Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Hernandez.
Hi Whitney, 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.
I actually started out in 2020 during the start of the pandemic! I like to say I was born crafty…It’s always been something I’ve loved, so when my husband gifted me a cricut for one of our anniversaries; I was so excited! I was also terrified, thinking how the heck do I use this thing! So that led to about an hour on YouTube learning how to work it. Once I got the hang of it, I just started making things. I started out making wood door signs and made my first three for family members. I decided to post them on my Facebook, and from there, friends and family were asking me to sell them. By the fall of 2020, I had my first big order for about 80 wood trays! Getting to do so many of them, I got comfortable very quickly and just started coming up with all kinds of designs!
Fast forward to 2021, my husband and I got married in October last year and I was scrolling on Pinterest looking for wedding inspo as most brides do. I started seeing these acrylic signs and I was obsessed! I couldn’t find anyone in our area that made them and the ones I found online were out of my price range. That led me to try one myself! My first one I made was for our couple’s shower, and then I made some for our wedding as well.
Since then, acrylic signs are by far my favorite thing to make. I offer a discount on bulk wedding orders and I try to offer them as affordable as I can because I know what’s it like to plan a wedding and they get expensive very quickly. Working with brides is one of my favorite things to do!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’d like to say it’s been a smooth road, but the most challenging part was definitely supply and demand in 2020. Once the pandemic hit, things got hard to find, and the wood I needed for my door signs were one of those things. I remember driving around with my husband to all the Home Depots and Lowes in the area looking for the right wood. I think the furthest we drove was about an hour in DFW traffic lol. The door signs also got popular around the same time so, of course, I wasn’t the only one making them and that made it hard as well. I would have to pause on taking orders until we could find more and try to stock up.
I never thought I would get to where I am today so while we were going through that, it was hard to decide if we should even stock up or not because I didn’t know or think at the time that I would still be doing this today. It’s been an interesting road for sure, but it has been pretty smooth since my wedding and all the planning has passed. I also work throughout the week so just learning how to manage my time the best way and be able to keep both incomes has been a journey too!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
DFW Signs is your local shop for everything custom! I offer wood signs, door hangers, trays, and acrylic event signs. The acrylic event signs I do can be for anything from birthdays and baby showers to weddings and corporate events. I also make custom invitations and poster boards. Everything I do is custom-made to meet your needs and nothing is ever the exact same. I would say I’m most known for my event signs; I mainly do acrylics but have received a lot of orders lately for poster boards.
The poster boards allow me the most creative freedom! Most people will message me with a theme for their baby shower or birthday party, and I will do a full design based on their colors or theme.
What sets me apart from others is, this started out as just a hobby for me and has grown into so much more. For me, it’s not about making the most profit. It’s about being able to give people exactly what they need when they don’t know how to get it. It’s seeing the look on their faces when they pick up their orders and getting to see how much they love my work that we worked together to design. I try to be as affordable as I can be and that allows me to reach more people. I take the time to do digital mock-ups for everything I make. This allows me to show my customers exactly what their ideas will look like before they come to life. Not many people offer that and it’s truly beneficial for me too because I learn and grow with every single one that I do!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I just wanted to add that while I am based in DFW, I do have the ability to ship as well! Lastly, if there is something you are looking for that you’re not sure if I do, ask me anyways! I will always try to accommodate you and if it’s not something I can do, I will point you in the direction of someone who can. I have several small business friends, and one in particular, Sun and Moon Events; if I can’t do it, usually between the two of us, we can get it done!
Feel free to check out my Instagram (@dfwsigns) and see all the things I offer. I can’t wait to hopefully work with you in the future!
Pricing:
- Large 18×24” acrylics start at $50
- XL 20×32” acrylics start at $65
- 16×20” poster boards $40
- 20×30” poster boards $50
- 18” round wood signs start at $50
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/dfwsigns
Image Credits
Rachel Loren Photo
