Community Highlights: Meet Zulema Verduzco of Exceptional Elegance Designs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zulema Verduzco

Zulema, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My business started in 2013 as a college project for an entrepreneurial class I was taking. This project consisted of creating a new business complete with a realistic proposal and strategic business plan. As soon as we started the project, I knew that this would be more than that. I originally wanted to focus solely on event planning and that was what I outlined in my business plan. In the months leading up to graduation I applied for jobs at country clubs, event halls, hotels, and anywhere else that could help me learn more about event planning.

In January of 2015, I was offered a position on the event management team in a prominent hotel in Downtown Fort Worth, however the job was not what I expected and I definitely was not making any progress for my business. I left the hotel after 8 months but I didn’t immediately go back to building my business. I got married, had a baby, and became a full time stay at home mom.

As my daughter got older I started to realize that I loved making party decorations but she was my only client and obviously I wasn’t getting paid for any of that work. It wasn’t until early 2018 that I opened an Etsy store and started selling my digital invitations. My store was active and I was adding new designs often but I wasn’t seeing any growth. I also had side gigs in graphic design, creating logos and branding items for other businesses. And I tried my hand at creating websites but those customers wanted me to manage their sites which I didn’t want to do.

When Covid started, the sales in my Etsy shop came to a complete stop. At the time, I was only offering invitations and no one was hosting any parties so there was no need for them. I had already given up my side gigs so I went back to being a full time stay at home mom. One day I was scrolling through social media when I saw an ad for a sale on the Cricut cutting machine. I did some quick research, watched a few videos and immediately knew that this was something I needed. I told my husband about it and he, being the supportive man he always is, ordered one for me.

The machine was one of the best investments I have ever made for my career! I watched tutorials and connected with others who were doing what I wanted to do. I began teaching myself how to make cake toppers, stickers, and personalized gifts but I was hesitant to put myself out there because I didn’t know if people would like the items I had to offer. At first my projects were few and far between until I started having more confidence in what I was making. In 2023 I made a goal to participate in a vendor market because I was ready to show the world what I had been working on and in April of that year I achieved that goal. I didn’t have many items to offer but I was proud of myself for reaching this goal!

Since that first market, I have participated in several more and have slowly started building my customer base. I am still learning how to use my machine, which sounds crazy since I’ve had it for 4 years but I’m more comfortable with it and with the results I have achieved. My current favorite things to make are sarcastic stickers and shaker toppers!

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?
It definitely has not been an easy road. Since graduation, nothing has gone “according to plan” and I’ve experienced both ups and downs in my business and in my personal life. In 2015 I left my friends and family in Iowa and moved to Texas for a job that wasn’t what I expected. In 2020 I was diagnosed with AFib/ a Heart Flutter and since then I have lived through some of the hardest days of my life. But I continue to push forward because I have big goals and I’m not willing to give up. Each milestone, whether good or bad, has taught me that this is truly what I love and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

One of the biggest struggles I’ve faced is the fear that no one will like my items. I know that I can’t please everyone and that the right people will love what I do but I tend to be a perfectionist so I’m always finding flaws in my products. I may have an outgoing personality but I’ve always been afraid of the spotlight so putting myself out there has not been easy. Participating in vendor markets and meeting people who genuinely like what I have to offer has been an amazing experience!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Exceptional Elegance Designs?
My business is called Exceptional Elegance Designs but don’t let the name fool you! I have a sarcastic sense of humor and I love to incorporate that into my products. When I was writing my business plan for my project I originally named my business Exceptional Elegance Events because events were going to be the focus. When I switched gears I realized that I wasn’t planning or organizing events so I needed a new name that would reflect everything else I was doing. I wanted to keep the first part of my business name but changing from “Events” to “Designs” allowed me to rebrand the business to include my new plans.

As I mentioned before, stickers are one of my current favorite things to make and I absolutely love when someone sees one that makes them laugh or that they can relate to in any way. I also offer custom cake toppers, digital invitations, handmade gifts like totes, water bottles, and mugs, wristlet keychains, art kits, bookmarks…the list goes on! If I can teach myself how to make something and I like the results then there’s a good chance it may turn into a new product I can offer my customers. But don’t worry, cake toppers and stickers will always be at the top of that list!

I think what sets me apart from others is that I take time to connect with my customers. I like to make everyone feel special and every conversation I have with a customer helps me get to know them. In fact I want each customer to feel like our connection goes back years rather than minutes!

Brand wise I am so proud of the fact that I stay true to myself and I do what I enjoy. I am truly passionate about everything I do and I know that comes across to my customers. I want the readers to know that I always enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them is what fuels me to create products they love and will come back for.

I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve built up enough confidence to put myself out there. I can set up at vendor markets or craft fairs and confidently and passionately talk about my products!

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I personally don’t consider myself a risk taker but as a business owner, everything is a risk. You have to make choices that will affect your business and sometimes those are good choices and sometimes they aren’t. Outcomes are never guaranteed so it’s important to make your choices and revel in the successes or learn from the mistakes.

I think for me, participating in vendor markets has been one of the biggest risks. Each vendor market or craft fair usually charges a vendor fee but you’re not guaranteed sales and you’re also not guaranteed that the flow of shoppers will be your target audience. I’ve done markets where I didn’t sell a single item and there have been others where I make back my vendor fee and then some. But I’ve learned that for me, the risk of participating in a market and losing money is something I’m willing to do because I’m meeting potential customers and letting them know I exist and what I have to offer.

Being a risk taker doesn’t always mean you have to take a big leap. Sometimes the risk is small but the reward can be great and you have to be willing to make that choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/eedbyzv
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exceptionalelegancedesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalelegancedesigns