Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Hernandez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My background is far from typical for an artist. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from college with a degree in Chemical Engineering, moved to Houston to pursue career opportunities, and worked several years as an engineer here in Houston. I’ve always excelled at math and science, so chemical engineering was a great fit for my young adult life. I enjoyed my time as an engineer, but I always felt like I wanted something more. Then covid came in early 2020. My husband and I had just had our first baby, and I was preparing to head back to the office, but a week before my maternity leave ended, the country shut down. For several months, I balanced working remotely full time while also taking care of my baby, as I lost my childcare due to the shutdown. Then, projects were cancelled, and layoffs started hitting my company. I was lucky that I wasn’t laid off, but every remaining employee had their hours cut in half to prevent further workforce reduction.
As a new mom struggling with finding herself, I didn’t know what to do in my spare time. My husband encouraged me to pursue my passion for creativity, and I started making things with my Cricut. I opened my shop on Etsy, thinking I would make a little extra cash while enjoying my hobby, and orders slowly started trickling in. By the end of the holidays in 2020, I had made way more than I ever expected. I took my profits from that holiday season and purchased my first laser, which ended up getting delivered on my daughter’s first birthday. When I ran my laser for the first time, I knew I wanted to spend my life creating art.
I hustled hard, we had our second daughter in spring of 2021, and I ended up taking a leave of absence in fall of 2021 since I couldn’t keep up between my children, my job, and my business. I was terrified to take the leap to work in my business full-time, but the leave of absence gave me a chance to see what that would look like. After a lot of encouragement from my incredibly supportive husband, I left my job permanently in early 2022, and I’ve been pursuing my business full-time ever since. Now, I have four lasers and a full woodworking shop.
Now the girl from the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, who grew up on a street named Dogwood with a beagle named Daisy (hence the name Dogwood + Daisy Studio) gets to spend her life creating art and teaching her daughters that they can do anything they put their minds to.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a business (and family) during the pandemic was incredibly challenging. I’m completely self-taught – everything design. Laser and woodworking related, I have learned myself from hours of research and working with my hands. The accounting side of business has also been a lot to learn. Perhaps my biggest challenge to this day is learning how to manage my time and balance my life between business owner and mom. I’m still working on figuring out how to juggle it all, but in the struggle of managing it, I’ve been able to expose my girls to my business and see their faces light up when they can be creative with me. There are times where running a small business is extremely tough, like during the holidays when I work 16–20-hour days, but every year, I have continued to see my business and myself grow, and it has been the best experience of my life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Dogwood + Daisy Studio specializes in custom woodworking (primarily cutting boards, coasters, and signs) and laser engraving (primarily engraved cups, mugs, and home décor). My two biggest collections are my resin charcuterie boards and my bookish lines. My resin charcuterie boards are cut, poured, and engraved by me, often in classic blue and teal ocean colors. They are popular wedding and housewarming gifts, especially for my clients who live near the ocean. My bookish lines, while newer to the shop, are extremely popular, and I have big plans to continue growing this collection in 2024. I offer engraved and UV-printed cups and mugs along with bookshelf décor for readers all over the world. Dogwood + Daisy Studio even offers officially licensed merch with authors including Rebecca Yarros, Carissa Broadbent, and H.D. Carlton.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest piece of advice would be to try out different products, techniques, etc. You never know what is going to spark your passion. I went into my business saying I would never make cutting boards or engraved cups because I thought there were too many businesses already offering those products. Now, most of my business is my cutting boards and engraved cups. I would also say to make sure your designs and products stand out. There are hundreds of laser engraving businesses that make cups and use the same designs they purchased online. Don’t take the easy way out by buying all your designs and making the same things as everyone else. Learn a design program, find your own style, and create designs that are unique to you and your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DogwoodDaisyStudio.etsy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dogwooddaisystudio
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dogwood.daisy.studio
