Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Lopez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ever since I was little, I have always been really into arts and crafts. I remember being little and saying I wanted to be a fashion designer when I grow up. Having notebooks full of clothes designs I came up with, but with time and as I grew older that dream kind of seemed a little far fetch. School and work took most of my time that my art was placed on the back burner.
When my little niece turned seven, I got the bright idea that I wanted to decorate her party. Hello Kitty was the theme so I rolled with it. I made these cute little centerpieces to make it look nice. Later that night I received compliments by multiple people about how great they looked and that I should consider advertising my work to see if I can possibly make money off of doing party decorations.
I ran with the idea and in 2012 was when I first created my Facebook business page www.facebook.com/ixlalys.
Eventually, I went from doing centerpieces to diaper cakes, to hair bows, homecoming mums, tutus to the shoes. The shoes is my main focus right now and has been for a few years now. Kind of crazy how I went from centerpieces to shoes, but when I get an idea stuck in my head I act on impulse and I must do it.
The shoe thing began when I came across a beautiful pair of Houston Texan heels online. I am a die hard Texans fan so they really caught my attention. I reached out to the creator and asked how much they were, but when she gave me the price I knew I couldn’t afford them. Being crafty I thought to myself “I can make them!” so I did! Mind you they didn’t come out as perfect as the ones I saw, but they were pretty decent. I walked around in them a bit when they were ready, but I knew I couldn’t wear a pair of pumps at a game. I mean they were super cute, but I would either be barefoot before the end of the game or crawling back to my car. That’s when I started experimenting with the chucks.
I must say my first few pairs were horrible, but a huge shout out to those who egged me on and kept telling me how good they were even though they weren’t it kept me motivated and pushed me to try and get better. After many failed attempts, lots of trial and errors and late nights I finally got it down. My work is not only sold throughout the Houston area, but I have shipped out all over the United States and even sent two pairs out to Japan. That was pretty amazing. I continue to work on new projects and ideas in hopes to expand and maybe one day be able to do this full time.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been smooth sailing. You always run across those people who want your products, but don’t want to pay the price. Being that no one really knew me starting out I felt like I needed to compromise. I started making the orders and allowing payment upon completion, meeting customers who didn’t want to pay shipping, making exceptions and I lost a lot of time and money that way.
There were times where I just wanted to quit altogether. It gets stressful. Working a full-time job and trying to run a little business is tough. My biggest struggle was when hurricane Harvey hit. I had about 50 orders on deck. Our home flooded I had all the shoe orders stacked on the floor in the order I was working. I managed to save all the shoes from the orders but none of my personal items. That was a tough few weeks. Not having a workplace set me behind by a lot. I had to refund most of the customers due to timing which is understandable, but my shop got shut down due to a complaint from someone who ordered right after Harvey hit despite my shop having a notice to expect delays. I got banned and couldn’t return to Etsy for about a year and a half later. That was a financial hit and it drove me to not wanting to continue with it.
I didn’t quit though. I eventually got my shop back and slowly, but surely I’m getting there. My advice have your rules and regulations. Your product will sell. Don’t listen to the negative reviews be confident in your product and keep striving for more.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Ixlaly’s Custom Creations story. Tell us more about the business.
I am primarily known for my custom blinged out chucks! I am a huge sports fanatic, so when I started customizing shoes they were to represent my favorite Houston teams. When you’re a die-hard sports fan like myself you have to be decked out in your teams attire. The hats, the jerseys, custom chains, face paint, and you can’t forget the shoes! Once people started seeing them was when orders started flooding in.
I think I am the most proud of how far I have come. Looking back at my first couple of pairs to now its major difference. I use 100% authentic brand name shoes and 100% authentic Swavorski Crystal’s. I make sure that the customer gets exactly what they want and that I can make their vision a reality.
Most products are for women with the bling and glitter, but as mentioned I am slowly expanding. Men and boys will soon be able to get their own pairs of custom shoes minus the glitz and glam.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Go all in! Invest in yourself while you are young while the support is there. I am young myself, but I do work a full-time job, so sometimes I feel I put most my time and effort into someone else’s business instead of trying to grow my own. The goal should be to grow your business to make your job temporary not grow someone else’s business to temporarily work on your business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/ixlalyscc
- Phone: 713-256-9318
- Email: ixlalycc@ymail.com
- Instagram: @ixlaly_cc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ixlalys.custom.creations
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