Elevate Springfield featuring Rachel Rodriguez: Elevating Through the Power of Purpose, Brand Identity, and Building Community

Summary

In this conversation, Rachel Rodriguez shares her journey from a fashion intern to the founder of Inspira, an athleisure brand. She discusses her background, the challenges she faced in starting her business, and the importance of community and wellness in her life. Rachel emphasizes the significance of personal growth, the value of supporting local businesses, and the impact of her experiences on her entrepreneurial journey. She also shares insights on marketing strategies, customer experience, and her upcoming events, including a grand opening anniversary celebration for Inspira.

Takeaways

• Wellness is a crucial aspect of life and business.
• Every aspect of life has its season; balance is key.
• Starting a business requires taking risks and just beginning.
• Community support is vital for local businesses.
• Building a brand identity is essential for differentiation.
• Internships can provide invaluable experience and inspiration.
• Research and education play a significant role in entrepreneurship.
• Creating a positive customer experience fosters loyalty.
• Marketing strategies should focus on authenticity and community engagement.
• Personal well-being is fundamental to professional success.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Elevate Springfield, where we will dive into strategies and stories that help you rise to your full potential. Each episode, we'll talk about how you can take intentional steps to elevate your life and your business while making a meaningful impact on those around you. Along the way, we're gonna bring in the change makers from our community that are already elevating. We'll bring the actionable strategies, you bring the discipline and follow through, and together we can elevate Springfield. You are listening to the Elevate Springfield Podcast. Robert Farrell here, certified 10x coach, speaker, and mentor here to bring you actionable strategies. You bring the discipline and follow through, and together we're gonna Elevate Springfield. We're coming to you again from beautiful downtown Springfield in the Big Dog Construction Studio. Hey, we've got so much going on in Springfield right now. Make sure you are participating. Get out there, network with folks, be a part of the community, support local businesses, support local nonprofits, and let's go. We can all grow together. So, hey, another great episode for you today. We're gonna get right to our guest after the break. Hey, Springfield, when it comes to reliable, high-quality roofing, you don't want to leave things to chance. That's why you should reach out to Acosta Angeli Roofing, your local roofing expert serving Springfield and surrounding communities, from quick, dependable repairs to full replacement, from residential to commercial. They are your trusted pros. Call them today at 217-993-2748 or visit their website to book your free quote and inspection. Don't wait. A little leak now could lead to major damage later. Trust the local experts, protect your home, and get peace of mind with Acosta Angeli Roofing. All right, and we are back. Hey, joining me in the studio. You may have seen her oh last week. I did a real quick clip with her over at the West Side Market. We have Rachel Rodriguez from Inspira. Rachel, how are we doing today?

SPEAKER_02 2:26

I'm doing great. How are you?

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Oh, I'm fantastic. Appreciate you coming down this morning.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

I'm very grateful to be here. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Yeah, talk all things Inspira. But before we do that, let's just learn a little bit more about Rachel. Tell us a little bit about your background.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Yeah. Very long story, so bear with me.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Give it to us. Let's hear it.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

Um, born and raised Elgin, right outside Chicago. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Dream Come True. Um, I went there. I studied advertising, marketing, communications with minors in economics and Italian language. And then COVID hit, went to Florida with my husband. Very quick story there. And then started in Spira in the middle of COVID. And then what brought us here is that he got the coaching position at University of Illinois Springfield for baseball. Oh, gotcha. So he's the head coach now at the University of Illinois Springfield. So that's what brought us back to Illinois in Midwest.

SPEAKER_03 3:16

Very cool. So when you were in Elgin, and back to like your high school days, did you always want to do something fashion related? You said it was a dream to go to New York for that school. So when did that when did that start?

SPEAKER_02 3:27

When my mom took me, when I I joke, I had pigtails and I was wearing like Justice for Girls, if anybody knows what that brand is, like way back when, right? So it was a while ago. And I remember when she took me out, I was like, I'm in love with New York City. And I remember her being like, oh no. But at the same time, she was like, she loved it. I loved it. So then, yeah, my dream was Fashion Institute. And after going to community college for a couple of years and getting a scholarship, that I went to FIT.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Okay. So what how long was the program there? Was it a two year, a four-year?

