Tis the Season de Mesilla, a Christmas themed holiday and gift shop. It was literally handed to me by a friend who inherited the house from a relative. Her son helped me get started in the right direction, and I headed to my first market experience, which was a real eye-opener. The shop functions with the premise that everyone deserves to have a beautiful Christmas, so we carry from low-end beautiful products to high-end items. The shop is bright, and happy, and cheerful…people come in year-round saying they need their “shot of Christmas spirit” which always makes me happy. I get to help people from all over the world, which I love. My customer’s satisfaction is by far the most important thing to me. Like any business you get your share of scrooges, but most of my customers are pretty wonderful people. When they thank me for being here it makes me so proud that I actually did this! 99.99 percent of people leave the shop really happy with what they are taking home, I love that too. I search for products people have been unable to find, I repair products that are meaningful to that person but got broken. I am not a professional restorer, but I can usually make it work for them again, The only thing that sets me apart from others is that I’m a mom and pop store, not a big box store, which is a positive and a negative at the same time,

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I first started buying for the shop I concentrated on the things I had always liked. During the first sales year I listened to customers and realized I had to shop for THEM, not for me. I didn’t like gnomes, but THEY did. I wasn’t a big nutcracker fan, but THEY were. I always keep that thought in my head when I buy at market. It’s amazing what makes people happy; I try to pick out things that people say ” I’ve been looking all over for one of these”, or “this is the perfect thing for this place in my house”. It’s always a matter of second-guessing, but it’s necessary to try to make everyone happy.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had been a bookkeeper for 33 years in my then-husband’s business. We sold the business and I was assured I would keep my job. When I had the chance to open the shop I asked the owners if I could work off-site and they said I could. Then two months before the shop opened I got an e-mail telling me I had been replaced and was being “retired”. I was pretty frantic because I knew I would need a paycheck!! But as the saying goes, when one door closes behind you, God opens another one for you. I didn’t have a choice to make it or break it. I had to make it. And I have been blessed with this shop for these 12 years.

Contact Info:

• Other: I will have to get this info from my assostant, who does all my social media

Image Credits

Adam Rodriguez, photographer, creative director, shop assistant, Social Media
Laura Romero, Owner
Dona Ana Santa (David Yaryan)