We recently connected with Nancy Nieto and have shared our conversation below.

Nancy, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I have always loved being creative; It is also a form of escape for me from the real world. I always knew I wanted to own my own business I just never really knew what exactly.

I completely stopped creating once I had my 1st daughter in November 2017. I lost myself in motherhood and didn’t really feel I had any space for me to be creative anymore. A lot happened between 2017 & 2020 including a lot of anxiety.

While about 4-5 months into my pregnancy with my 2nd daughter and also at the peak of covid I decided I wanted to learn how to sew to make tortilla warmers to sell. It was also a way to keep myself busy and distracted from everything else going on in the world. I taught myself how to sew and well that is where “El Retoñito” came to be!

The name was inspired by my daughters because that is what I would call them during both pregnancies. They not only inspired the name but are the heart of it all! I could not do what I do without them and for them!

Nancy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As mentioned previously, I have been very creative my whole life but have always tried to learn as much as I could along the way. I taught myself a lot but have also learned a lot from school. I took urban art in high school which really took me to another level. I attended community college as a psychology major but took as many art classes as I possibly could. Although, I do not have a degree, I learned a lot about techniques and mediums that I still apply in my business to this day! If I don’t know something, I will learn and will practice until I get it right. I take a lot of pride in what I do and what I can offer from collectors’ pieces to custom work. A little bit of everything for everyone.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

This idea began as a “side hustle,” I had a 9-5 working in the medical field, I was extremely burnt out and very unhappy. Having my small business really helped me keep busy and make extra income. I quickly realized I could turn this into my full time. A year and a half later I was able to quit my corporate job and focus completely on growing my business. I am so thankful for all the support not only from my family but from friends and strangers, as well. I have also had a few interviews, been on TV and also been invited to career day and business showcase at a university. My small business isn’t just that, it is also my career! I honestly could have never imagined being where I am today, I feel very blessed to have made it as far as I have, but I am not done yet!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

My main source of communication is Instagram. It makes it very easy to be able to connect not only with followers and collectors but also other business owners. I get to meet a lot of them at local markets and grow the bond thru Instagram. It gives us the space to have a better one on one interaction and allows me to be more relatable when I can share more of my everyday life on my page.

Contact Info:

• Website: tienditaelretonito.com
• Instagram: @el_retonito
• Facebook: @el_retonito