Meet Alejandra: Cadena Collective
In the words of Alejandra, a cadena is “a chain of good choices that can impact our local economies and ultimately change the way in which shopping for artisanal goods is done. “ This is her goal for Cadena Collective- a space for female artisans and small business owners to share their hand crafted products. With her contracts she offers artisans, they also receive free business coaching- Alejandra’s generosity is something you don’t come across super often, and I am humbled that she would choose to take the time to interview with us when her time is in such demand. She is equipping women in an action oriented way by providing a space, platform, and tools to succeed beyond what Cadena Collective offers. Read her story below, and I’m sure her words will cause you to revisit your why in your business.
1. Tell us about who you are and your journey to where you are now!
I am a Latina in my late twenties who grew up in Dallas, Texas by way of Zacatecas, Mexico. I value my culture immensely and live in an in-between world as a first-generation Mexican American. Cadena Collective came to fruition after finding amazing talent in my backyard of South Dallas, Texas- an underserved community.
My background is in government and public affairs but given the polarized political climate, working with artisans and small business owners became a positive outlet where I was working with my local community. The shop has grown into a labor of love, and I am continuously in search of hidden treasures and unique artisans in the United States and Mexico.
Since the official launch of the website in July, I have opened up two spaces inside a marketplace in Miami and travel between Miami and Dallas for vendor fairs. Cadena Collective has also gone from working with one woman-owned business to five, and we are currently in the process of signing on new vendors.
Our model is simple: have a great product, identify as a woman and we’ll discuss a fair consignment price for your products. This model works because we have to work as hard as our vendors to make sure they are profitable and that means that as Cadena Collective grows so do our wonderful vendors.
2. What is the mission of your brand? How does it empower women?
Cadena Collective provides a space for women artisans and small business owners to share their handcrafted products. Our goal is to uplift and empower women through our marketplace and to support their growth with small business consulting. This is the cornerstone of Cadena Collective. It is our ability to recognize women artisans who have a lot of potential and supporting them in the development of their business.
We are more than a shop where you can find a beautiful pair of hand crafted earrings or hand embroidered items. We are a movement guiding women to realize their full potential. Cadena Collective celebrates and uplifts women so that they feel empowered and worthy of everything they want to achieve.
3. How do you collaborate with women working towards a better world?
One of the most important things to me is identifying woman-owned enterprises who have similar ethical values like myself. That means they should seek to work directly with artisans and not buy wholesale from an undisclosed third party vendor. For example, the jewelry we carry in Cadena Collective has tassels that are made in Colima, Mexico by another woman-owned enterprise, and we make sure compensation is above average.
The goal is create a cadena, or chain of good choices that can impact our local economies and ultimately change the way in which shopping for artisanal goods is done.
4. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to press through as a female entrepreneur and what are the steps you’ve taken to overcome it?
Honestly, I haven’t faced challenges specific to my gender. If anything it has been an asset because I’m navigating a space that is centered around women and that means I am extremely knowledgeable about the businesses I want to work with and what handcrafted items will sell well.
I’ve had plenty of challenges navigating the process of creating a small business and have had to learn a variety of things from social media and website management to contract writing. I will say, as a female entrepreneur, I feel underestimated. Often times, when I talk about my business it is received as a ‘nice hobby’ when in reality it has developed into a full blown small business that supports several women vendors.
5. What advice would you give to a female entrepreneur in the beginning stages of launching her brand or business?
Go for it! I cautiously started Cadena Collective thinking it would be a great hobby and little did I know that it would grow so quickly. So often, as women, we underestimate ourselves. Once we put efforts into our brand or business, our perspective is so unique that we end up having great success.
Women have the largest purchasing power as head of households and this means we are able to identify what works and what doesn’t when it comes to brands and businesses. In this respect, we have an edge over our male counterparts. I advise women to keep that in mind and to go for it because we have valuable knowledge that is second nature to us.
6. What sets your brand apart from others?
At Cadena Collective, I identify brands that I can work closely with to help them grow. This includes helping with branding, social media, finances as well as anything else that a small business may need to grow. This is included in the vendor partnership and there is no additional cost to the consulting.
Given my background in communications I want to see brands succeed and potentially outgrow Cadena. I am not interested in keeping brands to myself and hope they are so successful- my goal is for them to grow into other spaces. Keeping in mind that the brands I work with are emerging and underground artisans, I am hopeful they can flourish!