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

Hi Kailey, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Half of my day job is graphic design, but I like to play with other mediums off the clock. During COVID lockdown (like most of us), I had a lot of free time on my hands. That’s when I decided to make rugs—it had been on my bucket list to get into textiles, and after I found punch needle, then tufting, it quickly took off.

People started noticing as I honed my skills. Before I knew it, I had a small business making custom rugs for friends and friends of friends. Once I hit a waitlist, I made Gonzo Rugs official. I’ve done everything from Ween tributes to Wes Anderson colorways to stocking a full-blown booth at the Rose Bowl Flea, and it was exciting to see my passion turn into something that others appreciated.

More recently, after seeing a Bisa Butler: Portraits exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute, I started to feel the urge to mix things up and lean into soft sculptures. My focus now with Gonzo Rugs is to create 1/1 designs under a theme with better sustainable materials. It’s a bit of a risk, but this feels achievable as a long-term practice and I can’t wait to see the kind of art I can create when I give myself the freedom to experiment.

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.
For the past five years, I’ve been working as a digital marketer and it’s been quite the ride. I got my start right out of college, when I was hired by the chair of the Entrepreneurship department to join the team at her new start-up. We were a CPG brand focused on creating allergen-free snacks, and I was thrilled to be a part of such an innovative project with a female founder.

From there, I moved on to work at a marketing agency, where I had the opportunity to consult with Fortune 500 brands on their SEO strategies. It was rewarding work, and I loved the opportunity to collaborate with such high-profile clients.

After that, I landed a gig at a big food blog in the Midwest with 1.1M followers. It was a dream come true to work for such a down to earth, compassionate and smart team. Food is an industry I love and I learned so much about creating engaging content that resonated with a wide audience.

Now, I’m working for another agency, this time specializing in life sciences and other B2B brands in sunny San Diego, CA. It’s been an eye-opening journey so far, and I feel grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had to grow and learn.

One thing I’ve learned along the way is curiosity is king. When faced with a challenge, I always try to stay curious and open-minded, which has helped me come up with some truly clever solutions.

As a marketer, I take pride in my ability to create content that fosters genuine connections and empathy with my audience. And you know what? It usually performs really well! There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that my work is resonating with people and making a client happy.

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.
Monday: I will pick you up from the airport because you’re my best friend. We get tacos at Leos, hang out at home and walk to Hollywood Lake Park, giving all of the adorable dogs scratches along the way.

Tuesday: We get brunch at Superba and spend the day at the Getty.

Wednesday: Coffee and breakfast at Clark Street Diner. Then we see a double feature at the New Beverly Cinema.

Thursday: We stop at Cafe Los Feliz for breakfast burritos and then go thrifting at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles Thrift Store. We end the day at the Grand Central Market for Thai and strawberry donuts and, if lucky, free stand-up comedy on the roof.

Friday: We hike the Griffith Park Observatory, then stroll to the Beachwood Canyon rare book store. At night, cocktails at Bar Flores. Tamales from the guy on the patio. I suggest we ride the Echo Park Swan Boats ironically. We do.

Saturday: We’re trekking to North Venice Beach for a beach day. We start the beach day with the Tiger Shrimp tacos at Plancha Tacos and finish with The Window’s Beauty Burger with fries and a Strawberry shake.

Sunday: We head to Hollywood Farmers Market early to get snacks and flowers. Lunch in the courtyard with wine. SugarFish to go as I drive you back to the airport because you’re my best friend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had a chat once with Daniel Gibson, an LA painter, and he said, “Make your Rug sculptures, tonta”. I take that with me fondly.

Website: https://kaileyana.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileyanagonzalez/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/gonzorugs/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.