Welcome back to Selfmade Stories, our series with Office Depot OfficeMax where we chat with up-and-coming entrepreneurs from our Selfmade virtual business course. This week, Naomi Castillo, founder of Oeste — a design studio and home goods line celebrating her Latinx roots — gives us the low-down on how to thoughtfully launch a business in a space where your culture is underrepresented.
B + C: If you were at a dinner party describing Oeste to a guest, what would your elevator pitch be?
Naomi Castillo: Oeste is a design studio that offers thoughtful, beautiful goods for your home that celebrates our Latinx culture and notion of home through the lens of design via our own line of products like our beloved hand-poured aromatic candles, as well as our collection of found goods from throughout Latin America.
B + C: Where were you in your life when you came up with the idea for Oeste?
Castillo: A version of Oeste has been bubbling inside of me since my earliest years. I was that kid that always loved playing store, rearranging my room, and collecting magazines for the pretty things on the pages. I somehow always knew I would have my own shop, it was just a question of how, when, and where. I was working at a design and architecture firm in New York post-graduate school when a clearer picture for what is now Oeste formed and I was able to start to map it out. Oeste actually means west in Spanish, so the name is a nod to both my hometown of Los Angeles, CA and the idea of home at the core of the brand.
B + C: What did you feel was missing from the marketplace that led you to Oeste?
Castillo: I was tired and frankly bored of rarely seeing people who looked like me in design (I was one of a small handful of people of color in my grad program and in the firm where I worked) or products that spoke to me and my experience as a Latina in the design/home space. Anything out there was a bit kitschy or twee for me, I wanted something more elevated yet still accessible, so when I didn't see it I decided to make it myself.
B + C: Oeste was launched in 2017 — which means your business is still young but not entirely new. In what ways has Oeste evolved since 2017?
Castillo: How much time do you have? Haha! The world itself is so completely different from that of 2017 thanks to the pandemic, but I'd say the primary way I and, by extension, Oeste have evolved is that I try to be more decisive and intentional with everything I do. I used to spend days agonizing over decisions and getting lost in research, especially when it came to my business; now I trust and follow my instinct. If Covid and the past few years taught me anything it is that we never know what is going to happen tomorrow, so trust in the present and yourself, hope for the best, and keep moving forward without too much delay.
B + C: How would you describe the Oeste customer?
Castillo: An informed consumer with discerning taste. They are stylish, but not trend-obsessed or materialistic. They care more about community, culture, story, and their own values over logos and, “keeping up with the Jones.” They're focused on building a nest but love to travel and experience new places. They love cooking and entertaining but don't feel the need to be Martha Stewart — they simply love trying new recipes and the joy of hosting people they love. In their free time, they love to read, visit museums, and try new restaurants. They are lean liberal/progressive-minded, strive to be eco-responsible, and support social causes they believe in.
B + C: Do you remember what sacrifices or compromises you had to make in order to get Oeste off the ground?
Castillo: I'd say the biggest sacrifice or compromise I've made for my business has been and continues to be time. Being an entrepreneur is a full-time job and then some! In the early days, I would sometimes pull all-nighters because I was so passionate and engulfed in what I was creating. It was, and still is, very difficult for me to turn off my brain and switch gears from "business Naomi" to "off-duty Naomi" and sometimes that can interfere with the amount of time or energy I would love to have for leisure, family, friends, and even self-care. I'm trying to be better about setting boundaries for myself and leaving the studio every evening at 6 pm. I'll let you know if I can ever stick to it for longer than two days in a row, haha.
B + C: How has founding a business grounded in your Latinx identity either helped or presented challenges when bringing your goods to market?
Castillo: One of the reasons I wanted to start Oeste is because I felt there wasn't a shop or brand that was really speaking to me as a Latina design enthusiast. Why isn't there a space for elevated design goods from the Latin American diaspora? Why is "handmade" synonymous with exclusivity and luxury if it comes from Europe, but often relegated to "peasant art" if it is from Guatemala? Representation is so important. As a proud Latina who is also passionate about design, I was looking for the type of products Oeste now makes and sells and when I couldn't find them I made it my mission to be the place that offers them. In that way, my Latinx identity was my north star in giving me clarity toward my business and mission.
B + C: Do you feel like there is a strong audience for Latinx home goods that hasn’t been tapped yet?
