Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tara Acevedo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Tyes By Tara was founded with a spark of inspiration after wearing a Halloween costume with a lacy school girl necktie. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of the soft feminine details and the strong masculine symbolism that existed in this single costume accessory. I loved it so much that went on a search to find more. I seriously looked in every department store, boutique, Halloween shop and online store at the time, cannot find anything like it. So, I decided to teach myself and make my own. I took my idea and I made it tangible by sewing several samples and I kept sewing. I kept trying new designs. I just kept working at perfecting my craft.

At the time, it was just fun. My intention was to make something that I liked and wanted to wear. But then I got laid off of my job at a hotel design firm. This was early 2009 and the economy was not that so great. So, to make money, I went Denver area salons, boutiques and even strip clubs with a little pink box full of neckties that I made and pitched them to anyone that would give me the time of day. This allowed me to get direct feedback to figure out what designs were selling. After this market research step, I was able to create a calculated range of accessories. Now it was time to figure out the packaging and price them. I have gone through several packaging options. From jewelry boxes to pillow cards to display cards. Once I finally settled on the packaging, I was able to accurately cost and calculate the gross profit. With this information, I was able to launch www.tyesbytara.com.

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?

Tyes By Tara designs and creates jewelry, accessories, and intimates to celebrate femininity. Using inspiration from music, fitness, and beauty, Tyes By Tara offers 12 different product categories that are designed to accessorize any look with a touch of femininity. Known for our classic feminine designs with a modern twist, Tyes By Tara is proud to offer and differentiate the brand with exclusive designs and handcrafted quality that transforms the accessorizing experience.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When in started Tyes By Tara the economy was in a recession. I was laid off. So I worked multiple part time jobs to keep a positive cash flow and to pay my rent. To help pay for raw materials, website hosting and camera, I sold my bedroom furniture. I remember listing it on Craigslist and thinking, “what am I doing?” But I got $650 worth of capital to put into my business and it was worth it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When it comes to building your reputation on the market, I think you have to partner with people to give you an honest, public review. I reach out to bloggers all the time to help create that social proof that is so vital today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tyesbytara.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/tyesbytara
• Facebook: facebook.com/gettyed
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tyesbytara
• Twitter: twitter.com/tyesbytara
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tyesbytara

Image Credits
TYES BY TARA, LLC