Meet Lela Escobedo | Creative Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lela Escobedo and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lela, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Before I started this business, I noticed the booming industry of tumbler making. People were doing the epoxy resin style and the sublimation style. I thought hey “I can do this.” So I figure why not try and see how it goes. My husband supported me and the idea and bought all the stuff I needed. So, there it went. All hours, day and night, I spent researching and watching videos, practicing, and correcting what I did wrong. I learned all I needed to know until I mastered it, knowing which tumblers worked better than others and which sublimation paper was better. Then I decided to do T-shirts. Once, I got into doing that, that is when my business really blossomed. Every day I am getting orders for T-shirts in bulk for all types of occasions; funerals, birthdays, holidays, weddings, divorces. You name I have done it. Everything I do whether it is a shirt or a tumbler, I put my heart and love into it. This business is my passion. I love what I do. Aside from the tumblers and shirts, I also do the chamoy candy and pickles, kool aid pickles, I also sell snacks and drinks. I am pretty much your one stop shop. Customers love it. I have also recently added sublimation print images to sell to those who maybe starting off and want them to learn with. I never thought my business would grow and blossom the way it did. My faith allows me to continue learning and growing every day. It all started with tumblers and now I have a full office store space that allows me to cater to all customers in such a way I never thought would happen.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart is that a lot of small business owners do it for the money. I do this because I love it. I love being able to create images that are different from everyone else’s. What I am most known for are the memorial shirts. I have the best ones in the DFW area. All my images are clean and smooth that do not rub off. I think about the families who ask for them because I have been there. So I put extra effort and love into those memorial shirts. What I am most proud about is the come up. I started off in my house doing tumblers not really knowing what to do or anything and now I have my own store suite selling a lot more than just tumblers. I got where I am today because of family support and social media. I am constantly being tagged and shouted out on Facebook and other social media platforms. I also do a lot of my own marketing all over social media platforms and private groups. I would not say it was easy or hard. I look at it as a challenge to myself. I did not have friends or family that I could ask for help or tips. Everything I learned to do was because of Google and YouTube. They became a staple to my creativeness and ideas. Providing public services, I had to learn communication skills and giving myself patience and grace. What I want people know is that not only do I have affordable prices, I never gave up on myself or my business no matter what I was going through. Everybody goes through ups and downs and it is all about how you deal with it. You just keep fighting and pushing through and never ever give up.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So one thing about me is that I love trying new places to eat. So, I would take my best friend to try buffets, I love a good buffet! La Hacienda in Grand Prairie has the bomb buffet. Another restaurant I really enjoy is Primos in Rockwall. For drinks, we are going to Ojo Locos because they have the best mix drinks. I really enjoy just people watching on a patio in Downtown Dallas and having great conversations in nice weather. Also, Dallas Arts Museum is really nice.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I would like to thank God for allowing me to have this business and allowing me to be as creative as I like to be. He has blessed my mind and eyes to be able to pay attention to details and give customers ideas when they know what they want but do not know how to put it into words. Second, I would like to give huge thanks to my husband Ivan for all the love and support he shows and gives to me by going with me to pop-ups and helping pack and unpack and setting up. I love you babe. Next, my sons, Javier and Antonio who also support what I do and have always been there to help with picking up supplies or dropping orders off when customers cannot come, and also helping making shirts. Last but not least, my adopted son, Sebastian. He was taken from us back in April of this year. He always had my back in my business and was best friends with my sons. When he died, I told myself I would not slack off but continue working hard in his honor. I would like to also give myself credit for continuing to push through not only from Sebastian but I was diagnosed with cancer in November 2021 and was in and out of the hospital with surgeries and treatments. But, I never allowed it to be a set back from what I do. I continued going to work and fulfilling orders as if nothing was going on. It was my motivation to keep doing what I love.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lelascustomtshirts?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lapicositalela
Other: Lelascustomtshirts@gmail.com