We recently connected with Lorena Villegas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lorena, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

A nod to my upbringing in Queens, NY, our unique boutique goes beyond being just a place to shop. Growing up in New York City –  I’ve always loved street fashion. Fashion is one of the many ways we can express ourselves. Fast fashion has become incredibly popular and affordable – but the quality is no longer there. Trends make the cheap clothing too easy to dispose of. Our goal is to extend the life of quality clothing, while supporting the circular economy which means better deals for our customers. We can be fashionable – responsibly!

We are #MorethanConsignment – our desire is to connect and give back to our community. We want to be a resource for shopping sustainably, a place to connect with other women by joining our thoughtfully curated workshops, a place where you can always find something unique at a great price.

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 a mother of a 15 year old with a career history that has taken me in all directions. It’s even moved me across the country. My background is incredibly different from Consignment. I’ve worked at non-profits, planned events within the hotel circuit and held several positions in recruiting and HR for tech startups. I just love connecting with people!

The first time I ever caught the resale “bug” was about 4 years ago when after cleaning out my closet for the umpteenth time. I decided to download a reselling app and start selling items. I researched how to sell my clothing on Youtube and discovered an entire world of resellers I never knew existed. It was a massive eye opener to what I was buying, what had value, and what was a waste of money.

I navigated the world of resale apps and found ways to connect with buyers – for example, I always sent them candy with a set of positivity quote stickers. I loved to receive notes from people thanking me for the small gesture. All of a sudden it wasn’t just a pair of jeans I’d sold – I had made a connection.

Any advice for managing a team?

My best advice is to start by ensuring your team understands how they contribute to the business.
Allow them a safe space to talk through issues directly with you and in a team setting. You want to give them space to allow them to offer advice on how to improve a process if the opportunity presents itself.

One of the best methods for this is “team wrap-ups”. A team meeting that answers three simple questions to get the conversation going.  1-Wins 2-Challenges 3-Goals. Everyone is required to fill in the three topics.

If you’re just starting your business, implementing these group chats are essential. Fostering a culture of speaking up and finding resolution can be very empowering.

I like to start my team wrap ups with “the wins.” You’d be surprised that people really struggle to come up with anything – but you have to take even the smallest things and make it a win. The second thing I’ll ask is what are the challenges? Any challenge counts.

I’ll try to offer dialogue or solutions for the quick and easy challenges on the spot and I’ll follow up on the other ones within a week (sometimes less).

The last thing we go over is setting goals for the next 30 days. Goals can be task lists or milestones depending on the professional level and during the following month meeting – we review how the goals went. I’ll ask if there were any setbacks or roadblocks. It’s a great way to reset expectations and build confidence.

My best advice is – as a leader, you have to listen more than you talk. People are willing to share, just give them the right platform so you aren’t inundated with everything gone wrong. Some people feel that helping others grow means you’ll lose them, but I feel that it builds loyalty and stronger people working with you. There’s nothing better than a strong network.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

After I’d signed my lease to the store I reached out to the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) and a friend put me in touch with Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) of Ventura County. I was assisted with creating a business plan and financial projections to apply for a business loan with WEV. A lot of the startup costs were from my own savings but a business loan has been extremely helpful especially since the terms are set up to help women and other minority classifications. I continue to partner with WEV however possible and look forward to strengthening my relationships within the entrepreneur communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ConsignQueens.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queens.exchange/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConsignQueens/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenavillegas6/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@QueensExchangeConsignQueens