SPEAKER_02 3:57

I went to FIT for three years. Three years. I ended up changing majors. I was in an international trade for a semester. And then I knew I wanted to go to advertising, marketing, communications. Okay. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:07

Where was it? Where was it located in New York? Was it like in downtown?

SPEAKER_02 4:10

7th and 27th, which is basically the middle of Manhattan. It's crazy, but it was seriously amazing. I lived on campus, and campus is one block, and it just is, you know, like what, gosh, like 11 stories. Right, right. And yeah, it was amazing. Best years.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

So cool. Some of those downtown colleges like that are just it's gotta be such a cool vibe.

SPEAKER_02 4:31

It's such a different vibe. I feel like, you know, a lot of people are in sororities or have extracurriculars, and mine was three internships, and the grind never stopped. I was working out every day, which was really fun as well. And yeah, it was the best.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

So where'd you intern at?

SPEAKER_02 4:45

I interned at French Connection, United Kingdom. And then I interned with Kleinfeld, which is if anybody knows, say yes to the dress, it is it's beautiful. It was a one of a lifetime experience. And I carry a lot with me today with what I learned there. And then after I interned with Kleinfeld, I interned at Vera Wang with Corporate for a couple months until COVID hit.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Those are big names there.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

It was awesome.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

Yeah. So you said the say yes to the dress. Were you ever like in the background of the show and walking by and something like that? Or were you a part of it at all?

SPEAKER_02 5:16

I don't want to be in it, but then I was at the same time, like it was really awesome. I grew up watching say yes to the dress with my mom. So watching it in front of me was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_03 5:23

Very cool. Yeah. So in terms of after that, did you get a job in New York or how long did you stay after you finished?

SPEAKER_02 5:31

Yeah. Um, I was still in school and interning with Vera Wang when COVID hit. So then I went to Florida to be with he was my boyfriend at the time. Now he's my husband, with his family. And it was kind of around the same time where I flew with one suitcase of just athleisure to Florida. And then that's kind of when the idea sparked for Inspira.

SPEAKER_03 5:50

All right. Whereabouts in Florida were you?

SPEAKER_02 5:52

We were in Tampa and then we moved to Jacksonville.

SPEAKER_03 5:54

So was the first Inspira down there? Is that when you really started it? Or is it up there?

SPEAKER_02 6:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Sure, sure. You might not have had a yeah, brick and mortar, but sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:03

My gosh, my husband always tells a story about how we were in this townhome at one point and I had Inspira in boxes in like this crawl space, and that's how I started it. Okay. So it moved with us from I think four or five houses, rentals, apartments, you name it. I always had it in a separate room as I grew it.

SPEAKER_03 6:22

So what really sparked the athleisure stuff? Because I mean you the you interned at Kleinfeld, which is, you know, the wedding dresses and all that, Vera Wang. I love that you know what that is. Yeah, Vera Wang, not really known for their athleisure, I don't believe, unless they've started with some new stuff that I haven't that I haven't seen. But what sparked the the change?

SPEAKER_02 6:38

Yeah, I definitely feel well, I've always been an athlete. I ran a marathon years ago. I was always an athlete in high school, you name it. And I always have stayed athletic as much as possible. I really care about health and wellness for sure. But it was more so I didn't even realize it. It was actually my sister-in-law who was like, you are always nitpicking other athleisure brands and you need to create your own. And I knew that I would donate to lupus research because my mom had lupus. And actually, when I landed the internship at Kleinfeld, which thousands upon thousands of people apply for. So it is very competitive, especially in New York. Um, and I'll never forget going with one of my friends to take a picture in front of Kleinfeld so I could send it to my family and friends, you know, saying, I'm interning. I landed the internship, and I have this picture still to this day that two monarch butterflies flew and they were flying, and then they landed on my heart, flew back up, which if you know butterflies, like that's not normal. Yeah. That doesn't happen every day. Right. They flew back up, flew back down to my heart, and I have a picture of the butterfly on my heart and me being like in shock. Like it was like my mom telling me I was right where I was supposed to be, and to just not look back and to just keep persevering. So that was the first time that my mom guided me as a butterfly. And ever since I see butterflies and they're never by accident. I know that she's trying to tell me something.

SPEAKER_03 7:57

Wow. Now you mentioned the the Kleinfield internship was very competitive. Yes. So walk us through that process a little bit. I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_02 8:04

My gosh. Well, I applied on LinkedIn and I remember submitting my application and just I remember praying that I would get it. And you know, you apply for several internships. And I just remember being, that's the one that I want to get. I interviewed, and it was a really great interview. I remember walking away, feeling like I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be, and I hope that I get it. So I prayed and prayed, and then I landed the internship. But was really, really crazy is that gosh, it was like a month into the internship, I was asked to be promoted into the Panina Tournay boutique, which is it's a one-of-a-lifetime experience. So I was honored. I said yes right away. I kissed my social life goodbye, and I learned more during that internship and in that promotion than I've learned in a lot in life. So it was it was amazing.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

So cool. So, what did that look like day to day in the Panina Tournée? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

Um, you had bridal appointments from pretty much the moment you got there until the moment you left. You know, you take time for some lunch. Uh, Allie was my mentor because she is the manager of the boutique there, and you're greeting every bride like it's the first bride that you've ever seen, learning the dresses. I love that process as well. You know, you have to be accountable for the differences in the dresses and which dress is which and what you can do to customize each dress for each bride from materials to the fabrications to the style, the cut, production timeline, everything. It was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

Very cool.

SPEAKER_02 9:24

And I think that's helped me a lot too, now that I think about it with today with my own company.

SPEAKER_03 9:28

So production. Was Panina ever there, like walking you through?

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Panina's amazing. Um, her entire team's amazing. It was incredible to witness how Panina treated each bride and just the customer service standard that Kleinfeld had in general, too. And I always felt taken care of as an intern there, which is really important because you know, there's Devil Worst Prada, there's all these things where people believe in all these things that happen. And it was really cool to have an experience like that to last me. Like I always want to pour into my interns and my team the way that I was poured into.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Love that. Yeah, and I'm I remember watching the show some with my wife.

SPEAKER_02 10:02

I love that you went.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

I remember Panina being that name being all over because that was like the dress. And then she'd be on the show occasionally. She'd show up on there, but that was like the dress I remember.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Yes. It was I ended up wearing her for my wedding because after, I mean, I was like the only, you know, designer I wanted to wear because I was I just admired her work, admired my internship and everything. It was it was really cool.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Very cool. So you took all that experience uh with these high-profile brands, high-profile people in the industry, and brought it to Inspira. So when you started to go the athleisure route and you said you're gonna make your own, how did you go about, hey, I'm gonna how do I source what I want here to begin exactly what I need?

SPEAKER_02 10:44

You know, I tell everyone, because I learned this right away, that research goes a long way. I started researching right away. I was I was a chick with my head cut off. I had no idea what I was doing, but I remember having the thought of I'm gonna start my own athleisure brand. And I remember came in from the Lanai in Tampa, and I told my husband and I told my father-in-law, I'm gonna start my own athleisure brand. And they looked at me like, yeah, you are. And I was like, and I have no idea what it's gonna be one day, but I'm gonna start it. And I feel like that's my purpose in life, and I'm just gonna do it. And they were like, sounds good. And I was like, okay. So I just started researching, researching a lot of what people loved in items, whether it wasn't even necessarily spandex and nylon and dry fit. It was more so like what do people gravitate towards and why how to build a website, how to get an LLC. I mean, everything and anything. There's so much nitty-gritty. One of the biggest things is GSM, which is like the amount of weight in fabric, like threading to make something not see-through.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

So that was a big part of my research along the way as well. And I take a lot of my education FIT with me every day with advertising, marketing, communications, economics, you know, really being able to grow with the way society is. And I mean, marketing is ever changing every day, which is awesome. It's a it's a big challenge always. Um, but I definitely feel like my education and my experience helped me in those ways. And then a lot of the actual product and building the business was YouTube University, Google, absolutely, all the above. It was a lot. But first year was just learning. If I was to have shown you the items that I launched in the first year, you would be laughing at me right now.

SPEAKER_03 12:19

Um sold some though, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:21

I sold some. I remember my grandma, my mom's mom. I remember when I was moving from Florida to Springfield and there was this bin of leggings that I was like, these just need to go to Goodwill. I would love anybody to have these, but I just can't sell them anymore. Like it's just they size ran too small and they were still a great item. And I was like, I want to drop them off at Goodwill. My grandma's like, You're crazy. You need to sell these. And I was like, No, I just want to, I just want to donate them and I want to move forward. And I remember parting ways with those leggings, knowing I could learn from those and grow from those and create something better.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

So back in that first year, there was other, of course, high profile athleisure brands out there. So what was your, hey, I want to be different this way? Or I want to get my my brand different than these others?

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Yeah, I couldn't stand that certain items would pill so easily, especially during COVID. I was working out all the time. And I'm like, these products should be lasting me. Hated things that were see-through. I couldn't stand buying cheap athleisure. Also wanted just comfort, especially whether you're working from home or going to the grocery store, just comfort matters and not having to pull up your leggings all the time or have pockets and certain things, like a jacket, you name it, or like a back pocket and leggings. And I'm super tall. I mean, I'm 5'11. So when items would shrink or change in the wash, I'd get frustrated. Sure, I bet. Yeah. So along the way, I was like, I just really want to close the gap in the market where it's high quality, it's affordable. You're not paying an arm and a leg for leggings that are gonna last you several years. And a little touch too was like UPF-50 technology and garments. I feel like early on I caught that and I wanted to produce some items, especially for people who have lupus or people who have skin issues in general. UPF 50 products really help them navigate life in general. Right.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

So, how many manufacturers or suppliers did you go through checking stuff out before you found the right thing?

SPEAKER_02 14:06

Oh gosh, several.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

Probably 20 to 30. And today I well, actually, I just tell this funny story because I remember it was like the second year of Inspira. And I remember talking to my manufacturers, and I fell in love with this specific style of these leggings that I wanted to push through as a product. And they basically had to tell me that another athleisure brand was already working on something like that and that they were patenting it, which means nobody else can do it. And I'm not gonna name names, but months later, I saw that style of leggings on a website that I was like, and I I was more inspired. I was like, if that's the road I'm on with a company I admire greatly, of course.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

I was gonna say, you don't have to say the name, but it was one of the bigger companies. I imagine one of the more well-known companies, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

And I remember running around the house in Tampa, like, I'm onto something, like I can do it. I got this. I'm neck and neck with almost a household name, basically. Like, I just need to stay the path. And yeah, so today I work with roughly four manufacturers, one in the US, and then the rest across seas. My manufacturers, like my best friends, they send gifts for my sons during their birthdays, Christmas time. We're really, really close. I mean, I communicate with them more than I communicate with even some of my best friends and family members. Right. I'm always communicating with them. But yeah, they're amazing. We definitely have took a long time to build trust with manufacturers, learn the ins and outs with logistics and all the things. So it's been really, really cool.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

Very cool. So just a little bit late to the game on that product. But what was your what was your first where you're like, this is it? I'm gonna make this. This is gonna be the thing. This company is gonna work now. I've had that.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

I will say our jumpstart zoop jacket that I'm wearing is our number one bestseller. It's what we're known for. We've had over 2,000 now sold with 100% satisfaction.

SPEAKER_03 15:53

That's huge. That's that's massive.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

I feel like when I launched our Jumpstart Zoop jacket, it's so it's a centimeter shorter in the front than it is in the back, which makes it contenting on everyone. It looks cropped on a hanger, but it's not. And yeah, it's definitely my I would say it's my favorite item to sell because usually nobody has anything like it in their wardrobe.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Right. And when did that one come acros come about?

SPEAKER_02 16:16

Three years ago.

SPEAKER_03 16:16

Three years ago.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Right around when I broke even and started profiting.

SPEAKER_03 16:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

I was like, I got this.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

That's a good feeling, right? Oh. Start profiting.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

The best. Yeah. I was like, I got this.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Those first three years were crazy.

SPEAKER_03 16:27

Love it. So walk us through to the move to Springfield. You started this whole thing in Florida, you're doing it out of the house, you're you're coming back to Springfield. Walk us through that.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Yes. Um, it's funny. I remember sending my husband a screenshot of fitness studios or like boutiques in the area and just life in Springfield. Obviously, I was raised three hours away, so I knew the potential. But if you would have told me that I'd be open my first brick and mortar here and taken out of my house here, I I don't know what I would have said to you, but it feels really good to say that out loud. But we packed everything up into our car. We had a U-Haul trailer that was specifically Inspira in the back because we moved in November. It's a funny story. I'm eight months pregnant with our first son. We don't have a house yet. Had the U-Haul trailer connected to our RAV4, and the journey to Springfield was very slow with this trailer. I moved the trailer of Inspira into a legit U-Haul storage space. Oh, okay. Yeah. I have pictures still to this day of packing Black Friday, Saturday, and Monday holiday orders as we were looking for a rental or to buy a home at the time with our first baby due in January. Yeah, I packed orders out of the U-Haul storage space. Then we bought our first house in December. So that kind of November shift was wild. And then moved it into the fourth bedroom in our home. And it was only organized and looked put together to me. If you were to walk into my Inspira headquarters, my family called it. I'm like, okay, when you go in there, just know it's very organized and there's a purpose for everything in there. But yeah. So even like some of my family and friends would come over and they would shop out of Inspira headquarters, but I shipped everything out for wholesalers, retailers that carry Inspira, and then customers online. So yeah. But along the way, I mean I grew Inspira with events, business-to-business partnerships online always. And then we're in wholesale. I did my first trade show right after we moved to Springfield. So now we're in 13 locations across nine states.

SPEAKER_03 18:24

Come on. Love it. Let's go. Yeah, I love that story of doing business out of the U-Haul. That's I mean, out of the U-Haul. That was a time.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

That was a time had.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

That is so cool. So so I mean, Springfield, you said you were looking around and you, you know, did you have family, friends here already? Or just I'm just wondering if it was just a complete, hey, Springfield looks like it'd be a place that I can grow my business, or if there was a tie here.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

You know, he got the job here, and we just he was actually jobless for a month at the time. So when he got the job here, we just agreed that that was where we were supposed to go. That's where we were led to go. We believe that was God's plan, and we're just gonna figure it out as we go. But having family within driving distance versus not having too much family in Jacksonville, Florida was exciting to me with our first baby. So yeah, it was, I was like, there's potential there, and we're just going to, we're gonna do it.

SPEAKER_03 19:12

Love it.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

But there was nobody like I did not know a single soul when I actually moved here.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Yeah. Okay. I just didn't know if that was, you know, he was applying for jobs here because you guys had a connection here or something. But no, very cool. So walk us through the the brick and mortar opening.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Okay. Well, this long story, but we got time, right? Yeah, we got time. Um, so like I said, um events and trade shows. So when we moved here, I met people here right away. First person that I met, and still to this day, love her to death, Cindy Grady. She sold us our house. And she's been like my left-hand woman ever since we moved here. I'm like, where do I get my nails done? Where do I get my hair done? Right. Just learning Springfield. And so I remember telling her about Inspira. And then I remember doing an event with other businesses, and that was how people first learned about Inspira. And it's really cool to still have some amazing customers from that first event that walk into the store today. Yeah. Um, but did our my trade show. So I was shipping a lot of wholesale items out of the house, which at one point to me was like, how am I gonna continue to ship out these bulk orders that are taking up my entire kitchen floor, living room floor, um, taking me several hours to ship out, you know, like I need a space. Um, but it wasn't really until my husband got the head coach job and until I was doing at first he was the assistant. Um, but when he got the head job, I knew we'd be here for a good time and a long time. And then doing all these events, a lot of girls were like, Well, do you have a store that I could come shop? Like, I want to shop everything. I want to shop the whole website. And I'm like, not yet, not yet. And then when he got the head job, I was looking into spaces for more of a short-term lease, like a pop-up. Cause I always would do pop-up events, always. So I'm like, maybe just like a little pop-up and see how it goes. And then I found I was grabbing coffee with my friend at Hayes on Wabash. I saw a forensic sign in the window in July. And that's so ironic. Eight months pregnant.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

Maybe every big change.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

Oh my, oh boy. Um, eight months pregnant, and we had Benny already, our first son. So he we've had two under two. So just like timeline purposes. But I saw the forensign in that window. We were already sold um like a small, cute little cure collection in Butter with Bubbly next door. Um super close with Randy. She's amazing. And I remember grabbing coffee and I saw a forensign. And I'm like, I thought to myself, and I'm a big, like, I visualize it, I see it, it's happening type of person. I saw the forensign, I was like, that's my store. And I was like, I don't know how, but that's my store. That's my first store. So I grabbed coffee. It's so funny. So to this day, I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it, but I didn't. I went up north the next day for an event and I called CJ, my husband, and I was like, You need to go take a picture of that for rent sign.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

You need to get that number for me.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

Yeah, he's like, What? I was like, That forensign. 3848 Wabash. I need a picture of that number. I need to call. He's like, okay. And he always is just the most supportive and believes in me. So he's like, okay, doesn't second guess it, anything. Call the number, don't get through. And I'm like, so call again, keep calling. Finally got through. And after a couple months of negotiating and losing more sleep than I've ever lost between probably both newborn boys, I got the store. And it's funny because everybody who was like, you know, I thought you were going to open a short-term, three-month lease, a little pop-up thing. I signed a four-year lease and never looked back and got the keys to the store the day I gave birth to Richie, our second son. The day. I remember texting me, and I knew it was all gonna happen at the same time, but it was funny. And my landlord's like, you can grab the keys today. I'm like, okay, well, my mother-in-law will be there to pick up the keys. I just gave birth. Yeah. So that was also crazy. But yeah. So then we opened November 1st was our grand opening, and it was insane. It was amazing. I'll never forget the grand opening.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Love that. Love the commitments. Yeah, I'm going in for four years. Let's go. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

I was like, we're just gonna do it. We're never gonna look back.

SPEAKER_03 23:05

How fun was that, though, to actually, you know, design what the store is gonna look like, the feel, the vibe, everything you got. And that had to be fun, right?

SPEAKER_02 23:12

My gosh. It even like, you know, makes me emotional thinking about it. Cause I'm like, you always think of that day, but really moving it from you don't want to see the room in our house where I ran it out of. I promise you. When I moved it from there, everybody's like, that's what you were doing it out of. I'm like, yes. So designing it was really cool. Actually, like my uncle, my cousin, they painted the whole store. They are not only good at painting, but they love to paint. They painted the whole store. I just feel like it was a lot of, you know, the bones of the store and what built it was even like he's like my bonus dad. He did my cash wrap. He did him and my husband put all of the fitting room in. Oh, yeah. They put, I mean, they did everything besides the plumbing, the electrical. So it was really family and my support system helping to build the store. So yeah, picking everything out was really fun. Watching all come together was really fun. And it's really cool to see how it looks today versus like, I mean, I have a sketch of how I thought everything would be laid out. And it's crazy that it actually is laid out the way that it's a lot of it.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

It is laid out the how you had it originally. Very cool.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

Yeah. My bonus dad, Dave, he built my mannequin stands, he built my tables. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:15

Okay. So if somebody hasn't been in your store yet, describe it to us. What's the feel of it in there? What do you what do they see when they come in?

SPEAKER_02 24:21

Simple, elevated, classy, and cozy at the same time. I've got two chairs where I just want people to be able to come in and well, you know, whether a woman comes in with her husband or like her kid, I want them to be able to sit there while she mingles or whatever and just network with them and connect and take their time. I never want a customer to feel rushed. I want them to feel at home and just like we're having a good time.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

I love it. So how do you elevate that client experience? Somebody comes in, maybe they've never been in there before. Yeah. What do you walk them through?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

Yeah. I always want them to know about Inspira. I always want them to know that we are high quality, affordable athleisure, and that we are partners not only support lupus, but we are partners with the Lupus Foundation of America. My mom had lupus, so we donate to Lupus Research, and butterflies remind me of my mom. That's why it's our logo and why you'll see it on everything. It is all Inspira. And I want them to know that from the moment that they walk in, um, and that our best sellers are our jackets, joggers, long sleeves, leggings, and sports bras. Come on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:20

So over the years, what have you say has been your best marketing tool? Getting your getting your name out there, getting your stuff out there. What's been your best avenue to do that?

SPEAKER_02 25:28

I really believe in just being yourself and putting yourself out there in terms of marketing as well. When I went to FIT, my education was really about product place, promotion, all of that, and how to market a product to your demographic. So that's helped me a ton. But at the same time, social media is completely different today than it was when I was in school. I mean Instagram was just around when I was, which doesn't even feel that long ago. Right. So being able to navigate marketing tools and just really being yourself. I mean, I just love popping on our Instagram story, popping on our TikTok and just showing our community what we have, what they need. Um, just even asking for feedback. One of my favorite things about Instagram, TikTok, is that I can put something out there and my community wants to respond right away and be a part of it. And I love growing our community in the store with business-to-business events, trade shows, all the avenues. I really love it.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

I think that's probably the big differentiator there because yeah, social media is great for fashion in general because you can show off your stuff, right? And you show it off, but it's building that community, like you talked about, I think is what is super important and what connects people to you and your brand. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Like one of my favorite things about having the store that you may not always have online is when somebody walks in and I tell them about Inspirer, one of our girls talks about the brand. Um, and they're like, oh my gosh, I know somebody who has lupus, or my gosh, I love butterflies. And just the connection that that makes is it always reminds me of when I came in from the Lanai and said, I'm gonna start Inspira and I'm never gonna look back. And to have those connections and to have that community today is really, really awesome.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Love it. So what's next for Inspire? Any big plans coming up for it?

