Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanni Perez.
Hi Giovanni, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Our story
Chapter 1 – Gio and Emily
Our story began as children, worlds apart, yet similar entrepreneurial minds.
Gio grew up in south Texas and started a small business selling brownies and chips to his classmates throughout his school years. He made a decent living for himself while Emily was growing up an ocean away in the Middle East creating her own small beaded jewelry business.
Emily moved to Denton, TX in 2015 to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at the University of North Texas, where she excelled in her craft, and started working with a couture designer in Dallas.
Gio moved to Denton in 2018 after he graduated with a degree in Finance to start his job with Fidelity Investments, where he was able to earn his Masters in Financial Planning.
Their paths crossed at the Village Church in Denton where Gio began his pursuit to win Emily’s heart. After three trying years and a couple unsuccessful attempts, Emily finally fell head over heels for this persistent man. They married in 2022 and moved to Dallas, where Gio taught business to highschoolers and Emily supervised production and developed new products for a company that provided vocational training to refugee women.
Gio started noticing the increasing demand for Emily’s alteration services that she did from her home and had been doing for several years, including creating custom wedding gowns for herself and friends.
Gio did some research on the tailoring and alterations industry and saw an opportunity to bring a fresh spin on this traditional business and train the next generation of tailors. He concluded that alterations were indeed in demand. They decided to formalize her skills with an official business, which was to be run out of their home, as they discovered they were expecting their first child.
The couple moved back to Denton in 2023 to be near family with their little one, Basil, and started to explore the idea of getting a physical location. They found a space in Flower Mound to open their first Ahem Alterations location and are excited to serve their surrounding community.
Chapter 2 – Shera Barela
Shera’s love for sewing started early. At just five years old, she learned how to sew on a button, and soon after, she was making clothes for her dolls and Barbies from scrap fabric. As she grew, so did her skills. She participated in 4-H sewing competitions throughout elementary and junior high, and in high school FCCLA, where she had the honor of advancing to State!
In 2010, Shera left her small town in West Texas and moved to Denton to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at the University of North Texas. Her passion for sewing and design flourished, but so did her awareness of the injustices in the fashion industry—the unethical labor practices and environmental harm left her questioning her place in the field. She nearly changed her major, unsure how her love for sewing could be used for good. But God had other plans.
During college, Shera was invited by an anti-human trafficking organization to lead a sewing program in Africa, teaching women practical sewing skills to help support their families. Those two months changed everything. She realized that sewing wasn’t just a skill—it was a way to empower, uplift, and create meaningful change. A dream was planted in her heart: to one day have her own design business that could serve others and leave a positive impact.
After graduating, Shera worked for various design companies in Dallas, gaining experience in different aspects of the industry. Yet, none of them felt like home. She eventually transitioned into fashion styling, working with clients across the U.S. for six years. Over and over, she heard the same frustration from women:
“I love the clothes you sent me—I just don’t love them on me. They don’t fit my body right.”
This realization reignited Shera’s purpose. Clothing should be made to fit people, not the other way around. In 2023, she made the difficult decision to leave her styling career and venture out on her own to build a custom design and alterations business on the side while also teaching sewing classes at UNT.
Her journey led her to Ahem Alterations, where she found a like-minded team that shared her vision—using expert craftsmanship to serve people, honor the uniqueness of every body, and create a more ethical and sustainable approach to tailoring.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s definitely been a roller coaster. My wife and I had no idea about how to negotiate a commercial lease, obtain necessary remodeling permits, or register for a business license. Thankfully, ChatGPT was getting pretty smart around this time, and we used it almost exclusively to help us navigate bureaucratic red tape and save us from colossal start up costs. There were so many things we learned about business before we actually opened our doors to the public.
However, this was quickly overshadowed by the lessons and challenges we were soon to learn and experience once we were up and running. My personality and drive leads me to dive into the water before checking the depth. My wife, Emily, was much better at anticipating potential problems and feeling the weight of what it actually takes to run a business. I think I was more surprised by all the moving pieces because I didn’t really have the foresight to anticipate them.
Anyways, the wheels were moving and we hadn’t finished the car yet! We opened our doors and started taking work even before we had our business sign up on the building.
We had to quickly develop our procedures, processes, and pricing through a lot of trial and error, and balance client expectations, all while discovering what needs our business was best situated to meet, how our mission could best be realized, and what values we wanted to set as the foundation of our company culture .
There were so many things to consider that we didn’t realize before we were already “off to the races.” We were open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 6. On top of this, we had a six-month-old that we brought to work with us. It was a long season of feeling exhausted and overwhelmed and out of our comfort zone.
We realized we were trying to cater to everyone by trying to offer low pricing, high quality work and the best customer service. We were quickly and immediately getting overwhelmed by lots of work and excessive demands. We realized pretty quickly that saying yes to everything was actually making us worse at the things that mattered most.
The hardest challenge of all has been finding employees. We started this business because we knew this craft was dying, and we knew finding artists would be a challenge, but we didn’t imagine it would be nearly impossible, especially for our flagship store in Flower Mound. We are so grateful to be in the position we are now, to have a small team of great tailors who support our mission and philosophy.
I’ve also struggled to determine what value proposition we want to add to society and how we can make our philosophy future-proof. In a world where fast fashion dominates, we want to make long-lasting clothing trendy again. Instead of constantly buying new clothes, maybe repair and invest in high-quality pieces you already own. We even want to get into custom clothing so that you can get an outfit that fits your unique body without creating massive industry waste.
Our philosophy is not that you are too short and your pants don’t fit. It’s that the pants you bought are actually too long. You are you, and there’s dignity in that. Clothing should fit the person, not the other way around.
One of our ongoing challenges is educating and communicating these ideals to our customers through our shop, website, marketing, and every personal interaction. We want our clients to have a dignified experience. A lot of people are insecure about their body, and we never want to add to that.
As we continuously look for tailors and qualified team members, we are hoping to create a solution by providing training opportunities for those who want to learn the trade. By providing a better work environment through good lighting, reliable equipment, innovative processes, and a collaborative culture, our desire is to elevate this profession. This means creating an environment where tailors are heard, respected, and given the opportunity to have a good work life balance. We want to elevate the craft of tailoring, not just for clients, but for the people behind the machines as well.
A huge challenge was when Emily got pregnant with our second child. We were not in a position for her to go on maternity leave, so we were faced with a looming deadline to find someone who could not only manage temporarily, but was fully invested in the vision. Shera joined us a part-owner in our crucial moment, and honestly, I think she saved the business. We now all work together to keep this ship running smoothly, find ways to improve, and push our mission forward.
At some point, we found our purpose was beyond alterations. It is creating meaningful experiences for our clients, fostering a collaborative and caring environment for our team, and building something lasting for our family and community. That is what keeps us going now.
We’ve been impressed with Ahem Alterations LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ahem Alterations is a custom design and alterations studio with locations in Dallas and Flower Mound! We like to think of ourselves as young and hip, bringing a refreshing experience to a traditional trade.
Our team is made up of expert tailors and fashion designers, innovators and visionaries! Our purpose is to make fashion an accessible and dignifying experience.
We specialize in bridal and formal wear, but are happy to work on everyday wear too!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people probably assume I’m very structured and systems-oriented, but that’s actually more my wife. I’m more of a jump in first, figure it out later kind of person. A lot of what we’ve built came from trial and error rather than foresight. The structure we have now came after we experienced the problems firsthand, not before. I really couldn’t have done it without Emily or Shera. We balance each other well, and honestly that’s been a big reason the business works.
I am not a tailor. I have a Bachelor and Masters Degree in finance. I worked in finance, taught in a public high school, took a year off work to do a discipleship program through my church, and decided to get a UX research certification before I decided to take the leap and start a business in something I knew nothing about! Life is an adventure for sure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ahem-alterations.com
- Instagram: ahem.alterations
