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Celebrating National Women in Small Business Month, This Escondido Native Dreams Big for Herself and Fellow Female Makers and Creators

Escondido entrepreneur Mei Bautista embodies the motto, “Don’t quit your daydream.” She owns Daydream on Grand Avenue. The City of Escondido celebrates National Women in Small Business month and Bautista is a shining example of how female entrepreneurs are running business on their own terms and helping each other follow their dreams. 

“What if you could make your daydream your day job?” she said. “That’s the phrase that inspired me to name my store Daydream.” The quote is painted on the wall in her store to inspire customers too.

Her own inspirational daydream hit her in a most unusual way. Bautista, who grew up in Escondido, had just moved back from San Francisco last year and was working as the lead server at Mikko Sushi. One day, on a lunch break, she noticed the space next door had a vacancy. Bautista was the first person to inquire about it and, before she knew it, she was offered the space to rent. 

That was June 1. 

“And then it all happened so quickly,” said Bautista. By July 1, Bautista opened the doors to Daydream, a 50-square-foot boutique shop that sells unique gifts made by local Escondido artists and makers. “We have stickers, t-shirts, jewelry, wall art, plants, plant accessories, and pet supplies.” 

The timing for Bautista was also beneficial since the opening of her store came as businesses were allowed to open again, after the pandemic shutdown. Daydream has been a welcomed new shop in the neighborhood, as first-time customers are quickly becoming regulars. “I am constantly getting new things; that’s the fun thing about working with artists and makers, they are always creating new things,” she said. “It’s a completely new experience for people, whether they come in once a week or once a month.”

The “support local, shop local” vibe is also something that Bautista hopes her customers will embrace. “I really tried to make my place a one-stop gift shop where people can not only find unique items, but also locally made by local artists.”

Included in her gift offerings is a subscription box. For $40, customers get a box of themed gift items, worth over $100. Members can subscribe in four, six, or 12-month options. October’s gift box is filled with fall and Halloween-themed items, such as a Halloween mask, a reusable bottle, an enamel werewolf pin, and much more.

“In November, we’re doing a theme of ‘Gratitude and Giving’,” she said. “I’m looking for a local non-profit to partner with and will donate a percentage of the box sales.” Bautista added that the artists in this subscription package will include locals who also help promote giving in their businesses. Most of the local artists and makers who are featured at Daydream are women. “I would say 99% of my shop carries women-owned businesses, mostly women of color, which is really exciting,” she said.

Promoting women is important to Bautista because she knows firsthand how difficult it can be to balance work and life. “I’m actually a stepmother. So I have to manage running a business and a family,” she said, adding that helping support women will both help them move forward in business, and also inspire young female makers.

“I have a few vendors who are still in high school. These young girls are really motivated and inspired by all the women entrepreneurs they are meeting. And it’s great because together we are inspiring a whole generation of young women entrepreneurs,” Bautista said.

Mentoring teenagers is Bautista’s way of giving back. As a child, Bautista was very poor and it was because of the services in Escondido, especially COMPACT, an Escondido organization that promotes workforce development for teenagers, that she was steered in a positive direction. “I got to participate in a lot of internships and volunteering in Escondido. I was inspired by the people. Now getting to be that person who helps other people here in Escondido is really rewarding,” she said.

There is also a sense of pride for those living and working in Escondido. Thanks to her boyfriend, Thomas Alaniz, who is a tattoo artist at Escondido Tattoo Studio, she sells that pride too. Alaniz’s Escondido stickers and t-shirts are sold in Daydream. “The stickers have been selling really well,” she said. “I just want to continue promoting the proud culture of our community.”

“It’s a beautiful town. I feel like it’s a close-knit community, especially with the business owners,” she added. 

Bautista is grateful that the business community made it so easy to open her store in Escondido. “The city was extremely helpful and they’ve been supportive,” she said.

One of her supporters has been Amber Tarrac, Escondido’s Deputy Director of Economic Development. “When Mei had questions about starting her business here in Escondido, she came to the City’s Economic Development team for guidance and support. We are always happy to help,” Tarrac said. “We are inspired to see a number of businesses like this that have opened during a pandemic - this is a true testament to the resilience of the Escondido community.”  Prospective and existing business owners are invited to connect with the City’s Economic Development resources on the City’s website here, sign up for the monthly business newsletter here, email us at Business@escondido.org, or call us at 760-839-4587.

