We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yesica Lopez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Yesica with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Coming from an immigrant family since I was a little girl I’ve seen my parent work very hard. They never took vacations and work hard to provide. My dad worked long hours, laborious jobs, and never complained. Seeing my parents dedication, never giving up, never complained, and show up day after day has definitively impacted my work ethic.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Yesica Lopez is a dreamer, a DACA recipient and owner of IXTA Apparel, a small boutique that offers cultura, custom t-shirts, hats, earrings, and unique pieces. IXTA Apparel is a brand that started during the pandemic, they launched in November 2020. Lopez started the brand while she was going through a rough patch in life. She was laid off due to the pandemic, and going through a divorce when she decided to launch IXTA. In a moment where she felt lost she found hope, she decided to believe in a dream, a dream she had been too scared to pursue, and finally decided to believe in herself. IXTA was created to empower woman, embrace cultura/roots, and embodied self love. The brand recently celebrated 3 years since its launch and a lot is coming in 2024. In the next coming weeks IXTA will be having a restock and new designs coming soon.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Never in a million years did Lopez ever think she would have her own business or that people would buy her designs. One of the qualities that have helped her through this journey is her creativity which has helped to bring her designs and vision to life. Another quality that has contributed has been her persistence which has allowed her to push through and not give. A skill that has also contributed to her journey is her educational background in journalism/marketing which have contributed in website design and content creation.
Everyone has their own journey and the only advice Lopez can give to someone in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey is to not give up. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed, and burnt out but never lose sight of why they started.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Getting overwhelmed is perfectly normal and bound to happen especially when running a business. Lopez knows perfectly what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and whenever that happens she knows it’s time to take a pause and re-align. Lopez has learned that it’s okay to not feel ok and that it’s ok to take a brake. When Lopez is overwhelmed she takes a step back, takes a break to decompress, focus on herself and mental health. She recommends to take a self love day to unwind, recharge and then focus on tackling pending task.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ixtapparel.com
- Instagram: @ixtapparel
