We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Padilla . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Since I was a little girl I always dreamed of owning my own business. It was a leap of faith that I took in 2020 to finally make it happen. I was still working in the corporate world but the pandemic left me with a lot of uncertainty in life. I was fortunate to keep my job, but so many friends and family members around me were out of jobs. I started thinking that I needed to come up with a back up plan for my family and I. Although owning my own business/store was a dream I had for many years, I do believe everything happens for a reason and it all makes sense in the end. I believe my business was started at the perfect time. I wouldn’t change it.

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?

Absolutely! This girl right here wears many hats! From mom, wife, business owner and a role in leadership at the office that I have been working in for 10 years. My passion for creating and crafting is what started SPDesignzCo. It started off when I was little and I just continued doing crafting projects for family and friends. I really loved making decorations for parties I would throw and piece outfits together by creating new wardrobe out of old clothes. I even went to AIU for a while and studied fashion merchandising. SPDesignzCo is a handmade business ran by myself. I am fortunate enough to get help from my husband in the packing/shipping area. We call him the shipping manager. LOL. From time to time my little ones step in and help add in our thank you notes. SPDesignzCo provides the freedom of helping you express yourself through apparel, drinkware and different accessories. I can also help you deliver your ideas and visions on these products as well.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I’ve always been a firm believer in not putting all your eggs in one basket. The platforms I use are Etsy and Shopify.

I started off using Etsy at the beginning of opening up my shop to get my feet wet and then opened up my own website 5 months later.

I would personally recommend using both platforms. My personal choice was Shopify to help me build my website but there are many other platforms that you can use as well.

Etsy is a great platform to start with because Etsy helps you get your products out there without you having to promote. This is very helpful, being that there are so many other responsibilities that you need to take care of within your business. With Shopify you have to make sure to hustle hard to get your products seen.

What I do really love and appreciate from Shopify is that you have the freedom to make your own rules and regulations. I think any business owner would appreciate that. Etsy on the other hand, has their own rules that you have to follow.

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

For a year and a half I actually had to miss family events due to increases in sales. I had to make sure I did not miss any deadlines. This actually was just not good for my mental health. I had to learn to accept help to make sure I could make time for my family and friends. Memories are irreplaceable.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spdesignz.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/spdesignzco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPDesignzCo