I'm sure many if not most of you have either heard of Whimsy Tails or seen pictures of those adorable mermaid and shark tail blankets (and now mermaid swaddles and swimwear!) floating around the internet and social media. If by some miracle you haven't seen them, you NEED to check them out, trust me. I'm lucky enough to be friends with the creator and owner of Whimsy Tails, Alexia Sotelo. Our moms were best friends before we were born, so naturally we were friends from the womb and preschool besties. During our grown-up years I was lucky enough to have Alexia take all our family photos when she lived in California. Yes, she's an amazing photographer too!
Alexia grew up in Redondo Beach and Torrance, California dancing her ballerina feet off. She met her husband Jeff at BYU where she studied Marriage, Family, and Human Development and Psychology. They've been married for 10 years and have three cute kidlets: Tyson (8) and twins Layla and Kira (5). I have never seen a pregnant mom of twins look as amazing as Alexia did by the way. Criminal, I tell you. They've lived in Utah for the past four and half years, but she still considers herself a California girl through and through.
I admire Alexia so much for following her dreams while being a busy mom to three small kids, particularly since finding and pursuing a passion is something I think about often and still struggle to incorporate in my own life. I asked her a few questions about how she found her passion, mustered the courage to start two businesses, and what advice she has for moms who are still searching for their dream. She had a lot of encouragement to share and it's refreshing that someone as multi-talented and beautiful inside and out as Alexia is also so down to earth and relatable.
How and when did you find your passion for photography? Were you self taught or did you learn from someone?
My passion for photography came after my first child was born. I remember wanting to purchase an entry level DSLR camera to have nicer quality photos of my son. I quickly became obsessed with documenting and found myself staying up way too late researching everything I could find on the internet that would teach my about my camera and photography. There is so much information out there. With the information I was able to find on the internet coupled with a lot of trial and error, I was able to teach myself how to use my camera and Photoshop.
How and when did you find your passion for sewing? When did you know you wanted it to be more than a hobby?
Like photography, I found my passion for sewing after my twin daughters were born. I remember seeing so many cute things on Pinterest for little girls and when I would click on them it would take me to a DIY tutorial or blog post. I remember thinking how great it would be to be able to make all of these cute things I kept seeing. There are so many creative and talented people out there. I was so amazed. My mom had an old sewing machine she never used so I asked her if I could have it and once again I started staying up way too late searching for tutorials and blog posts and YouTube videos about sewing. I have the type of personality where I can obsess over one thing until I feel like I have gotten a pretty good grasp on it. I never really wanted sewing to become more than just a hobby. I had many friends and family encouraging me to open an Etsy shop but it just wasn't something I was really interested in.
Tell me a little about the creation of Whimsy Tails. Where did you get the idea and how did you decide to turn it into a business? What steps did you take?
A few days before my twin daughters turned four, I saw a quilt a sewing friend of mine made and I remember thinking how beautiful it was. It reminded me of fish scales. My daughters recently saw The Little Mermaid for the first time and they loved it so I got to thinking how it would be pretty neat if I could make them a mermaid quilt for their birthday. We were actually at the movie theater when all of these ideas were coming to my head so I started writing notes in my cell phone so I wouldn't forget.
That night I went to Joann's and bought fabric to start on their quilts and by morning I came up with a mermaid blanket/sleeping bag. My girls LOVED their blankets. I took a photo of them and posted it on my FB and IG pages and got an overwhelming response from my friends and family. Many were asking if I would make them one. Everyone was so encouraging and supportive and telling me I needed to start selling them. It was pretty overwhelming but with all the encouragement I decided to create a website using a free Big Cartel template and within two days I had a website up and was taking preorders on the blankets. Within a few hours I had already sold about 40 blankets so I had to stop taking orders. I was so scared I wouldn't be able to make that many by the time they needed to ship. One of my friends shared my website on her FB page and it went viral. It was nuts. I ended up with an inbox of over 200 emails of people asking how they can order a blanket. That's when I knew I needed to figure something out and turn this into a business. I knew there was no way I could sew these blankets myself and needed to find help.
I had no idea what I was doing or where to start. I googled local sew shops and manufacturers and found one about 30 minutes from my house. I set up an appointment and met with them the next day. With the money I made from the preorders I sold I purchased all the fabric and materials needed to make the blankets. I made the first 40 blankets myself while trying to get everything in place with the local manufacturer to start sewing all future orders. It took a couple of months but when I was comfortable with how things were working out with the manufacturer I opened up preorders again. I took preorders and used that money once again to purchase all the fabric and materials needed to make my next batch of blankets.
My parents actually loaned me $8,000 dollars to start my business if I needed it but I never used it and paid them back right away. By doing preorders I was able to use that money to start my business and not ever touch any of our personal money or savings or my parents money. Eventually I made enough money to not have to sell my blankets as preorders and have a room in my house full of inventory. That didn't last long though. My manufacturer wasn't able to keep up with the orders I was receiving and I had to start selling as preorders again. Luckily, my customers didn't mind waiting but it made things pretty stressful. I wouldn't say I am naturally business minded so I had to really learn and teach myself as I went. It was pretty scary.
That night I went to Joann's and bought fabric to start on their quilts and by morning I came up with a mermaid blanket/sleeping bag. My girls LOVED their blankets. I took a photo of them and posted it on my FB and IG pages and got an overwhelming response from my friends and family. Many were asking if I would make them one. Everyone was so encouraging and supportive and telling me I needed to start selling them. It was pretty overwhelming but with all the encouragement I decided to create a website using a free Big Cartel template and within two days I had a website up and was taking preorders on the blankets. Within a few hours I had already sold about 40 blankets so I had to stop taking orders. I was so scared I wouldn't be able to make that many by the time they needed to ship. One of my friends shared my website on her FB page and it went viral. It was nuts. I ended up with an inbox of over 200 emails of people asking how they can order a blanket. That's when I knew I needed to figure something out and turn this into a business. I knew there was no way I could sew these blankets myself and needed to find help.
I had no idea what I was doing or where to start. I googled local sew shops and manufacturers and found one about 30 minutes from my house. I set up an appointment and met with them the next day. With the money I made from the preorders I sold I purchased all the fabric and materials needed to make the blankets. I made the first 40 blankets myself while trying to get everything in place with the local manufacturer to start sewing all future orders. It took a couple of months but when I was comfortable with how things were working out with the manufacturer I opened up preorders again. I took preorders and used that money once again to purchase all the fabric and materials needed to make my next batch of blankets.
My parents actually loaned me $8,000 dollars to start my business if I needed it but I never used it and paid them back right away. By doing preorders I was able to use that money to start my business and not ever touch any of our personal money or savings or my parents money. Eventually I made enough money to not have to sell my blankets as preorders and have a room in my house full of inventory. That didn't last long though. My manufacturer wasn't able to keep up with the orders I was receiving and I had to start selling as preorders again. Luckily, my customers didn't mind waiting but it made things pretty stressful. I wouldn't say I am naturally business minded so I had to really learn and teach myself as I went. It was pretty scary.
Were there certain people in your life whose confidence and support convinced you to follow your dream of starting your own business? Were you ever nervous or scared about putting yourself out there? Where did you get your moxie and drive?
All of my friends and family were supportive and encouraging. They encouraged me to start my businesses when I really didn't want to. I have always been very afraid of failure and putting myself out there to fail in public was extremely frightening. Everything with Whimsy Tails happened so quickly though I feel like it didn't give me a chance to dwell on the fact that I could fail at this.
What is the hardest part about balancing motherhood and starting/running your own business? Any tips on how you do it?
I'm still working on balancing motherhood and my business. This is actually something I really struggle with and feel lots of guilt sometimes. I am always wishing I could be happy putting all my time into being a mother and a wife, but I'm just not. I have to have a creative outlet or I find myself miserable. Why can't I be happy just being a mom? I am blessed my husband has a job where I don't have to work outside the home and I can focus my time and energy on my precious little ones, yet I choose to share that time with my business.
There are days I feel extremely guilty and other days where I realize this business I have created has helped me become a better mom. When I feel like I have something of my own whether it be a hobby or a business I am a happier person which makes me a better mom and wife. Having a balance between work and home is definitely a struggle but as my business continues to grow I have learned how to balance the two. I am a morning person so I wake up before everyone else in my family which allows me a couple of hours of alone time to work on my business. My daughters are in preschool 3 days a week for 2 hours so I usually spend that time packaging orders or responding to emails.
I would be lying if I said I only worked on my business while my kids are sleeping or in school. There are many many times I am working on my business while my kids are with me. My daughters have had to make many trips to the manufacturer to pick up finished blankets. They have had to make trips to the post office with me just about every day. They have helped me sort inventory and package orders. There have definitely been times where they have complained about this and have given me a wake up call that I need to balance work and family better. It is always a work in progress but I feel we are getting there.
I think it's great my children can see not only their father works hard to provide for his family but their mother does as well. I hope they are learning to follow your dreams and anything is possible but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
There are days I feel extremely guilty and other days where I realize this business I have created has helped me become a better mom. When I feel like I have something of my own whether it be a hobby or a business I am a happier person which makes me a better mom and wife. Having a balance between work and home is definitely a struggle but as my business continues to grow I have learned how to balance the two. I am a morning person so I wake up before everyone else in my family which allows me a couple of hours of alone time to work on my business. My daughters are in preschool 3 days a week for 2 hours so I usually spend that time packaging orders or responding to emails.
I would be lying if I said I only worked on my business while my kids are sleeping or in school. There are many many times I am working on my business while my kids are with me. My daughters have had to make many trips to the manufacturer to pick up finished blankets. They have had to make trips to the post office with me just about every day. They have helped me sort inventory and package orders. There have definitely been times where they have complained about this and have given me a wake up call that I need to balance work and family better. It is always a work in progress but I feel we are getting there.
I think it's great my children can see not only their father works hard to provide for his family but their mother does as well. I hope they are learning to follow your dreams and anything is possible but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
Do you set aside specific time for work? What limits do you set (if any)?
I haven't really set any specific limits but I try to be sure I am constantly aware of how my kids and husband are feeling. If I am spending too much of my time working I can usually tell because I start to get impatient. My kids don't necessarily act out more than usual but I start to get annoyed by little things that wouldn't usually annoy me. I have gotten pretty good at recognizing this and will take a step back and do something fun with the kids. I will put the business on hold and take the kids to lunch and the park or to a movie or to 711 to grab a slurpee and a treat. Sometimes a few hours of time away is all that is needed to get back on track.
What is your next plan for Whimsy Tails or any other business ventures in the works (if you're willing to share!)?
I wish I had a plan to share! This whole thing is still such a huge learning experience for me. I kind of just take it day by day. At this point I really don't have any big future business plans and just plan to ride out this experience as long as it will let me and is beneficial to my family.
What advice do you have for mothers who want something more in life but aren't sure what their dream is?
Growing up I never knew exactly what I wanted to be or what I wanted to go to school for. It wasn't until after having my kids that I discovered what my passions were in life. If it weren't for them I wouldn't have my love for photography and sewing. Don't feel guilty for taking time to explore new hobbies. I think sometimes we feel if we are spending time we could be with our children on our hobbies we are not being the best mothers we can be. I honestly feel this is the furthest thing from the truth. Yes, my hobbies have taken away time that I could have been spending with my children but it has also brought us together. My daughters have their own sewing machines now and love to sew and create with me.
What advice do you have for women who know what their dream is but are either too scared or too busy to pursue it?
Go for it! You will have successes but you will also have many failures along the way. Those failures will make you stronger and you will learn from them and do better the next time. I have always been afraid of failure but I have learned through my business that it's really not that big of a deal. Pick yourself back up and keep walking forward.
Thank you so much to Alexia for taking the time to share her experience turning her hobbies into passions into businesses. Isn't that the dream life? I know I'm inspired by her example and I'm sure many of you are too. Major #momsalute! I can't wait to see what she does next. Now go buy your mermaid tail blankets!
Thank you so much to Alexia for taking the time to share her experience turning her hobbies into passions into businesses. Isn't that the dream life? I know I'm inspired by her example and I'm sure many of you are too. Major #momsalute! I can't wait to see what she does next. Now go buy your mermaid tail blankets!
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