SPEAKER_02 27:11

I feel like we always have something in the works. I'm always eager for more and I just love getting after it. But the probably the biggest thing that we have coming that I want everybody to be a part of if they can is our grand opening anniversary, but it's also like our anniversary of launching the company. So I launched Inspira online November 5th, 2020. Yeah. So it'll be our sixth year anniversary and then grand opening anniversary. So we're throwing a massive party at our flagship store on November 7th. It's gonna be an all-day thing, and everybody can come. We're gonna have live music, we're gonna have a mobile bar, we're gonna have massive giveaways, gift with purchase, a new collection. It's gonna be a good time.

SPEAKER_03 27:51

Any sneak peek on a new collection?

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Um best sellers, new colorways that you wouldn't want to miss.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Very cool. Very cool. Who are you having for music out there?

SPEAKER_02 28:01

We're gonna have downstate. Have you heard of them?

SPEAKER_03 28:03

I have, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

They're amazing. They played at the market, at Westside Market in June. And I remember going up to them, I'm like, Do you guys know how good you are? Right. The beer garden was packed, and they were so humble, just the most kind guys. And I'm like, please tell me you don't have November 7th booked. And they're like, No, I don't think we do. I'm like, well, now you do. You're gonna be at Inspira. They were so good. It was awesome. I'm really excited to have them in store.

SPEAKER_03 28:27

Very cool. So November 7th, all day, people can just come whenever. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

We're gonna have mobile bar, emoza's. Yeah, it's gonna be really fun.

SPEAKER_03 28:36

All right. Well, congratulations on almost six years and thank you the one year of your grand opening. So that's awesome. So well, it's uh we talked a lot of business stuff. Let's flip over to the personal side. What are some ways you elevate your life personally?

SPEAKER_02 28:49

I really believe that in order to be your best self as a business owner, as a mom, as a wife, you have to take care of you. I'm forever learning that as well along the way. Personally, my faith is my foundation for sure. Even when I get stressed, just decision making, uh, I pray, I stop, I breathe. So if it wasn't for my faith, I feel like I wouldn't be where I am today for sure. It also drives my marriage. Me as a mom, I love to work out. If I go a certain amount of time without getting in my own exercise and taking that time for myself, you see it. It's a positive reflection on the things that I'm doing in my life when I take that time for myself. And I always have to. So, like I always remind myself, take that time for you so that you can be your best self.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

My nails are always done. Everybody knows if my nails are not Ferrari red, there's probably something wrong in my life.

SPEAKER_03 29:37

Oh, it's all they're always red. Always Ferrari red.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

My favorite is when people are like around like Christmas time and everything. Right. They're like, Oh, I love the nail color. It's so festive. I'm like, yeah, but when you see my nails in June and they're still Ferroi red, very cool. So I get my nails done. But yeah, otherwise I'm pretty low-key, but I love to just take care of myself, eat healthy, as healthy as I can. I believe in like 80, 20, just as much balance as you can, but you've got to live your life. I love my wine, and I'll always tell I want tons of kids. So I'm like, for nine months and more. I don't have my wine. So when I want my wine, I'm gonna have my wine. There you go.

SPEAKER_03 30:09

And you tend to plan your kids around big events in terms of terms of moving or going. So yeah, it works out great.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

Some go through midlife crisis and you know, dye their hair. Some open up a brick and mortar.

SPEAKER_03 30:19

There you go. Exactly. What's your favorite type of exercise?

SPEAKER_02 30:22

I love lifting weights. Yeah, which I feel like people really don't know about me. Like I just love going to the Y. They have a great child watch program. So I take my boys there. I'll lift heavy. Um, and I love Pilates as well. Um, yoga once in a while, and it's the most underrated thing at the same time. Just going on a walk, listening to a podcast, that's probably been my favorite thing long term that I've never changed.

