Daily Inspiration: Meet Christa Valdez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christa Valdez.

Hi Christa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our story started out from a place of necessity. In the beginning months of the 2020 pandemic lockdown, I was a single mom managing a bar when work and school was put on hold – indefinitely! With my son out of school, I wasn’t left with many options for alternative employment – but I knew one thing for certain. I wasn’t gonna put us in the position of being left hanging ever again. From there, I got to work. While navigating online homeschooling, I started doing my research. I’ve always had a passion for thrifting, restoring and repurposing so I decided to open a business that caters to the regular working class (and yes, sometimes struggling) consumer. From there, Honeypot was born!

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 kind of had to hit the ground running and learn as I go, honestly. So yeah, its been a bit of a learning curve, but I think that is true of all businesses. Looking back, I’m proud of where we are today and all the incredible women I’ve gotten to meet on this journey.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
It’s a great feeling, getting to empower women and help them look and feel their best everyday. We get to hear their stories, and share just a tiny part both in their victories and their struggles. I’ve even met my best friend along the way! Natalie has been working with me for nearly 5 years now to help build this dream into a reality. For someone to have that much blind faith and come along with me for the ride has been the most incredible gift. She really is the yin to my yang haha – she helps maintain the balance. I’m more a creative at heart, so without her checklists and organization I’d probably be lost!

I’m proud of the environment we’ve created together, focusing on inclusion and mindful consumerism. Living in a tiny little town like Wickenburg, its fun to be able to bring unique one of a kind vintage pieces that encourage a more tailored personal style.

What matters most to you? Why?
The freedom to prioritize family. Both Natalie and I come from a hospitality background, meaning we’ve had to miss countless birthdays and special occasions with our loved ones. So having that flexiblity now has meant the world to us. Family first has always been our biggest motivator. And none of that would be possible without the people who have supported our business these past 5 years – Shoutout to Wickenburg, Arizonaaaa!

But being able to take an active role (however tiny) in reducing the global the impact of fast fashion is a close second. If we all do our part we can make a huge difference in our communities.

Pricing:

• We have unique pieces to accommodate most any budget. It’s always a balancing act, between our consignors and our customers, but we try to be as fair as possible across the board. We WANT you to find a deal you’ll leave excited about!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://azhoneypot.com
• Instagram: @honeypotexchange
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azhoneypot