Patty Delgado is on a mission to dispel “spicy Latina” stereotypes and “Cinco de Drinko” T-shirts. So it should come as no surprise that the designer decided to launch an inclusive fashion brand that celebrates Latinx identity in November 2016—right after a certain election.

Hija de tu Madre started with a denim jacket adorned with a sequined appliqué of la Virgen de Guadalupe and since has evolved into an expansive line inspired by Latinx culture, spanning T-shirts emblazoned with logos like “Ya Guey” and “Fuck ICE” to bracelets engraved with the phrases “Yo Quiero Dinero” and  “Make Jefa Moves.”

Here, Delgado fills us in on how she created an empowering brand, what it took to bootstrap her business in the beginning, and why she shares her failures (as well as her successes) with her customers and followers.

CREATE & CULTIVATE: You created Hija de tu Madre to be a safe space that is empowering and represents Latinx culture. Can you talk us through the concept and why you launched it? What makes it different/unique?

PATTY DELGADO: I launched Hija de tu Madre in November 2016, right when Trump was elected. It was extremely important for me to create a digital safe space where Latinx could feel safe and empowered to wear their culture. It was crucial that Hija de tu Madre helped in rewriting the anti-immigrant, racist, and toxic narrative being told by America’s president.

In addition, I wanted to create a brand that I would have liked to see growing up. A brand that spoke to my identity and community. Hija de tu Madre is for the women who juggle multiple cultures. Our customer is very proud of her upbringing, culture, and motherland, but has a complicated relationship with all of them. She’s trying to navigate what it means to be Latina. When our customers shop with us, we want them to feel seen and inspired to take their culture to the workplace, to school, and to their next life venture. We create apparel, accessories, and stationery that inspire women to take their culture everywhere.

In an interview, you touched on how the brand is conveying the complexities of being Latinx, which isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” descriptor, as it is often portrayed. Can you elaborate on that messaging and how you're disrupting body, race, and gender norms through the brand? What has been the community's response?

At Hija de tu Madre, we do our best to be inclusive of different bodies, races, genders, and identities. We create products that make space for the Latinx spectrum. For example, we carry a Latina and a Latinx necklace. Our bandera jackets speak to folks from different Latin American countries—Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia, etc.

And lastly, we like working with diverse models and influencers that break the mold of what Latinas are “supposed to look like.” It’s important to remind the world that we're queer, plus-size, brown, indigenous, European, and so on. Latinx is not a monolith.

The response has been great, especially from customers who finally feel seen and represented in a really authentic way. We’re doing away with “Cinco de Drinko” T-shirts and “spicy Latina” stereotypes.

What has been the most surprising part of starting a small business that you didn't know before launch? Why?

The best part of my job is collaborating with other women and female founders and business owners. I love being able to grow with my community and peers. I also didn’t realize that the majority of our customers are business owners or aspiring entrepreneurs. Knowing that, has helped us better understand our customers’ needs, and develop products for their career goals (hence the birth of our desk and stationery category).

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?

I’m a Virgo, so I’ve always been very solutions-oriented. When you’re bootstrapping, you have no other choice than to take the L and find a creative alternative. I’ve become very accustomed to failing and losing—it’s part of being an entrepreneur. So, there’s always a plan B and C.

You've learned so much during the process, but what do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you were first starting out? Why?

Say “no.” I wish I wouldn’t have overextended myself as much, or have said “yes” to every single opportunity. The toxic pressure to please is real. I’ve had to learn to develop healthy boundaries for myself, time, and sanity in order to keep growing.

What are the immediate things every small business owner has to take care of to set up a business? Why? What are those crucial first steps?

Do your research. Period. It’s daunting but pretty easy to get a seller’s permit, DBA, business license, business incorporation, etc.

What is the biggest challenge/struggle of running a small business? Why? How do you overcome them?

Not having enough hands is the biggest challenge of running a small business. I’m very much in the trenches every day. I may be CEO, but I wear a thousand hats, from designer to accountant to publicist to customer service rep. I’m very much involved in every aspect of this company. I’m constantly stressed out, but I thoroughly understand the mechanics of HDTM.

Talk us through the bootstrapping process. How did you self-fund your business? Would you recommend that route to other entrepreneurs? Why/Why not? Do you have plans to scale? Why/Why not?

When I started Hija de tu Madre, I had no other choice but to bootstrap. I don’t have investor friends, no generational wealth to rely on, and zero access to loans or credit. My origin story isn’t much different than other POC founders. With that said, bootstrapping forced me to take advantage of organic marketing and leverage my community in order to grow HDTM. I recommend all bootstrapped founders to think about how they can effectively and efficiently grow organically. We are growing, and the plan is to scale within the next few years, so we’re looking to fundraise very soon.

Speaking of money, small business owners really need to fall in love with the numbers. Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy? Why?

Pay attention to your margin and net numbers. Are you really profiting? After you consider all your costs, what are you really left with? And is that sustainable for growth?

What is your best money advice for new small business owners and founders?

Don’t spend money on marketing. Invest your time in organic marketing strategies. To date, we have not spent any money on advertising. And it’s been great.

We have seen a much-needed change in attitudes and awareness in the fashion industry, but we still have a long way to go. What are your hopes for the industry? What work is still left to be done?

I hope fashion and media quit treating “diversity” as a trend. I’m tired of tokenization. I also want to see the industry hire more women of color and not just try to sell to them.

How do you measure success as a small business owner? Do you measure it in terms of revenue, culture, growth, people, or all of the above?

As a small business owner, I’m really focused on our KPIs and figuring out where we can do better. I look at revenue, average order size, website traffic, conversion, etc. There are so many numbers to be on top of as an e-commerce business.

Social media always shows us the highlight reel but the reality is very different—Can you recall a mistake you made since launch and what did you learn from it? How did you turn it into an opportunity?

I fail every single day, and I love sharing my failures with the internet and my community. It’s important for us to show our customers that we’re real people. Authenticity and honesty have been key in our building strong customer relationships.

Photographer: Jenna Peffley

Hair: Styled by OGXpert & Celebrity Hairstylist Jillian Halouska

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