SPEAKER_03 30:45

No, that's that's great. Yeah, I do a lot of weightlifting, but that's one thing. I know it sounds cliche now, but the the 10,000 steps. Everybody talks about the 10,000 steps. I do the 10,000 steps.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Right? And you feel so good. So good. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 30:57

You know, just to just walk.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

Yes, just a little walk.

SPEAKER_03 30:59

Yeah, absolutely. Well, Rachel, so much great stuff today. I always like to close with these last couple of things.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

Let's give the audience a piece of advice, one on the personal side, one on the professional side to help them elevate their life or business.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

I would say on the personal side, and I'm happy I learned this now rather than later. So it's my biggest piece of advice anybody starting out to is that every aspect of life has its season. So what I mean by that is I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I'm a friend. I am a business owner. And every day, sometimes even every hour, you know, every season has its different part that you need to give more of yourself to or give a little bit less. And I feel when I first started in Spira and then first had our baby boy, I was trying to give my all to my business, give my all as a mom. And then I pretty quickly learned there's certain moments in life where I need to give my all as a mom. And there's certain moments where I need to be okay with our support system being with the boys and me giving my all to my business to help big picture come to life as a mom, as a wife, as a business owner. And at the same time, even like this is a great example. We're closed for the fourth of July and closed for the fifth at the store. And we shut down basically and went to Utah to be with my family.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:14

And those memories we'll never get back.

SPEAKER_03 32:16

Yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

Yeah. That's personal side for sure. So every part of life has its season and to really lean into that season. And then professionally, I would say just start. You're never going to have it perfect and you're never going to learn and adjust or be able to analyze anything and learn and grow if you are always trying to just make it perfect right away. I even feel that way today when I push out a new product. I'm like, if I launch it and I get feedback that it could be better, that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 32:48

So just start the business, just go for it, start the workout, you know, make the recipe at home. Just do it and you're gonna learn from it. And there's so much beauty in not getting it right right away because when you do get it right, you're gonna be like, my gosh, I nailed it. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 33:03

Love it. Yeah, you're right. It's the start that stops most people. Yeah. So just start, just do it.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

Just start, just do it.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

And is there anything we can do community-wide to help all of us here elevate Springfield and the surrounding communities?

SPEAKER_02 33:16

Yeah, uh, I would say just really supporting local businesses is going to elevate Springfield always. There's so many, trust me, I collaborate with so many and I love it. There's so many amazing entrepreneurs right at our fingertips here that I just think, yeah, networking with local businesses and leaning into the local businesses can help elevate us in a heartbeat. Also, I am the walk chair. So my dad and my godfather both took their own life two separate times. So there's the walk to end suicide in Springfield at UIS September 26th. So I'm the walk chair for that. So I would love to see the entire community show up for that.

SPEAKER_03 33:55

And how do people get involved in that? Where do they go to?

SPEAKER_02 33:57

Yeah. Um, they can go to afsp.org or even go to my personal Instagram or Facebook, Rachel Rodriguez. Instagram's Rach Rod or underscore Rach Rod underscore. And yeah, I always need a lot of volunteers. I love when other businesses can donate and support. We need always need sponsors. Last year was the first year that I put on the walk and we broke records for fundraising for the first time since COVID. So we raised over $30,000, and that was my goal. So I like a challenge. So this year I want to raise even more than we raised last year. That up. Let's go. But if the community could come together for that at UAS on September 26th, that'd be epic.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

Get out there and support Springfield. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:38

Well, Rachel, remind everybody about all the things where they can get a hold of you, where they can see more about Inspira, all the good stuff.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

Yeah. So inspira TLB.com always. And then our flagship store is 3848 Wabash Avenue, right next to Hayes Coffee and Bakery. Instagram is Inspira underscore TLB. TLB stands for the lifestyle brand. And then TikTok, Inspira TLB. But you can always find us at the store online. DM us, email us. We always love to hear from our community.

SPEAKER_03 35:06

There you go. And don't forget to mark your calendars for November 7th.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Yes, November 7th.

SPEAKER_03 35:11

Celebration. There you go. Big party. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 35:13

You're gonna want to be there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:14

Well, Rachel, appreciate you coming in today. It's fun.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 35:18

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SPEAKER_00 37:11

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