We recently connected with Sarahi Lopez Rivera and have shared our conversation below.

Sarahi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “Where there’s a will theres a way” at least once in our lives, am I right? When Cositas sprouted just as a possibility to get myself busy, I remember dreaming about a moment where this business opportunity could provide for our family or at least see some profit before the year mark. As I sat last night anxious to grow the business into a new level and frustrated by the timelines, I couldn’t see clear where it all started.

There was a time in my life when everything was so uncertain I couldn’t focus on the day to day choices. I wanted so bad to be “successful” and to “reach success”, that I couldn’t do anything to “make it there”. My desperation grew to such an extent I was diagnosed with anxiety, and depression wouldn’t let me get up from bed. Although I haven’t been “cured” from these, after much therapy and self work, it took years for me to realize that success is getting up from bed and choosing to live that day. However it comes, with ups or downs, rainy or sunny weather. From where I stand today I’d like to say success is all the daily decisions and collections of little steps that I get to choose everyday. There is success in starting small, there is success when the goal changes and I believe they’re still success in the midst of hard nights and struggles.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up I always remember finding ways to build some business venture wether that be making bracelets, macrame braids, drawings, paintings, anything! Fast forward to 2022 I had a difficult pregnancy and had to resign from my job. Being the entrepreneur I always considered myself to be, I was looking for an excuse to start something new.

Cositas was born out of my passion for styling sunglasses and the compliments from strangers that kept backing up this crazy idea I was cooking up on my head. Without having a plan and not really knowing where this would take me, I scheduled my first pop-up market on November 2022. The support I received and the excitement I got to witness on every customer once they wore one of our sunglasses was the confirmation to keep on going.

Without knowing it I was covering the need for Seattlellites—and Washingtonians to find and experience functional, retro-contemporary sunglasses in person while supporting a local business.

I truly take pride in my sourcing and transparent manufacturers, It is hard work and takes me countless hours to source and find each item and each design I bring to Cositas. However, it’s all worth it when I receive the feedback and see how happy it makes whoever gets the chance to stop at our booth.

I’d say I do this just for the sake of style, but in reality Cositas always manages to speak the language of my heart. The instant serotonin it brings the customers is the one thing that keep me going and the one thing that makes Cositas grow everyday. We started with a handful of accessories, now we have grown into almost 20+ styles of sunglasses, hair accessories and our most recent (branded) eco-conscious crossbody bag—next stop, Cositas branded sunglasses!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a moment where Cositas was a hobby I’d dust off around Christmas time (for 2 consecutive years) to hand make acrylic christmas tree ornaments. It was working for the moment, I had fun and enjoyed it a lot! Realized it was mostly a Seasonal gig and didn’t really seem sustainable back then. Not knowing I would have to resign my job before Christmas season, somehow I found myself pivoting a few months later into what Cositas is today.

I have the honor to say Cositas has been in moments, our primary source of income and no longer a hobby for extra cash. I never knew or imagined this could be possible! Don’t be scared of pivoting, it might change your life!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Without a doubt, pop-up markets. I was making some sales to relatives on instagram and Facebook beforehand but it wasn’t until I got the opportunity to at least be part of 1 or 2 markets monthly that both the account and soon returning clients started to grow. Showing up to the market is really the easy part, but I believe it takes genuine engagement and connection to generate new clients. Many times, is not just the product you’re selling but also the business identity that you get to carry as a vendor.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.cositasbysarahi.com
• Instagram: @cositasbysarahi