Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Calderon.
Hi Allison, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2020, I picked up sewing as a creative outlet, which quickly evolved into embroidery. What started as a hobby turned into something I genuinely loved. When events came back, I worked in the industry for a few years and saw firsthand how experiences were designed and executed. That’s when I noticed something missing. There wasn’t much live embroidery in the event space, especially not in a way that felt elevated or fashion-forward.
I saw a real gap in the market. Brands were investing heavily in experiences, but most personalization was either pre-done or felt like an afterthought. Live embroidery interactive and it gives guests a moment of customization that feels personal.
That realization is what led me to build Miami Social Stitch as a mobile, experience-based embroidery studio. I wanted to create something that felt refined, immersive, and genuinely memorable.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. My first live event looks nothing like how I run events now. There was a lot of trial and error, especially learning that embroidering in a studio is completely different from embroidering live. In a controlled space, you can take your time. At an event, you’re managing guest flow, expectations, timing, equipment, and quality all at once. I had to essentially relearn embroidery in a high-pressure environment.
There were also personal shifts happening at the same time. I was pregnant with both of my kids while working in the event space, and I was really searching for something that felt aligned, something I genuinely loved. That part was hard. Building a business while navigating motherhood forces you to get clear fast. I had to figure out what was worth my energy, what made sense financially, and what I was truly passionate about.
Looking back, the challenges were necessary. They shaped how intentional and refined the business is today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in live embroidery for events and brands. I basically took something traditional and figured out how to make it feel modern, cool, and actually exciting to experience in real time.
I’ve always been creative, but this is where it really made sense. Anyone can run an embroidery machine. What I care about is how it feels. The setup, the fonts, the thread colors, the items we’re stitching on. The energy around the table. It’s not just customization. It’s design and experience.
I didn’t invent embroidery. It’s been around forever. I just saw that it was missing from the event space in a way that felt elevated. So I built a brand around it. I’m most proud of the fact that people don’t just come for the stitching. They want to be part of the brand. And they leave with something personal that they’ll actually keep, wear, and remember. That’s what makes it different.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
How I built this with Guy Raz is my favorite podcast. I love hearing how other founders spotted gaps in their industries and built something from the ground up. It reminds me that great businesses don’t always start with some massive invention. Sometimes they start with noticing what’s missing and doing it better. As someone who built a brand around live embroidery by seeing a space in the market, those stories really resonate with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://miamisocialstitch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamisocialstitch?igsh=MTNjd3EzcTYyNjhzcQ==
