Meet Andrea Martinez | Digitizer & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Being a parent of three children with autism can be challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. It is difficult to balance the needs of my children with the demands of a traditional job. Their diagnoses came along with a rigorous therapy schedule that did not mesh with a traditional 8-5 job. That’s why I decided to start my own business, that allows me to work from home and be there for my kids. It is important to have a parent available at home to care for them, attend therapy sessions, and take them to medical appointments. It has been a journey, but I am proud of the work I do. Starting a business as a parent of children with autism is not easy, but it is possible and it can be done with the right support and determination. My business goal is to continue to grow. I want my business to be able to support my children as adults and give them a place to work that is safe and supportive.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Digitizing for machine embroidery is a skill that found me. It requires a combination of creativity, technical skills and patience. Digitizing is the process of converting a design or artwork into a format that can be read by an embroidery machine. It involves taking a design and manually digitizing it point by point, adjusting the stitching, density and other parameters to ensure that the final product is high quality and accurate. It’s a tedious process but the end results are always worth it, seeing a beautiful design come to life on a piece of fabric is a great feeling. I refer to myself as the tiny artist. Not only do I stand a little taller than 5′ but I make small detailed pieces of embroidery works.

My digitizing journey is one that is the road less traveled. Through extensive studying of existing embroidery designs, watching them stitch out for hours upon hours on the machine, and years of online research I am proud to be self-taught. I have honed my skills through many trials and errors. The most valuable lessons I have learned are through all the missteps I’ve taken along the way. I’ve learned a lot from mistakes because you learn how to fix them and prevent that issue from reoccurring. It’s been a challenging journey but I never gave up, my constant desire to learn everyday has gotten me to where I am today and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

My story is one of perseverance but also one of giving back. Learning a new skill can be difficult, especially when you don’t have the help or resources you need. When I first started learning about digitizing, I found myself looking for guidance and a mentor to help learn how to digitize. I was met with a lot of cold shoulders and could not find anyone willing to take me on as a mentor. I was determined to succeed, but it was a challenging journey.

However, through perseverance and hard work, I was able to teach myself how to digitize and become proficient. Since then, I realized that there were others who were in the same position as me, and I wanted to be the help that I wish was available for me. Last year I started to share my knowledge and experience with others, and it brought me great satisfaction to see them succeed as well.

Now, I am proud to be a resource and mentor for those who are just starting to learn how to digitize. I understand the challenges they are facing and I am able to provide guidance and support that I wish I had when I was starting out. It’s a humbling feeling to be able to give back and help others in a way that I was not able to find help before.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When friends come to visit we like to do a combination of retail therapy, a kids friendly activity, and good food. When my friends are in town we like to visit the Scottsdale Fashion square, Odysea Aquarium or a Spring Training game if it’s in season, my favorite boba shop Koko Boba Tea House, and we like to try out new places to eat based on online ratings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Quitting your 8-5 and starting a business with no backup plan can be a intimidating, but with a supportive husband by my side, it has been the adventure of a lifetime. My husband has always been my biggest supporter and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. He has believed in me even when I doubted myself and has been a constant source of encouragement every single day. He has always believed in me even when I’ve had a hard time believing in myself. His unwavering support has allowed me to take the necessary risks to pursue my goals and create something that I am truly proud of. With his support, I am able to balance the responsibilities of being a wife, mother, and business owner. I am truly blessed to have such a supportive and loving husband by my side.

Website: www.designsbydreaco.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bydreadesigns

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bydreadesigns

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOat-egKO69yOj1OgptgBkw

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bydreadesigns