Castillo: I do think there is a strong market for Oeste's products. With members of the Latinx community holding $1.9 trillion dollars in purchasing power in the United States, I see an opportunity and audience for goods that speak to and celebrate the beauty of Latinx culture through home design in a way beyond cliché offerings like a printed Dia de los Muertos skull on a pillow. That said, I don't think Oeste's products are exclusively for the Latinx community simply because I happen to be a Latina founder or because I gave my scents Spanish titles in the same way a brand like Diptyque is not assumed to be solely for French consumers because its founders were French and gave their scents French names. I like to think our candles are attractive, high-quality aromatics and will smell and look great in your space no matter what your background.
B + C: How have you approached marketing your brand and raising awareness?
Castillo: So far it has been very organic growth. I feel so fortunate that our customers are very supportive and love telling others about their love for Oeste! A primary goal for this year, however, is to finally conceive and execute a proper marketing plan.
B + C: Do you have a team that’s working with you or is everything done on your own?
Castillo: Up until recently, it was me doing everything! My mentor gave me some tough love and told me the time had come for me to bring on help — otherwise, I was on a one-way flight to burnout city. Happy to report I've brought someone on and it's been fantastic already!
B + C: It seems like your candles have (and still are) the product that Oeste has become known for. How did you make sure yours were unique and different from other candle companies out there?
Castillo: Oeste candles started as a creative experiment inspired by a bout of homesickness and trying to capture a sense of home through scent. I researched extensively to make the best candles I could using eco-friendly and sustainable materials for a clean-burning candle I would not only love to light and use, but could feel good about as well. For instance, we use clean-burning coconut wax and Oeste candles are housed in recycled glass vessels that can be repurposed after the candle has given its last light. I think what makes us most unique, however, are the inspirations behind each of our scents; just like everything else in Oeste's orbit, our scents are inspired by our Latinx roots and people and places we hold near and dear to our hearts.
B + C: How do you balance the creative aspects from the business aspects of your job?
Castillo: I actually legitimately enjoy both the creative and business aspects of being an entrepreneur! I find things like spreadsheets can be creative exercises in their own way: they're like pieces of the puzzle that is your business and it's up to you to make them come together. That said, I try to batch my work into days or at least sets of hours so I can be full-on business or full-on creative mode and not have to bounce from one to the other.
B + C: What are the biggest challenges you face as an entrepreneur right now?
Castillo: Unstable supply chain and balancing the necessary day-to-day activities with big-picture strategic activities that will propel growth.
B + C: And what are some wins or successes that have propelled you forward?
Castillo: We currently have a waitlist for new wholesale accounts! To think that not only someone likes our candles enough to want to buy them, but also wants to carry them in their store to share with their customers is thrilling and I'm delighted every time I hear people tell me they enjoy them.
B + C: What are some of the ways you maintain your mental health or ways you stay focused while embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
Castillo: I take frequent breaks from social media and being online. Perhaps it isn't the best strategy for a growing business to neglect Instagram for days at a time, but I find stepping back from the noise and screens, in general, to be the best remedy for when I'm feeling overwhelmed and scattered.
B + C: What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received that you would pass on to others?
Castillo: The best and most motivating advice I've received and that I repeat to myself almost daily: talking about the thing is not the thing; doing the thing is the thing. You can research, strategize, and brainstorm until the cows come home, but until you actually sit and do the thing none of it will get you very far.
B + C: Who or what keeps you inspired?
Castillo: My parents, always. Central American immigrants who came to the US with nothing and built incredible lives, they are shining examples of how hard work, kindness, and courage are an unstoppable combination.
B + C: What has receiving the scholarship to Selfmade done to help you grow your business?
Castillo: Hearing from fellow women founders who have been in my exact shoes and learning from their experiences has been invaluable when it comes to helping me make informed decisions for my business.
B + C: How have Office Depot OfficeMax services/products helped you accomplish more in your business?
Castillo: I'm really analog and love making lists and notes on paper, it's been wonderful having such a generous budget from Office Depot for things like cute notebooks and Post-its. I was also able to get a proper shipping scale for dispatching our orders — it's been a game-changer!
B + C: What's next for Oeste?
Castillo: Our first brick-and-mortar storefront will be opening later this year in Los Angeles! I'm thrilled to have a permanent space where we can bring Oeste to life!
Thanks Naomi! You can follow Oeste on Instagram.
As we’ve learned from Naomi, creating your own work space should never be as challenging as creating your own space in an industry — which is where Office Depot OfficeMax comes in. With a suite of business services available at your fingertips — from signs, posters, and banners to get your business noticed to marketing materials to bring your brand vision to life — getting your idea off the ground has never been easier.
