Meet Joe Uribe | CEO & Founder

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

Hi Joe, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It all started by accident back in college 11 years ago. I was doing a commercial for a school project, when we needed a velvet backdrop for one of the parts in the commercial. That’s when I decided to check online to see if I can find something close to what we needed already made. After a couple of hours spent online looking, I was only able to find velvet curtains for windows or large theaters. So, I decided to ask my amazing mother to make me a large velvet backdrop with fabric I had purchased from Downtown LA. Once we finished using the large velvet backdrop, she had made for us. I decided to list it for sale online and that’s when I realized my small investment in the fabric paid off. This is when starting the business hit me and decided to work with my mom and make a few more backdrops. They all sold within a few days after listing them, and simply just repeated the process. Now 11 years later I would of never guess we would have 3 warehouses and 5 amazing employees.

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?
I still remember the first year when I open up shop. It was the least stressful year, as I started from home selling one curtain panel at a time and with no overhead and very little bills to pay. The only expense I really had was the fees I would pay to sell online and purchase more products. When I was first starting, I would test the waters with one fabric style and then the next. If they didn’t sell, I would move on to the next, till I would find a winner. It was a lot of trial and error but my first year in business is when I really gain a lot of experience in the textile industry and learn a lot about running an online business. Being consistent and thinking outside the box is what really helped. As the business grew, we ventured out into new curtain accessories and velvet fabrics which I didn’t even know there were so many styles of velvet fabrics, till I was a few weeks into my business. I knew I wanted to focus and specialize in one style of fabric and that was velvet. I wanted my business to be the go-to business for all velvet fabrics and velvet curtains. Velvet has been around for centuries and it’s a product that sells year-round. We never have to worry about seasonal trends or getting rid of unsold stock. It has been a great decision from the start.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
That’s easy I would take him/her to the places that make LA known for and that to me would be Hollywood and Downtown LA, the heart of Los Angeles. I would take them around showing them Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and getting them, a few wrapped bacon hot dogs from the street vendors, and maybe catching a drink at the Roosevelt Hotel. There are so many good spots to eat and drink down Hollywood Boulevard and I always recommend the “Sugar Taco” for the pre-party and tacos, you can’t go wrong. As for downtown LA, they would have to check out LA Live and catch a game if there happens to be one and then after head out to Canas Rum Bar for a drink and then late-night dinner at The Original “famous” Pantry Cafe. Since they’re staying for a week, I would also show them Venice Beach and Santa Monica for a nice walk down the pier, shops, and great restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It all started back when I was a kid, working for my mom’s business. She ran a curtain business during the week and sold at the flea market on the weekends, a true hustler I would say. She would always take me with her and if it wasn’t for her, I would have really never gotten that entrepreneur spirit. She’s the reason I started my business and she’s also the reason my business has become so successful. I truly miss her and I know for a fact she’d be proud of me and how much the Business we both started together has grown.

Website: https://www.lushescurtains.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lushescurtains/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lushescurtains
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lushescurtains
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LushesCurtains
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lushes-curtains-south-el-monte-3
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlxBkGYOu0GiBLZRhpQNsQ
Other: Blog: https://lushescurtains.com/blog

Image Credits
Lushes Curtains LLC