We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sandra Artiles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sandra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

My business started with the need for crew members to have their own lingo on something they would use every day. That is how I decided to start making luggage tags with wording only us knew about it. I started printing them… and making them myself. But as people liked them and I came up with so many new designs and funny stuff… I had to outsource the manufacturing. Today Funnybagtags has more than 120 designs and people in the travel industry and tourists enjoy them Al over the world.

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

I have an interior design degree and wet to school from Fashion Design as well. Always coming up with ideas and a way to make a little extra money.. I have worked in the interior design business for a while and preferred traveling the world, to what brought me to become a flight attendant. While at work I noticed that nobody had luggage tag with any funny art tat could identify what we do. Without being obvi to everyone else. And that is when it happened. I came up with Luggage tags that could be Funny and beautiful at the same time. After years of y co workers loving it.. I have brought them to other airlines having a great following in the social media platforms, an now designing stuff for general public. Gym, salons, hotels, weddings and other small businesses that want something special!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For me, 2020 was a very difficult time. And I thought it would be the end of my business. As the airlines were down and the future was uncertain. I started to put the tags very inexpensive and donated a lot to organizations related to my work so my co workers could have a little bit of happiness while going thru such challenging times, a lot of us lost our jobs, or were sent home…. Only some of us were working, So, I kept designing and figured, if this is the end, I will liquidate all my inventory as I don’t keep much but had a lot still. Just let it be. Trust that Maybe in a couple of years this will come back…. And I will design again.

To my surprise at the end of 2020, someone out of nowhere decided they wanted to buy merchandise for their 8 stores! What? I have donated so much that I had to send for more manufacturing and believe it or not that person disappeared a year later. But their stores still buy me! All I can do is thank them every day!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe that in life is about being good with your word. I have been selling the items in person for the same price for 13 or more years. When I send a delivery I follow up. I make sure People are happy. If they are a recurrent customer I always give them little extra gift with purchase. If they say their item broke. I replace it at no cost. Therefore they always come back. Always trust. They know my items are ell made and lasting.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.funnybagtags.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/funnybagtags
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/funnybagtags
• Linkedin: Www.LinkedIn.com/funnybagtags by Cukiegirl