Today we’d like to introduce you to Catheryn Estefania Rodriguez.
Hi, Catheryn. We are so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am Estefania, a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant and founder of Brewbles Studio, a cultural and nostalgia-influenced bath and body shop in Austin, Texas. Brewbles Studio began in November 2016 while I struggled to make ends meet and pay for my college tuition out of pocket. It was initially not meant to be a business but a silly little hobby I had taken on while experimenting with self-care DIY recipes to aid with my anxiety. Eventually, my inner creative thought it would be fun to make unconventional shapes and nostalgia-scented products that took me to happy memories from my childhood. That November, holiday cooking began being more prominent in my household. My mom said to me, “ponte hacer tamales!” (Make tamales!) As a retort to me telling her I was over studying for finals. 20 minutes later, I went to her with two tamale-shaped bath bombs with a corn tusk wrapping and said, “Here are your tamales.” she looked at me and said, “Payasa!” My sisters then motivated me to try making a business for my funny bath creations. With my Mexican cultural influence in mind, I began to think about how cluttered the bath and body industry was and how most self-care guides and influences were specifically centered around non-POC Audiences. I decided we needed to disrupt what people thought a “bath biz” was. So, I built my brand around the importance of self-care in the Latinx community by focusing on communal nostalgia and generational healing and making a space where people with similar backgrounds and experiences could see themselves reflected in their self-care rituals.
Fortunately, a local newspaper caught on to my shop opening and did a small feature on their website. I didn’t realize how big it would get. As the article went live, orders began pouring in, and I was overwhelmed by the positive reaction and love we got! As time passed, other publications started reaching out to us, and our brand grew bigger than I had imagined. I quit my job to do fulfillment full-time, and for the first time, it felt like everything was going according to plan. The community and our supporters were amazing, and there were no words to convey the positive outpour we received.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Covid hit, and items like baths and bodies from small businesses slowed down. The fear of the virus spreading had slowed down sales, and I had to find a full-time job to make ends meet. In late 2020, I announced a full hiatus from the shop until I could figure out my financial standing as I took care of myself and my family. My mental health was not in the best place, and all the setbacks became overwhelming. There truly was no telling if Brewbles would ever come back.
After a few rough situations, my best friend partner sat me down and said that I only knew if I could return if I planned for it. I sat at my desk all night, drafting what was next. What I needed, what goal I had to reach, and how. In July of this year, Brewbles Studio went live again. We received an outpour of positive feedback and welcome-back notifications. It felt like we never left. I worked incredibly hard to ensure Brewbles Studio returned better than ever. In a place of opportunity and positive goals for us as I rebuild a brand that grew from love.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Growing a business is never easy; there has been a lot of trial and error. Well, as personal growth I’ve had to face, from my mental well-being to my financial standpoint, having an online business, anything can go wrong; you learn what packaging works, how to budget, how to compensate yourself for your time and labor, and how to positively handle customer care on your own so you can provide the best care you can while juggling five other facets of a business. The biggest setback in my career was the pandemic. Most of my family had been laid off, and I had to keep a full-time job and juggle the shop as much as possible. I, unfortunately, burned out. It took me a lot of personal work to get myself to a place where I saw myself for the hard worker I was. Where impostor syndrome for the positive things happening would get in the way, the successes felt genuine.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Brewbles Studio is inspired by cultura, nostalgia and recuerdos de nuestra niñez(Culture, nostalgia and childhood memories). Brewbles is conjuring magical bath concoctions for your everyday self-care rituals. Brewbles Studio is known for bath and body products inspired by Mexican culture, including bath bombs shaped like popular Mexican snacks and cultural staples. We pride ourselves on standing out from the rest and creating a space for people who find comfort in the familiar.
What matters most to you? Why?
Being able to have an inclusive business makes people feel at home. Where the community can grow, and positivity can thrive is one of the most important parts of brand culture.
Pricing:
- Low cost
- Cruelty free
- Vegan
- Latinx
- Woman owned
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.Brewbles.com
- Instagram: @brewbles
- Facebook: @brewbles
