Today we’d like to introduce you to Adela Martinez
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Everything started with a prayer. I graduated with a dual bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing and Design. Right after college, I finished designing a dress for the beauty pageant ‘Miss Mundo Latina’ for Miss Venezuela, along with a few other prom dresses. After the stressful experience of working on a dress for a beauty pageant, I realized it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue. I continued to sew here and there and made custom baby blankets. A couple of years later, I was going through a really dark moment in my life where I felt lost and depressed, needing to find myself again. That is when I prayed and asked God to give me a new idea or inspiration for something I could create with my hands. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur; however, at that time, I just needed something to help me get through what I was experiencing. A few days later, I went into a JoAnn Fabric store to buy some more fabric for a custom blanket and saw this peculiar machine. It was not a sewing machine, and it was definitely NOT a printer. It was a Cricut machine, but at that time, I had absolutely no idea what it was. I was fixated on it; I couldn’t take my eyes off of it for at least ten minutes until a lady walked up to me and said, “You have to buy it.” I asked her what it was, and she explained and showed me pictures of all the various things I could use it for. My heart raced; I was once again inspired by something new. I ended up buying the machine and started playing with it. At that time, no one I knew had that machine, and there were barely any good tutorials, so I taught myself. I started by doing crafts, cups, and sticker decals. Then my love for fashion came through, and I made my first shirt. I posted a picture of it, and someone wanted to purchase it. The rest is history. It became a snowball effect, and suddenly I started making custom T-shirts for birthdays, companies, weddings, engagements—you name it. It was all word of mouth, and today I can proudly say I have my own work space where I make custom apparel, branding materials, and merchandise.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe a business is very similar to life and relationships. Like everything, it has its highs and lows. One of the struggles I have encountered has been having to sometimes sacrifice my time with family and loved ones. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely road when you have a different vision than others. At times, I would see people on Instagram at 2:00 AM out and about while I was designing, pressing shirts, and packing orders. When deadlines have to be met, they have to be met, and sacrifices must take place.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I mainly specialize in custom apparel, anything from socks to T-shirts, sweaters, hats, and tote bags, but I am mostly known for making custom T-shirts. As the years have gone by, I have taken on different projects such as wall decals, flyer designs, banners, foam boards, acrylic signs, and merchandise like mugs and tumblers. I am most proud of how far I have come, how many lives I have touched, and how I have managed to do it on my own while having a full-time job. I believe what sets me apart from others is my dedication and attention to detail. I treat every project as if it were my own, and even when I make a mistake, I remake it before sending it out to my customer.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
On this journey, I learned that your business is a reflection of you; therefore, there is a lot of internal work that you must do to be successful because much of your success has to do with your mindset—how you see yourself and what you believe about yourself. The books that have helped me a lot are: *Radical Self-Love*, *The Four Agreements*, *How to Be an Overnight Success*, and *You Are a Badass*. The podcasts that have been helpful to me are: *Creative Academy*, *Coffuelled*, *Make Shift Happen*, *The Sam Altieri Show*, *The Self-Love Fix*, and *The Rachel Hollis Podcast*.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sentimentsbylela.com
- Instagram: sentimentsbylela
- Facebook: sentimentsbylela
Image Credits
Photo credits to Andrey Neira.
IG: andjvisuals
