Meet ALICIA & VANESSA ARZOLA | MILENA

We had the good fortune of connecting with ALICIA & VANESSA ARZOLA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ALICIA & VANESSA, what role has risk played in your life or career?
If you stand a chance at being great or successful, you must take risks. As it relates to our careers, in the past we both have moved on from well-paid jobs to lesser paying ones for the opportunity to develop a new skill set. Making those decisions certainly came with sacrifices, but the risks were worth the rewards, and the experiences, relationships, and skills acquired transcended beyond those roles.

When the pandemic hit we were both laid off from our full-time jobs. We took a risk to start something we are passionate about, and in August of last year we launched MILENA (‘mi-LEE-nuh’), a women’s online clothing store. Since January we have consistently attended pop up events and have created a social media presence. Now, a year later we are noticing an increase in our brand awareness and an uptick in our online sales. People are familiar with our brand and remember our faces.

Launching a small business has posed its challenges. There have been ups and downs and we know more will come, but when the risks taken are derived from something you are passionate about it always seems validated.

You have to remember that taking risks and experiencing temporary uncertainty or discomfort are key components for the formula of success, and are often the first step.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

At the start of the pandemic we both were laid off from our full-time jobs: a MAC Makeup Artist (Vanessa) and a Marketing Specialist (Alicia). Without work and an abundance of free time we knew the best decision was to get creative, invest in ourselves and explore a lifelong dream of ours — starting a clothing store. In a way, being laid off, due to the pandemic, was a blessing in disguise that set us on an incredible path to becoming entrepreneurs.

In August 2020 we launched MILENA (‘mi-LEE-nuh’) with 12 styles and a limited collection of accessories.

Shortly after MILENA launched we began attending pop up events and flea markets (min 3 per month) in Orange and LA counties to gain brand awareness. Selling at these events has been a great way to keep us motivated and allow us to get to know our amazing customers. It is important to us to allow our followers to get to know the faces behind the brand.

MILENA is known for chic, on-trend clothing styles. What sets us apart from other women’s online clothing stores is the quality of the clothing we source and our love for color and prints that really shows through in the collections we push out. Our eye for fashion allows us to curate collections that engage our customers and keep them coming back for more.

Beginning our own online store has definitely posed its challenges. When you enter the small business world you are suddenly aware of all the different brands that are out there. What some people don’t realize is that small businesses make up the majority of the retail industry. You have huge players like Nordstrom and Macy’s, but many small businesses, collectively, make up a larger piece of the pie. With that being said, there is so much creativity out there from the way brands style their clothing, to the way they curate their Instagram feed, their website layout, the lighting used, mood conveyed, typography, and trends they incorporate into their collections. The list goes on and on. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Our advice is: stay inspired, but remain authentic to your style and vision.

Having a clear idea of who our ideal customer is, targeting them, and figuring out what they want to shop for, while still staying true to our vision for the brand, has also been challenging.

Also, if we’re keeping it real, modeling our clothes was very difficult at first, but it has become easier over time.

Above all we think it is of the utmost importance to stay motivated and be consistent. Some days will be amazing, while others will be challenging. On this rollercoaster of highs and lows, that is a small business, you have to continue to show up and put forth your best effort everyday. When you do, things come to fruition in the most rewarding way.

Trust your creativity. Your brand will not attract everyone, but that is the best part! Once you find your niche, you will have the utmost appreciation for the customer that you continually serve.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many amazing ways to spend a day in Los Angeles. Like true California natives, we would first head to the beach. Malibu and Marina Del Rey are some of our favorite spots to relax and enjoy the best weather year round. After a couple of hours at the beach and hopefully less traffic we’d hit a number of great restaurants here in LA. A few of our favorites are Hail Mary Pizza, Stout Burgers & Beers, Guisados, Gracias Madre, and DAMA. And if we’re feeling a little indulgent we’d head to Diddy Riese in Westwood for a dozen, or two, of their freshly baked cookies.
To end the night we’d head to Perch for drinks and a beautiful view of downtown LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We both agree that our Mom is our #1 supporter. She celebrates our wins however small they may be and encourages us to push forward through the slumps. Her encouragement goes beyond emotional support, she actually helps us take our photos and comes along with us to our weekly pop up events.

Taking a risk and starting a small business can be a little scary, but when you have the love and support of a parent, family member, or friend, it lessens the fear of the unknown and gives you the courage to persist through the highs and lows.

Website: www.shopmilena.com

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