Meet Adriana Gonzalez | SLPA/Small Business Owner

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

Hi Adriana, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness website states that “over 40 million adults in the U.S.” suffer from anxiety. I am one of those adults. Magic Stitches Company actually started as “Rex’s Creativity”. During this time, I was crocheting pet shoes for my puppy and one of my photos received a lot of attention on social media. I even started an Etsy page for these. At the time, I lived in Northern California and was beginning to suffer from depression. We moved back to SoCal to be closer to our friends and family. It was then when I realized that weird feeling in my stomach, the foggy brain, and the palpitations were not normal. I asked for help and started both medications and therapy. I began to learn how to care for myself and do things that made me happy. I got my annual pass to Disneyland and made myself hair accessories to wear at the parks. Friends I made, and even strangers, began asking me if I could make accessories for them as well. I remember I started listing items to the Etsy page I had and even made an Instagram page. The more I created, the happier I felt. Eventually, I was able to ween off the medication, became a vegetarian for my mental health, and continued doing therapy. Today, my shop is something I can come home to and that helps me relax after a day at work.
I think the best part of Magic Stitches Company is that I started it because it made me feel joy. I didn’t start it to make money or to grow, those are just some perks! I truly enjoy creating.

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.
I am actually a Speech Language Pathology Assistant. I work in schools providing speech therapy to students. I absolutely love my job! I love the field and being able to truly see progress in a person’s speech. There have definitely been times when I’ve come home stressed or even crying because my work day was just extremely heavy. It’s not easy having to see anywhere from 80-100 students per week. Sometimes it’s Wednesday and I cannot believe the week is not over. These are the days I come home and need to create something. Whether it’s making a new sticker design, making a notebook, or packing an order, I have to do something that’ll make me happy. Typically, this also involves watching FRIENDS in the background (haha!)
I have also tried tying in my career into my shop’s creations. I created “Communication Ears” so that children who may be using picture exchange icons at school can have a picture exchange option to communicate when going to Disneyland. These ears have different ride and food pictures as well as simple verbs such as: “more”, “go”, “eat”. The idea was the child would be able to request “Eat churro” or “Go Snow White” to indicate they wanted to eat a churro or go on the Snow White ride. Communication is important and some children are only in the early stages of language development and therefore picture icons are the only way they communicate.
My brand is different and definitely one of a kind.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love living in Southern California! When friends or family come to visit, we know a trip to the Hollywood sign is a must to start. Then, we need to walk through the Hollywood Walk of Fame for pictures! After taking all the photos, maybe head to the Santa Monica Pier to enjoy the sunset and the breeze. The following day, Disneyland and California Adventure are a must! We have them try all the snacks as they enjoy feeling like a little kid once again. Then, we all watch the fireworks from Main Street to end the night. If they still have more time, then the Inland Empire is next. Take them to Palm Springs or Joshua Tree! Maybe even go up to Big Bear. If it’s cold there might be snow, if it’s summer time, it’ll be a lot cooler up there. The best part about SoCal is you can visit the beach, the desert, and even the mountains!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When starting Magic Stitches Company, I didn’t expect it to grow into the business it is today. Along the way, I always had my husband, my parents, my siblings, friends, and even my in-laws rooting for me. They all purchased form me and referred me to their friends and/or families. During the pandemic, my husband would help me cut ridiculous amounts of fabric so that I could sew quicker haha. We’d sometimes stay up late when working from home so I could get masks out asap. Once everything started to reopen, my husband and sister would even take turns attending in-person events with me so I could sell my handmade items.
Magic Stitches Company literally means me and everyone who has helped me out with even just their love and support: Ivan, Mom, Dad, Cheni, Adrian, my suegros, my friends, my Disney community, my vendor friends, my coworkers, and even my fur babies who lay next to me as I create.

Website: https://www.magicstitchescompany.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicstitchesco/

Image Credits
Thank you, Sabrina & Krista!