Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Estrella.
Hi Karla, 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.
My name is Karla Estrella, owner of Maoli & Co. Since I was little, I grew up watching my father work with wood. He was fascinated by it! When he had a project, like making a floating deck or pergolas, he would come back home talking about how well his day had gone working on what he liked the most. Later in time, he had his own business and he included all of us in the business. That is when I learned what I know today. I had to learn how to use all the power tools, and how to design and create handmade pieces for different shops that ordered from us.
As time passed, I moved away and began to form my own family. As a stay-at-home mom for most of my life, I dedicated my time to raising my two daughters. Now as they are all grown up, I felt it was time for me to learn and create things I never thought possible. Now the question was: where do I start? Well, I decided to apply what I had learned in the past. Therefore, at the beginning of the pandemic, I started drawing and creating handmade pieces for the house. Then, I began making little gifts here and there; it started to become my favorite thing!
After some time, my family encouraged me to share what I was doing with others. Therefore, by 2022, Maoli & Co (which means nature) was born. What I thought was just a hobby, became what it is today. This small business is all about love for what is special to you. Every piece is made with love. My objective is to translate your idea into something that you will cherish forever. I will always be thankful for the support of my family, friends, and other small businesses. Special people like them are what keeps me going and doing what I love the most!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are no easy roads when we start our own business. My biggest challenge has been myself. I didn’t know if I would be successful because I love what I do but I tend to doubt myself. It also scared me not knowing how I would manage my time with my other responsibilities in life and other volunteer work that is also important to me.
Thanks to the support of my husband (David), my two daughters (Lee Ann and Kianna), and my two sons-in-law (Eliel and Tito), I have been able to achieve this dream of having my own small business. Through time, I have realized that by having a positive mindset along with a lot of effort, we can overcome any obstacle that comes our way. As I mentioned, there are no easy roads in any business. However, there is always a success when you work for something that brings you happiness. Especially when you do it with a lot of love!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work revolves around wood. I make custom or personalized artwork made out of wood. I’ve dedicated my specialty to creating wooden signs for those occasions that are special for my clients – especially weddings and anniversaries.
I also design and create logo signs for individuals, families, and other businesses which become a graphical wooden representation for marketing their business.
The other area I specialize in, which is my personal favorite, is woodwork for home decor. These are the personal touch accents and elements that make your home.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
As someone who just started this small business, I consider that passion, determination, and hard work are keys to success. Something that helps me is having the objective of creating a positive impact in someone’s life.
For me, that is important because it makes all my hard work worthwhile. It motivates me to keep working day by day with the same determination that I had when I started this journey.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maoli_co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081250218848
