Meet Rachel Magpayo-Valenteros - San Diego Business Babes Chapter Leader!
Meet Rachel Magpayo-Valenteros - San Diego Business Babes Chapter Leader!
Rachel is a work-at-home mompreneur and founder of creative studio Toto + Tess, & vintage shop Waipahe Co. With degrees in Fashion Design and Business Marketing, with 12 years of experience in business including designing for Guess and being the Director of Client Services for a boutique CPA Firm in San Diego.
Interested in learning more about Rachel? Check out the interview our team did with her below.
How did you get started in your business?
People journey down different paths that eventually lead them to the title of “entrepreneur.” There are those that immediately decided to be their own boss from the get-go. Others inherited the opportunity from another entrepreneur (i.e. parent). Some--like myself--may have stumbled upon it by accident when they realized a hobby can actually become profitable.
Fully intending on retiring from the corporate world, God decided he had other plans and presented me with the opportunity (and challenge) of being a stay-at-home mom. At this time, I was a first-time mom to a four-month-old son, my husband’s squadron had just deployed (USMC), and my superhero of a mom had started her chemo treatments for stage 3 breast cancer. I was in desperate need of a creative outlet to distract me from my personal fears and insecurities which took the form of getting serious with blogging. The blog ended up being the therapeutic stability I needed at that time in order to be the best daughter, wife, and mother I could be.
Fast forward a year later, my husband had just left again for another 6 months when we found out I was pregnant with our second son. Up until then, I had always planned on going back to the corporate world. Seeing that I was becoming a mother of two, working a 9-5 was no longer realistic for my situation.
Suddenly, writing about traveling and researching stunning destinations when I knew I wouldn’t be traveling anytime soon started making me feel a bit envious rather than counting my blessings. Not one to enjoy feeding the negative thoughts, something had to change. That’s when I decided to put my years of hoarding to use and see how I’d do selling at a local vintage market. On June 1st of 2018, I officially converted my travel and destination blog to Waipahe Co--a tropical and coastal shop that sells sustainable goods. On August 30th, 2019, Waipahe Co’s creative studio, Toto + Tess, launched--providing creative services with a sustainable mindset.
Favorite hobbies or passions outside of business?
Spending time with my little dudes who I love teaching things to and absolutely love learning from even more! We have weekly “science” and crafts days with science in quotations because those days typically consist of letting them discover and explore on their own terms. Sometimes it’s trying to eat their yogurt from an ice cream cone, seeing if crayons float in their bath, or blowing water with a straw across the table. I suggest having conversations with kids often--the things they say sometimes will absolutely blow your mind!
In addition to the kiddos, I love soaking in the sun with some ocean blue in sight, laughing with family/friends, and when I do get some alone time--binge-watching shows like Bones, Monk, Once Upon a Time, Grimm, and all the superhero movies/shows. ALL OF THEM.
What keeps you inspired?
Nature & Family. Nature keeps me inspired and family keeps me motivated.
What is one of the most challenging hurdles you've faced in business?
There have been MANY, but one that has been consistent is filtering down all the ideas to fit into my realistic daily schedule. I often find myself trying to keep up with the productivity and schedule of others before consciously reminding myself success is something only I can define for myself. Relinquishing the feeling of guilt when deciding on aborting a project or canceling plans is easily something I am still trying to navigate through to this day. I’m learning that nothing is worth sacrificing health and well-being.
How has COVID affected your business and how have you pivoted?
COVID has been a doozy. It’s affected the way I do business as I made most of my income through markets and in-person events. However, it’s affected my business mindset most after learning how many people are losing their lives, losing their jobs, and going hungry. This is really driving the motivation in how I’m restructuring my business by putting what’s really important into perspective. Waipahe Co has always donated to children-focused nonprofits such as UNICEF, however, we’re looking to figure out a way to level up in order to do more in the way we give back.
Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years?
In 5 years, I’ll have a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old which sounds absolutely unreal to me! Assuming the kids are in school and COVID is under control, I see myself having an amazing team per business (Waipahe Co, Toto + Tess, and San Diego Business Babes) and finally getting a healthy dose of sleep! Also, quality time weekends with the family will be a MUST.
What do you do to educate yourself as an entrepreneur? (Books, podcasts, courses, etc.)
I love the feeling of a book in my hand, so I’m constantly referring to my mini-library of books. However, I have about 4 different books I’m actively listening to on audible at a time. Talk Like Ted by Carmine Gallo and Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers have been my recent favorites. As for podcasts, Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast is still easily my favorite. I wish I could say I was being biased when I list Business Babes Collective as my main source of education, but I’m not. One of the silver linings with COVID is now we’ve all gone virtual which means I’m able to attend the other chapter’s events and I look forward to them each time. Business Babes Mastermind has been SUCH a great place to brainstorm and put ideas into actionable steps with like-minded entrepreneurs. Also, I’ve become friends with so many powerhouses I’ve met through Business Babes!
A Little Tip: Let yourself go down the rabbit hole when reading a book or taking a course. It takes me longer than the average person to finish a course sometimes because I truly look up the resources they reference. So many of the meaningful statistics and business tips I know come from those tangents.
What are your top 3 tips for business owners who are just starting out?
Research, Research, Research. Research your competitors, research your customer, research market trends--get lost in reading, listening, and observing. Learn to ask the right questions to get you closer to your goals.
Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable. Some of my biggest wins have been when I put myself out there even when I was uncomfortable and uncertain. As a fairly reserved introvert, I don’t go out of my way to meet people naturally. However, as an empath--I realized that I absorb the energy of those surrounding me and subconsciously have been surrounding myself with extroverted people. Which brings us back to Tip #1--Research! Even if it’s yourself.
Success means different things to different people. Do what feels right to you and go at a pace that best fits your situation. Nothing should be more important than your spiritual connection, mentality, connection to loved ones, and health.
Interested in learning more about Rachel and her businesses? Head here!