Artist Spotlight - Fruity Poms

Meet Daniela Cavazos Madrigal, the maker behind Fruity Poms. She creates the most fun and colorful handmade jewelry. Here's a snapshot of who she is and how she began her own small business. We are so lucky to carry her products in our shop! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hola! My name is Daniela, I’m the creator of Fruity Poms. I am originally from Laredo, Texas, but have been living in San Antonio for about 5 years now. I am married to my best friend and number one supporter, Edgar, and we have two beautiful boys, Lucca and Marcelo. I have a background in fine art and am currently a full-time exhibiting artist. I can’t go a single day without a sweet treat.

Tell us about the items you create, design, and/or sell?

I create one of a kind, handmade, jewelry pieces. For the most part I work with yarn, thread, clay, beads, and felted wool. I like all things fun and colorful in terms of design and tend to follow the motto of “the bigger the better” in terms of scale.

What inspired you to start your business?

I started designing jewelry without actually thinking about it as a business. I was inspired to start making jewelry after seeing all the overpriced pom pom and tassel earrings on the market, none of which were worth the splurge, they were too basic for my taste. So, I decided to start experimenting with making my own accessories. After posting my creations on social media, I was asked by a few friends if I was selling, and thus Fruity Poms was born.

What plans do you have for the future of your business?

In 2020, I plan to take my business one day at a time. Being a full-time mom, at this time in my life I feel like I can’t dedicate myself 100% to my business as I would like to, and I feel that many mothers in my position have to sometimes make these kind of career sacrifices, but I know my kids are worth it! However, a major shift in my mode of operations this coming year is that Fruity Poms is now online and offers ready to ship inventory, as opposed to made to order. I would love to continue to work with retailers in wholesale and expand my brand by reaching out to influencers and promoters. A big plan for this year is to hire a studio assistant to help me produce more work. As far as dreams? I would love to one day be a nationally recognized brand and to have my work outsourced and designs crafted by international makers. I dream of being in major retailers and possibly opening a brick and mortar. But we’ll see, I’m taking it a day at a time. Stay tuned!

Do you work with a team? If so, tell us a little bit about them!

I work solo! I am a one woman show and it is exhausting to be honest. Finances are what have kept me from hiring help, but I am budgeting for this coming year and hoping I can make that happen.

What advice would you share with other creative entrepreneurs?

I would say to always be yourself. Create a brand for yourself so that your audience can identify your work. Discipline and organization are key!! Keep your receipts and keep accountability records, trust me. And lastly, have fun! Starting a small business is a lot of work, but when you love what you do, it stops becoming a job.

Tell us about an experience/lesson that shapes the way you operate today.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned this year was to elevate my craft. I feel that as time has gone by, the quality of my products has improved due to me consistently learning new techniques. At this point in my craft, I feel very confident with the quality of my work but am always willing to learn. Customer service is also something that I have gradually learned how to improve. I like to think that I provide the best customer experience I can offer and always try to navigate issues and respond to inquires. And lastly, time management. This is a tough one for me because my schedule is unpredictable with my family life, but this year I learned to not set deadlines I couldn’t meet. I learned to set aside time in my day specifically for work time, regardless of how tired I was, I tried to produce as much as I could with the time that I had.

Who has mentored you along the way?

My first mentor was my mother, Veronica Cavazos, she too owns a small business and gave me a basic understanding about time management, product value, taxes, customer service…you name it, she knows it all! Another amazing woman and fellow entrepreneur, Michelle Cook, owner of Chictique also mentored me in the beginning stages. She invited me to host a trunk show in her shop in September of 2018, and I was just so inspired by her! She was so gracious and gave me so many tips and tricks about the biz, and to this day, anytime I have a question she always responds. And lastly, I feel that Ginger Diaz is my unofficial mentor/business goal figure. After working with her and seeing how she operates her shop and how she treats her employees and manages her brand, I aspire to be like her. Feliz Modern has been a huge support for me this year and I am nothing but grateful for the opportunities that Ginger and Mario have offered me and this experience has definitely shaped the kind of business I operate today.

Shop Fruity Poms on our website and follow Daniela on Instagram @fruitypoms. Be on the lookout for more artist and small business spotlights coming soon!

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