Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Medrano.
Hi Erika, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always loved to craft and it all started off as a hobby, creating and decorating for family events. During Covid, I had a break from work and began creating my own DIYs for my home. I had created a set of wooden custom letters for my son’s room, and decided to post them on social media. To my surprise, my work had caught the attention of family and friends, and I received my very first inquiry. This allowed me to expand my creativity even more. I posted more of my work and started to receive multiple request for different projects. New tasks and challenges give me a sense of joy and accomplishment so saying no is not an option for me. As time went on, I was able to offer a wide variety of product, and to this day continue to add more and more. This journey has given me the opportunity to now have my Etsy Shop and continue to grow my business locally and out of state.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well, like anything, good things don’t come easy and there were several challenges I had to overcome.
Coming from a small town, “custom” party decor wasn’t a trend. It was very hard to find the clients to offer these products to. I really had to push myself to promote and make people really want to invest into something that was handmade and was meant to be used for a special event. Imagine the trust someone would need to have to give someone complete control to be able to create and bring to life the vision they have for their event. I take that responsibility very seriously, and that comes with several sleepless nights. As a mom and wife with a full time job, it is not always easy to find balance and it is something I am working on til’ this day.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in custom party decor, creating all kinds of different custom favors for events, from babyshowers all the way to weddings. I promote and offer a variety of themes and color schemes, based on what it is that the customer wants.
I’m mostly known for my custom cake toppers and custom snacks, which are a huge hit locally and on my Etsy shop.
My attention to detail is what I believe allows my work to stand out and the reason why I have several returning clients. I have clients that I have had the opportunity to service yearly for their events and that gives me great pride, but what I am most proud of is my cake toppers. In 2024, my cake toppers reached Alaska for the first time! Seeing that order come through gave me the assurance that my work is being seen and recognized, and I can’t wait to see what is yet to come!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The first thing that comes to mind is the days when my dad would get home from work, and would find the time to sit and color with me. His line of work brought out his creativeness, and really he was the one who showed me how to color inside the lines and the importance of paying attention to the small details. Anytime I was able to spend time with him is my favorite memory.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://craftncreationsbye.etsy.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/craftncreationsbyerika/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Craftncreationsbyerika/
