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

Alright, Valerie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

My first consignment client came from a DM on Instagram. They saw a post about my services, and reached out inquiring about how the process worked. At this time, I only had 1 client which was a good friend of mine. I didn’t have a contract in place, no real system of how everything was going to work, I was just trying this whole consignment thing out with a friend who gave me the opportunity to sell her clothes. I decided to run with it and let everything fall into place. Once I had my first non-friend client, more began to reach out little by little and that is when I created an agreement, payment schedule, inventory system, etc. Also, I began to invest in small purchases for my business; rolling rack, steamer, mannequin, storage crates, etc. I never thought I would be making money selling secondhand clothing.

Valerie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Valerie, owner of Sunnylish; my online consignment boutique and closet name you can find me by on Poshmark, Depop and eBay. The name Inspired by my son, Sonny and my love for stylish finds, Sunnylish officially launched August 2022. I started out as a Boho Style Boutique selling women’s clothing & accessories while I was reselling/offering consignment services on the side. My consignment business started to take off so I decided to list my consignors inventory on my website. One common theme I notice with all my clients is that everyone has clothes they want to try selling but they don’t have the time. I help take that task off their hands. I think what sets me apart from other consignment shops is that I get to know my clients and work with them more on a one on one basis. I am most proud of the creativity I have put into my business. When most people hear thrift or secondhand, they think of a mish mosh of clothing, no style. For Sunnylish, my goal was to bring style to secondhand clothing! Content days are my favorite! I love getting creative with seasonal styles and am so grateful for all of my girlfriends who have agreed to model for me. Currently, I offer consignment services to those in the local Las Vegas area with the goal to expand in the future. I would like to sum this up by saying if you have an idea but you aren’t quite sure how it’s going to work out, don’t sweat the small stuff, just go for it! One of my favorite quotes, “What if I fall? Oh, but darling, what if you fly?”- Erin Hanson.

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

In 2020, I decided to completely pivot my consulting business to e-commerce. The main reason why I made this move was because a big portion of my income came from launching brands into brick and mortar stores, and when the pandemic hit, those stores were closed and where was everyone shopping, online. E-commerce was an area I saw consistently growing and I wanted to learn more. Pivoting is scary because you don’t really know how it’s all going to turn out, but it’s so much better than staying put. You never know until you try!

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

During the same time I decided to pivot my consulting business, I had a new role that I was preparing for, called Mom. I had my first baby, Sonny in 2021. There is no class, book, or advice that will prepare you for motherhood. There are so many different emotions you go through when becoming a new mom. Of course you feel the joy & happiness of this little being you and your partner created. But you also feel lost, alone, tired, wondering how you are going to take on this new role of mom + everything else you have going on. I didn’t grow up being around a lot of babies so everything was brand new to me. The first year was definitely challenging, and it really took me some time to figure out my mommy role while continuing to build my business. There were plenty of times when I felt like giving up and major mom guilt like I shouldn’t be trying to build a business because I’m a mom now. BUT building & creating is what I love and am truly passionate about so why couldn’t I do what I love + still be an amazing mom to Sonny. As time went on, things got easier and challenges I once had were no longer there. I refused to let self-doubt get the best of me. Resilience is rising above no matter how difficult and becoming the person you are meant to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sunnylish.com
• Instagram: @shop_sunnylish
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/valerielozano
• Other: www.poshmark.com/closet/sunnylish

Image Credits
Photography by Amy Lynn