Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathali Lopez.
Hi Nathali, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in San Marcos, TX. I graduated from Brown University with a BA in Political Science and Economics. I have an MBA from Texas State University. I am married to my high school sweetheart and best friend, John Lopez. We share two amazing daughters, Daniela and Anahi.
After I graduated my undergrad in 2010, I briefly worked for Facebook in Downtown Austin. I then decided to transition into education. I taught 4th and 5th grade students as a Bilingual teacher for six years. I then transitioned into an elementary school librarian for three years. In 2021, I decided to take a leap of faith and dedicate my time to my small business full-time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No! I had never run a small business before so there was so much to learn! As a small business owner, wife, and mother, you wear so many hats! From managing inventory, taxes, purchasing, shipping, customer service, marketing, printing and more! There is always so much to do! There never seems to be enough hours in the day! It has definitely been a challenge to balance running a successful business and making sure I am still available to my family.
Furthermore, there are so many different trends and ways to decorate apparel. I have spent countless hours researching and testing a number of products and brands. I want to make sure that I provide my customers with a high-quality product.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small but mighty apparel decorating shop based in San Marcos, TX! My background is in education. I taught in the classroom as a bilingual teacher for six years and then served as an elementary school librarian for three years.
Fall of 2018, my oldest daughter decided she wanted to run for class president. I decided to make her a shirt for her campaign with my vinyl cutter. Soon after, my husband and mother began telling people that I made shirts. I remember panicking because I was a LIBRARIAN, not an apparel decorator. I had made ONE shirt for my daughter, so I begged them to please stop telling people that I made shirts! Well, people kept asking me if I could make them shirts, and…well…technically I could. However, I was very nervous about it! This began my journey into researching the highest quality heat transfer vinyl and shirts. I decided that if I was actually going to start making shirts for people outside of my family, I wanted to make sure they were high-quality. That began my journey into creating my business.
NL Designs was founded in 2019! In 2020 we launched our online store and began to add new products and services such as graphic apparel decorating, screen printing services, embroidery, laser engraving, and promotional products! We ship our products nationwide!
This small business started as an outlet for me to express myself creatively. I began by creating shirts for my family and quickly discovered how much I LOVED making trendy, soft tees for those around me. I specialize in creating custom, unique and personalized gifts such as shirts, mugs, tumblers, key chains, kitchen towels, puzzles, and more.
In July 2021, I officially resigned from my position with the local school district to focus on running and growing my small business full-time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am so blessed to have family and friends that are so supportive. I would not be where I am today without their love and support. My husband, daughters, parents, and sister continuously encourage me, allow me to share my ideas, hype up my business, share my work, and celebrate my wins. My amazing group of friends share my work, support my business, and are always willing to help when needed. Whether it is listening to me cry on the phone, giving my kids a ride to soccer, or connecting me with a potential new client. I appreciate them all so much! I think it is extremely important to surround yourself with a community of people that will support you and encourage you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopnldesigns.com
- Instagram: @shopnldesigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopnldesigns
