We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Marie Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa Marie, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Putting aside the decision to work for myself, some other decisions that have been critical to my success were to “Just Do It”. It’s one thing to decide that you want to work for yourself and another thing to actually move forward with it. Sometimes, we want everything to be perfect or we want the best timing before we pursue something. I’m sure there are very successful businesses that had an amazing game plan or maybe they went to school for business and knew the best formula that was needed to roll out their business. But, not everybody has that and maybe you don’t always need that. I just started with what I had and did things to the best of my ability and learned so much along the way. I made many mistakes, lost money, gained money, etc. Looking back, I didn’t really LOSE anything but gained experience and learned so much that some books could never teach you. Another decision was to collaborate with other people and socialize as much as you can.

What should our readers know about your business?
Waves Boutique has Latin and Urban vibes and I think that is what sets us apart from others. My grandparents are from Mexico and the Mexican traditions were all I knew until I moved to Miami for school. I met people from so many different countries and learned about all of their food, their music, and heritage. I was in love with all of the differences and also felt that we were all the same in a way because everyone loves food and music!

I started my Etsy shop in 2015 but wasn’t able to dedicate much attention to it. Now, with my 3 boys getting older and needing less attention I have been able to put more attention into my business and it is growing. I am proud of over 1600 sales and am super excited about my first “pop up” in 2 weeks.

It has not been easy. I went through 2 years of school and have been raising 3 children and balancing marriage, a full time job as a neurology clinic nurse, and my business. There have been days where I just cried because I was so tired but I pushed through because it has been worth it to do what I love and enjoy.

I overcame some of the challenges by taking time off when needed and allowing myself to rest and reflect.

Some of the lessons that I have learned are to just dive in and do what you want without overthinking. Focus on what could go right instead of what could go wrong. Your friends know more friends and their friends know more friends; if they are your friends they will be willing to help you grow by sharing your content-use them as a resource. Collaborations are awesome! We all win.

I would love our brand to be known for the love for all people and all races.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting the area our first night out would be dinner followed by dancing at Vidorra. We would do brunch the next day at XOXO Dining Room Dallas then maybe head to the Museum of Neon Lights in Fort Worth to snap some fun pics. Of course we would dance again or we could head to Calle Doce for dinner. There is a really cute small coffee shop in Mesquite-Hope Coffee that we could wake up and drink coffee at. Our family loves the water so we would probably have a day planned on a boat and jet skis at Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall and get a nice glowing tan. They have nice restaurants nearby at The Harbor Rockwall. Of course we would need a day of shopping. I like NorthPark Mall, they have a good variety of stores and yummy restaurants. Finish off with dancing at Te Deseo.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have 2 people that I would like to give recognition to. My father because he has had his own mechanic business “Dallas Carboys”for over 37 years and he showed me that pursuing your dream is important and that it can be done and you can be successful. Also, my husband gave me the idea of having my own “side hustle”. He has been in business for over 13 years and has his own performance shop “RP Tuned” for many high horsepower cars. He wanted shirts made for his business and one day told me, “Hey, you should look into making these shirts.” I’ve always been pretty creative and loved clothing. So I thought to myself, “Hmm, maybe I should. Seems like it would be fun.” Seeing both my father and my husband go after their dreams and pushing through the really hard times where owning a business was extremely stressful has really helped me.

Website: etsy.com/shop/shopwavesboutique

Instagram: @shopwavesboutique

Facebook: Waves Boutique

Other: TikTok: @wavesbtique

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