Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paula Tejada, Owner of Luxurious Design Co., located in Pasadena, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I create care package stickers in the hope of making each box more personal and making people find ways to show love through the distance. And with that idea, LuxuriousDesignCO was born. It has since evolved into a business with me creating and designing every pattern from scratch on my own. I have spent countless hours developing and creating my ideas, searching for the best materials. I hope that with each package my clients send, I can help them send a little love throughout the hardship of being away from loved ones. I also support small businesses by aiding in their logo design and creating product labels, packaging, and promotional materials to start their journey as a unique, small-owner business like mine.

Tell us about yourself

I was a single mom, homeschooling my daughter and without a job in the middle of a pandemic. I was dating a military member who was deployed at the time, and in my desperation to help us get through that trying time, I started to think about ways to simplify care package decorating to maximize time while keeping my care packages personal. I'm now a military wife who knows how hard a deployment can be and how it can wreck havoc in the family, but care packages bring hope, excitement, and so much love. Bringing families the feeling of closeness is my motivation each day. It inspires my work and the fuel to create better products each day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment has been the financial independence my business has provided for me and the ability to work from home while caring for my children. But, also the success behind creating a business as a single immigrant mother who's deaf and had no support system in the middle of a pandemic is something that brings me a lot of pride.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Balancing time between family life, leisure, and work. Over the years, I've learned discipline and created boundaries/rules to keep my work from taking over all my time as it used to at the beginning, but it is something I'm still working on.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Make the leap would be my first tip. Those fears behind it won't start disappearing until you put things into motion.
  2. Find your uniqueness and harness it. Use that creativity towards your brand.
  3. Do what you love and not what you think others want. This is how we succeed! This is how a business flourish with the fire/passion brought to it. Use that.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

After the success of my designing business, I decided to start a second business using my patterns to create a line of baby products. I will also be retailing baby products from other businesses to support their journey and contribute to their brand. The sky is the limit for visionary, passionate, and creative entrepreneurs. Don't wait to start, do it today.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuxuriousDesignCO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luxuriousdesignco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxuriousdesignco/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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