Today we’d like to introduce you to Catalina Gonzalez.
Catalina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The idea behind Dondolo started almost 7 years ago when my first baby boy was born and I was having trouble finding clothes that I thought were fashionable and safe enough for him. I needed to fulfill my business side as a woman and I had a burning desire to help women and children in my birth country of Colombia. I have always been interested in fashion, so I decided to start a children’s clothing line that would also give back clothes to children in deep need in Colombia, and I did! The name ‘Dondolo’ means “swing” in Italian and it seemed fitting because babies love to swing… but more than that swinging happy motion, Dondolo means the swinging motion of GIVING BACK to women, to moms, to children in need and receiving LOVE and satisfaction of having done something to better our world.
The website didn’t really work as I expected and after almost 2 years of not doing a lot with it, in 2014, I decided to start selling wholesale, and that is when Silvia (now CFO) and Mimsy (now VP of sales) joined the adventure. We started selling to one boutique here in Dallas and now we sell to over 200 across the USA. The only reason Dondolo has grown to where it is today is because of the amazing team of women around me.
Flash forward to today and I have 3 boys (7, 4 and 2) and 5 women employees that make the Dondolo girls dream team. We work very hard to design and sell beautiful and timeless clothing that’s different from anything else in the market, and to make DondoloGives our non-profit as successful as possible!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“It takes a village (OF AMAZING WOMEN!) to make it work”…
The sacrifice of a working mom is the hardest. There is never enough time! Its nearly impossible to build your own startup from scratch and still maintain my priority of being the best mom for my children.
We travel A LOT. Sales trips… fabric scouting trips… photoshoot trips… all of the trips are a struggle… but Mimsy, who is my VP of sales and my constant travel buddy, makes every hard day, the best and most successful one!
Another struggle is maintaining production times. Especially dealing with fabric vendors from Europe and manufacturers in Colombia, it is always a struggle to make everything work seamlessly. Thankfully Silvia, who is in charge of all the manufacturers, is amazing, diligent and excellent at her job and always stays on top of EVERYTHING!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Dondolo Inc. – what should we know?
We design and sell beautiful, one of a kind childrens clothing with a heartfelt purpose and mission. Our collections feature hand-picked European fabrics, delicate hand-embroidery and smocking by single moms in Colombia, all ethically manufactured in a factory that employs over 30 women. Our pieces are recognized by the traditional and elegant designs inspired by vintage patterns with extreme attention to detail (buttons, laces, trims). We use the highest quality fabrics and craftsmanship. Our pieces embody the love of each woman that handcrafts them, and they also have a purpose.
The purpose of our clothing is to empower the women behind each piece and to help communities in Colombia facing extreme poverty (many communities don’t even have water or electricity in their dirt floor houses). We delivered more than 5,000 items of clothing and snacks to 3 communities last year. We also donated a playground to each of the communities we visited. 1 year ago we started our Mom Empowering Program where we took 5 women from one of the communities we visit and we gave them a job assembling our Dondolo dolls. While working for a living wage, they also receive training on how to start and run their own business in order to better their lives and the lives of their children. Every time our clients buy Dondolo they are doing way more than buying the most beautiful heirloom piece of clothing for their children, they are changing the world for women and children one outfit at a time.
At Dondolo “Together, we are empowering motherhood”.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
At Dondolo we focus on 5 key areas:
Excellence: We want to have the best products in the market by partnering with the best manufacturers, having the greatest attention to detail, and selecting the best and most beautiful fabrics.
Honesty: Towards our customers and vendors.
Loyalty: Respecting our wholesale relationships with a boutique exclusive Collection, and exclusivities.
Efficiency: Deliver Collections on time.
Commitment: To love each other, support each other, learn from each other, respect each other and work TOGETHER towards building a fun, diverse team with strong work ethic and always room for continuous improvement.
To our clients, wholesale and retail (online), that they receive the best service, most positive energy and love from us, because that energy will be transferred into our clothing.
To give back to communities in Colombia by hiring single moms and by giving back to children in need of support and love. And now organizations here in Dallas with the result of empowering women and mothers across the world!
Contact Info:
- Address: 315 Cole St.
Suite 160
Dallas, Texas 75207 - Website: www.dondolo.com
- Phone: 469-804-4488
- Email: catalina@dondolo.com
- Instagram: @dondolobaby
- Facebook: @dondoloforkids
Image Credit:
@wearesaltbox, clay@wearesaltbox.com, matt@@wearesaltbox.com
www.wearesaltbox.com
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