Meet Colleen Rodriguez | Owner & designer at Wyng’d Lyon Creations

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

Hi Colleen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to do something that I enjoyed and at the same time help bring people’s ideas to life. There is nothing more rewarding than watching someone’s eyes light up when they see their project in person.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a clothing and costume designer that specializes in custom work for my clients. I feel that my customer service skills and the time I take to work with my customers sets me apart from others. In a world of communication going on-line and not as face to face as it used to be, making not only a connection with customers and clients, but having open and consistent communication with them is extremely important.

My mom started teaching me to sew when I was about 8 years old and over the years growing up I would make my own Halloween costumes and she would make most of my dresses for formal dances in high school. After high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in and quit community college three times. About 8 years later, while I was starting to make costumes for friends, I decided to attend fashion college at Fashion Careers of California College. I took their 18 month certificate course in the evenings while I worked full time.

Working full time and going to school 4 nights a week on top of that was exhausting, but I loved the subject matter and completed the entire course with perfect attendance and an almost 4.0 gpa.

I’ve been running my business now for about 25 years and in the beginning it was rough. I mostly did pieces for friends and family and then slowly started vending at Wedding Expos and other small vendor events. Sales were slow and for a while I was spending more money than I was making. To say it was discouraging was an understatement. Then in 2010, I vended at a Steampunk event called Gaslight Gathering and that was the turning point for me and the business. Now I vend at WonderCon and San Diego Comic Con, as well as , many other events.I also work with clients in person, via my website, Etsy, and a new platform called Go Imagine.

Over the years, I’ve learned that running a business isn’t easy and requires hours of work and perseverance. There are times where you are going to be discouraged and think about giving up, there are also going to be outside influences that put pressure on you, like friends or family. For a while my spouse was being quite vocal about me giving up my business because it wasn’t making money, but I listened to my instincts and kept pushing forward and with that hard work and an amazing group of friends that I have made over the year, I’ve made a name for myself.

I want people to know that they shouldn’t give up on their dreams and though it takes a large amount of work to become successful, the reward, to me, is worth all the hard work and long hours. Nothing makes me happier knowing that there are people out there who see my logo or hear my business name and recognize the hard work and quality that I put into each garment. I hope to think that when people talk about Wyng’d Lyon Creations, they talk about not only the garments they have gotten, but how I work with them and do my best to go the extra mile to make them feel special and not like a cog in the machine. Things today have become so impersonal and I don’t want my customers to walk away feeling like our interaction was just a transaction, I want them to feel like they mattered.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Food wise, I would take them to some place like an Alberto’s, Roberto’s or other local Mexican food restaurant for a Carne Asada burrito or tacos. We’d have to stop at Pomegranate for Georgian food one evening, and Himalayan Curry and grill for Nepali food. There would be a stop for Pho and probably sushi as well.

For drinks, there would probably be a stop at Raised By Wolves and Seven Grand, though these days, I’m more inclined to stay in and enjoy a drink on the back porch watching the Sunset.

There would be a trip to the LA Fabric District and the San Diego Zoo, as well as a trip to Julian and Old Town San Diego.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shout out to my mom, Patricia Wood, for giving me the bug and teaching me how to sew, and I also want to recognize the friends and family that supported me through all the ups and downs it took to get where I am today. Without all of their support I wouldn’t be where I am.

Website: https://store.wyngdlyon.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/wyngdlyon

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wyngdlyncreation

Facebook: https://facebook.com/wyngdlyoncreations

Other: Bluesky: wyngdlyoncreations.bsky.social
Etsy: wyngdlyon.etsy.com
Go Imagine: goimagine.com/wyngdlyoncreations

Image Credits
Shawn Richter
Colleen Rodriguez