Meet Liza Domingo | Boutique owner

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

Hi Liza, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
“Work hard… Play hard” is a motto I live by and what my hubby and I pass along to our kids. I have 3 passions in life – family, work, and my side boutique business. My family consists of myself, hubby, and 3 boys. Having 3 boys keeps my life happy and busy. My two older ones are just in the beginning of their college years and my youngest will be starting kindergarten in the Fall. Spending quality time together is very important to us. We enjoy traveling, going out to eat, watching movies, etc…

I work as a Registered Nurse in a Peri-operative department in Southbay. I prep patients for surgery so my day starts early at 530am. This can be challenging a bit because I do like to stay up very late and enjoy leisure time. However, I am used to it and appreciate as much quality time I can get the night before.
Aside from being a mom and nurse, I am pursuing my dream of owning a mobile fashion boutique, Everlast Apparel. I have always had a passion for fashion, retail and small businesses. People may say I am crazy for the time and money I put into it. It pulls some time away on weekends with friends and family. I also do pop ups with my boutique after working consecutive days at the hospital.

However, I really don’t consider it work. I honestly believe if your passion is really into something, the work time goes unnoticed. I enjoy meeting people at pop ups, connecting thru social media, and just being around my boutique itself. I am doing what I love- Fashion Retail. Something I have done since my first small job in high school. I remember I did not want to quit my job at a retail store even after I graduated nursing. I was putting in long mall hours while studying for my nursing boards with flashcards and textbooks in the break room.

As I teach my kids, follow your dreams, spend quality time with friends and family but always balance it out with hard work and determination. Anything is possible, if you stay focused and organized. But the most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing. Work should not have to be a dreaded event in our daily lives. I am living my best life with friends and family while also enjoying being a nurse and owning Everlast Apparel.

What should our readers know about your business?
Everlast Apparel is a mini moble fashion boutique located in South bay. I have always dreamt about owning my own fashion store one day. I have always been great at shopping, particularly unique marketplaces, events, and boutiques. I would get my most loved finds from farmers markets. I then started to discover and enjoy shopping at mobile fashion boutiques. I became a fan and supporter of a few in Southern California. I would host small business pop ups at my place and had included fashion trucks like Roam.e, Panik Ryder and Waves of Attire. I started looking into sites like American Mobile Retail Association – a great resource site for starting up a mobile retail business. I have learned (and still learning) that there is so much more than selling clothes in owning a business! Some challenges with having a mobile business is that I can not just park and sell wherever I want. There are specific permits for different cities, restrictions on private shared lots and residential areas, and in businesses who have similar inventory. To this day, a lot of pop ups can not have a mobile truck setup so I have to pull out everything in my truck and set up with a pop up tent. I do not mind pop up tent style at all but I believe the uniqueness of my business is that there are not that many mobile fashion boutiques around in So Cal. I am definitely proud of Everlast Apparel because it is a mobile business in that the whole shop set up is on wheels and can travel to different cities. It can display clothes on the outside (which is a rare with fashion trucks) and it is a walk in boutique that carries hand picked fashion styles and accessories that include casual, trendy and classy So Cal styles. It also has lights and a fitting room inside. I am most happy when people visit my truck and share my excitement and adore my store. Finding venues are challenging but have actually been better and more available the past year. With the covid pandemic- people were spending more time at home and creative their own small businesses. Businesses were shutting down(unfortunately) but open air market places were opening up with small businesses to support. I have learned to be patient as I will not get accepted to every event I sign up for but eventually when I do have a chance to set up my business..I consider it a blessing and a reminder that I should be proud of what the business I started.

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?
I enjoy residing and owning a business in South Bay. South bay means relaxing near local loved beaches like Redondo, Hermosa and Manhatten Beach. Palos Verdes is also a beautiful city that you can just drive thru with surrounding cliff views of the ocean, golf courses, and the famous glass chapel. I am a San Pedro resident and find myself lucky that I am located near the freeways to L.A., Orange County and Riverside county. San Pedro is also just a short trip to Long Beach thru the known Vincent Thomas Bridge. It is also known as the port town so if you can dock on a mini cruise to Ensenada or take a ferry to Catalina Island. There is a also many hidden treasure businesses (boutiques and restaurants) in Downtown San Pedro. While there is so much to do in South Bay, I am much of a foodie! I love to wine and dine. I love eating at the Catalina Kitchen in Palos Verdes Terranea Resort or eating and shopping at 2nd and PCH in Long Beach or the Point in El Segundo. There are also fun breweries and eateries plus boutiques on Pier st in Hermosa Beach or in Manhattan Beach. I can go on and on about South Bay but will just end at there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My boutique success would not be possible without the people who support me. My husband would be my #1 supporter, inspiration and assistant. I admire his work ethic and his drive to take risks in life. He took a big risk of leaving the corporate world and started his own Environmental Consulting firm. His 20 year career decision has been a fortunate one and has inspired me to also take risks in life. He is also a great supporter in my passion for my business and has assisted me in so many ways. He helps me with the technical and administrative part, has helped me with setting up/taking down at pop ups, and most importantly watching our son while I am at work. I also want to give a shout out to another boutique business, Roam.e
They are a brick and morter fashion boutique in Montrose, Ca. who started out as a mobile fashion boutique too. Two of the sweetest owners, Cherry and Kim. I have been a fan of their boutique before I decided to pursue my own mobile fashion boutique. They have been very supportive- giving me guidance, advice and shout outs. They are an inspiration. They are a business who believes in community over competition.
Lastly, my business would definitely not survive without the love and support of my family, friends and customers. I especially appreciate the ones who has consistantly supported me since the beginning and keeps me from giving up during the times I doubt myself.

Website: www.everlastapparel.co

Instagram: @everlastapparel