Despite uncertainties, Bautista has stayed positive throughout the pandemic. “I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to start a business during a pandemic, because my goal is to show people that you can do whatever you want; you just have to figure it out.”

Daydream is located at 233 East Grand Avenue. Shop online at daydreamhere.com/ 

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This Woman-Owned Business Helps Capture Lasting Memories 

Making Photo Memories in the Midst of a Pandemic

October celebrates National Women in Small Business and the City of Escondido is honoring women who have shown great persistence and resilience throughout this year to keep their businesses moving forward and growing. Rina Connolly’s Mirrored Memories has weathered the pandemic and pivoted her business to give partygoers safer opportunities to capture memorable moments.

Despite living in a pandemic era, many are looking for unique and safe ways to celebrate, from small gatherings to virtual parties. 

Connolly’s portable, mirrored photo booths and modern selfie stations give guests a fun way to capture the moments of events such as birthdays, weddings, retirement parties, school or community events, and so much more.

“Everybody’s gearing up to start having birthdays and parties again; instead of huge gatherings, they have small household gatherings,” said Connolly, who started her Escondido-based business in late 2019, only to be shut down in March. 

“When COVID-19 happened, everything shut down and we had just barely started our business,” she said.

However, recently Connolly has seen an uptick in business, even though it’s slightly different now. “The photo business used to be all about gatherings,” she said. Yet, since the pandemic, gatherings were only recently allowed and now include safety precautions such as face coverings, social distancing, and hand sanitizing stations. Connolly has adjusted her business to include these measures. “We're just trying to adjust to what’s going on around us and trying to make sure that everybody is comfortable.”

Connolly has had help from the City of Escondido too.

Thanks to an Escondido Small Business Grant, Connolly was able to upgrade the safety of her machines, purchase a touch-free selfie station that uses QR codes and cell phones, and add safety measures such as a hand sanitizer dispenser in order to keep her employees and party guests safe, “A big portion of the grant helped us update everything,” she said “Before COVID-19, we only had the mirrored booth and it was touch based.”

The mirrored booth is also a camera! Guests pose in front of the mirror and an attendant takes their photo. The photo can then be edited with boomerangs, which are tiny videos, added emojis, frames, backgrounds, and more. With the help of an attendant, photos can be printed instantly. 

The selfie booth or modern booth is a stand-alone camera that is usually set in front of a background. Guests pose in front of the camera and simply wave their arms to activate the camera. QR codes allow for touchless editing and sharing. Unlike the mirror booth, the selfie booth doesn’t need an attendant. However, if party hosts want instant prints, an attendant is required. 

“We try to make the modern booth more affordable, especially now,” Connolly said. “Many want to throw a small gathering now but they don’t want to have the added expense. The digital selfie booth is more affordable for the client.” 

For those who prefer to keep their get-togethers completely virtual, Connolly also has a virtual photo booth option. Guests can upload their own pictures to a designated phone number and their photos will be edited with backgrounds the party host has chosen. They will then be texted back to both the photographer and the host. This option goes well with Zoom parties or drive-by birthdays.

Despite the challenges of the past few months, Connolly, who worked as a surgical nurse for 20 years,  is happy she left a career to follow her dream of opening her own business in Escondido.  This new venture is far from her old job, where she met with patients at the height of their anxiety just before surgeries. Now, she meets people celebrating life events who are full of joy. 

“The crazy thing about it is I love making people smile. I think it’s the reason I like the photo booths; it’s the interaction with them that I enjoy,” she said. 

As a resident of Escondido, Connolly has headquartered her business here too. This central locale allows her to bring her photo booths to any location throughout the county and surrounding counties, while also providing services to local charity events and high school functions. 

Slowly but persistently, Connolly is determined to make Mirrored Memories a success. “I really want to thank the City of Escondido,” she said. “The grant they provided really helped me out and allowed me to continue my work in the community.”

Connolly is one of hundreds of local small business owners that have received support from both the City and the community during the pandemic. “It is our goal to help make sure small businesses recover from the shut down, stay, and grow in our city,” said Amber Tarrac, Deputy Director of Economic Development. 

To book a photo booth for a party or occasion, go to mirroredmemories.com or call (858) 251-9418.

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