Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Trelles.
Kimberly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m the owner and official cafecito maker of The Trelles Cottage. I get to work alongside my husband Daniel who is my biggest cheerleader. Daniel and I started our business back in July of 2016, we were newlyweds and first-time homeowners… needless to say, money was tight. At the time, we were working just to pay off our bills and were really struggling at the thought of not being able to “go out”, “travel” or just “live” as we used to. We put our trust in God and decided that in lieu of traditional date nights out we decided to stay home and have arts & craft beer nights. We sat on the floor of our couch-less living room and began to draw. We found that reminiscing about our travels would inspire us to create. This weekly routine became the best part of our week and we would invite our friends to take part in our creative journey and share chisme. We spent countless hours eating, drinking and creating across different mediums. As Miami natives, we created a lot of content around our beautiful and diverse city. To this day our best selling item is our Tengo Chisme tee. However, our newest design is Pepe Pocket. Pepe is a croqueta, the perfect gentleman, embroidered in our neon pocket tees. They are SO Miami and perfect for Summer. Our collections which can be found on our website www.TheTrellesCottage.com or on Etsy @thetrellescottage.
As for us… we finally did buy a couch lol and filled our home but what hasn’t changed is the spirit that moved us to create. We now have a toddler and although we both work full-time jobs and might be exhausted at times we are even more inspired to create. The two biggest sources of our inspiration are: 1. Our son 2. All things Miami
We LOVE what we do and it still is crazy to think how far we’ve come. I’m excited about the future, we have so much in store for our brand. We are currently looking for local pop-ups and expand our stationary and print line.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I feel like every other day is a struggle. The road to entrepreneurship is like driving on the hills of San Francisco. One day, I’m struggling to drive up the steep road not being able to see what’s next, the next day it’s a smooth and easy ride down. What I struggle most with is rejection. When I reach out to a company for what feels like the 50th time and they still don’t respond. Just keep trying.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Trelles Cottage – what should we know?
We create MIAMI inspired tees, hats and other accessories like mugs, iPhone cases, dog tees and more.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
In my case, I’ve signed up for plenty of markets where I pour my heart and pocketbook towards designing my tables in order to set myself apart and drive new clients and contacts. Not everyone you meet will be a client but some of the best business opportunities have come from a contact I made at a market even though they didn’t necessarily buy anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: wwwTheTrellesCottage.com
- Email: thetrellescottage@gmail.com
- Instagram: @thetrellescottage
Image Credit:
Most of the photos were Rmada Concepts @rmadaconcepts and others were Anna Blank Photography @annablankx
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