Episode 164: From Baby to Business (to More Babies!) with Raquel from Little Rose Shop
What You’ll Find
Today we are SO happy to introduce you to Raquel…a Catholic wife, momma to four beautiful children, and the creator of the Little Rose Shop!
She's always loved creating, and lives by the motto "Created to Create" inspired by St JPII's Letter to Artists (don't worry! we'll include a link in the show notes)
Creativity combined with faith has led her to a special mission of creating items that help everyone they touch encounter God in a fun and practical way.
The mission of the Little Rose Shop is to bring faith into everyday life and Raquel's hope is that each item she creates fosters prayer and spiritual encouragement…drawing your soul nearer to God.
The Little Rose Shop Family (03:10)
Raquel has 4 amazing little kiddos, one girl and 3 boys, and they live in Northern Colorado. It’s a rowdy house, but everyone helps with the business and the chaos is wonderful!
An Accidental Entrepreneur (03:48)
Accidental Entrepreneur” is how Raquel refers to herself. She never thought this would be what she’s doing. In college, Raquel became unexpectedly pregnant, had an amazing experience with Jesus in the Eucharist and chose life for her daughter.
Becoming a mom made her serious about her faith, both for herself and her daughter.
She was overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and still trying to finish college, so she needed a way to infuse the faith into everyday life. She started with little practical reminders, mugs, blankets, quiet books, and people began asking for them too!
So, Raquel began a little shop and started filling orders. Her “little shop” grew and grew to the point where it was possible for her to transition out of her “day job” after the birth of her third child and work full time in and on her business.
The Little Rose Shop now employs several other moms, and they keep things running smoothly!
Patrons & Mentors (07:55)
Saint Therese of Lisieux is Raquel’s confirmation Saint, and she continues to show up over and over again in the business. Her whole being is in the little ways, and the ordinary, simple things of daily life.
Raquel feels called to make super beautiful and practical tools and resources for people to use in daily life. The mugs, for example, are an excellent reminder to just pray (even in the “crazy” that is daily life with many littles).
Coaching and counseling are two things that Raquel has sought out frequently. She was a school counselor before she was a business owner, and continual personal growth is important to her, so at any given time she’s involved in counseling, coaching, or even a mastermind…because we aren’t supposed to do things alone.
A True Family Business (10:55)
Raquel & her husband joke about the fact that he’s the ONLY one in the family not on payroll, but he does do quite a bit (moving TONS of boxes for example).
The head of fulfillment is Raquel’s mom, her dad is her bookkeeper, and her brother is her accountant, so it IS a family business.
The History of The Little Rose Shop (12:30)
Depending on how you look at it, the business began about 10 years ago when Raquel was using her creativity to bring faith into her everyday life.
2020 is when The Little Rose Shop became official…so 4 years is the official age of the business.
This seems to be a common thing with the different businesses we’ve gotten a peek into.
A Typical Day in The Little Rose Shop (13:55)
The business goes through seasons, and the rhythm does change throughout the year. Raquel has been humbled by God (and her many children) in learning how to go with the flow each day.
Generally in the mornings, Raquel will do fun activities with the kids and focus on just being mom. At the same time, her mother will be in their basement, fulfilling orders. Then, at lunch, Grandma time starts and Raquel moves into work mode.
Currently, Raquel’s main responsibilities are product development and content creation, and she has a team that works with her remotely.
The kids are the inspiration behind everything, and many products are based on what Raquel’s kids are into. For example, if she notices her little boys are super into cars, then she’ll figure out how to bring faith into crashing cars into Lego towers (this is how the JPII Popemobile came about).
So while there are different seasons, and the family tries to maintain a rhythm…much flexibility is always necessary.
Setting Up for Success (16:25)
Raquel tries to do the daily Examen, which really only requires 5 minutes at the end of the day. This is an Ignatian practice that involves reflecting on the whirlwind you just lived through, where you bring God into your day, find the good, find what you’re greatful for, see where you fell short, ask for forgiveness, and think about how to continue on your journey of sainthood the next day. This keeps Raquel grounded and centered.
When she first discovered the Examen, Raquel was pumped because (due to her education as a school counselor) she realized the components of the Examen were evidence based tactics that reduce anxiety, depression, increase well being…it’s just. healthy.
The mornings are simply just crazy. This is why Raquel has so many mugs asking for Jesus’ help!
She’ll make coffee, do a quick morning prayer, and move on with her day. She’s worked with the kids to know that when a coffee ambiance video is on, they need to give her a minute.
The Most Enjoyable Part of Business (20:40)
The stories that come in from customers are incredibly affirming. The mission of The Little Rose Shop is to bring faith into everyday life, and even a blanket with a prayer will encourage someone to begin a prayer habit at bedtime, or to learn and memorize a prayer.
One of the most popular products right now is the blessing prayer blanket (which contains the blessing from Numbers), and this is something that came about because Raquel wanted to begin praying this prayer over her kids at night.
It’s easy to overthink faith, but it can be SO simple. Raquel wants kids to play with their Saint dolls right along with their Legos and their barbies.
The Least Enjoyable Part of Business (23:20)
Taxes. Easy. Anything revolving numbers or finance is NOT enjoyable. Raquel’s brother is an accountant (thankfully) and has been incredibly helpful with these parts of the business.
Products (24:20)
There are all sorts of Catholic lifestyle products for moms and kids at The Little Rose Shop.
There are mugs, t-shirts, prayer blankets, Mass quiet books, plush quiet toys, and Saint dolls.
They’re starting to branch out into more resources, such as Examen Journals, Lectio Divina Journals, and they just released a kids Catholic ABC workbook. The school counselor in Raquel loves providing practical resources to kids and their families, and this has translated into how Raquel thinks about products.
Know that the purpose of every product isn’t just something to put out there…each offering at The Little Rose shop is meant to help you encounter God (for your kids through playtime, or for you through your morning coffee).
Raquel's Favorites (26:11)
Since Raquel makes things she actually wants to use in her own life, it’s hard to choose a favorite. She begins her day with the mugs (which are a favorite), and if you would ask her kids…they love the quiet books (a favorite right now is the “Where is Jesus” book).
If she HAS to choose, the two favorites for Raquel are the mugs and the quiet books are her kids’ favorites (because they’re very interactive). The quiet books are actually one of the best sellers, and they’re specifically designed to be very quiet and help keep kids engaged with the Mass.
The Product that Requires the MOST (29:20)
Any of the plush toys are the ones that require the most work. They are so customized, interactive, and require a TON of time to design. Beyond the design, the toys are tested thoroughly for safety, and require much more than one would realize.
This process is difficult, but worth it. The sanctification of being a small business owner is ALL part of the journey, and is a blessing at the end of the day.
Projects that are in the Works (31:45)
There are always a MILLION ideas brewing, but in the last year and a half…the Little Rose Shop launched a Little Surprise Box, and THIS is where Raquel gets to go in whatever creative direction she wants.
Every month she gets to have fun, create a brand new product, and coming up…they’re all for women (to treat themselves and nourish their souls). Some past boxes have included tumblers, planner pouches, t-shirts, aprons, and even prayer boxes.
Upcoming surprise boxes might include some decor items (wink, wink).
The box includes a surprise AND extra savings! Brittany loves this idea (I do too) because these items can be wonderful gifts while supporting small businesses!
A Product that Didn't Make It (34:50)
Gosh, yes! This is the story of entrepreneurship! For Raquel, this comes through more in the design aspect…she’s looking for products that resonate, touch people, are attractive in a home, and bring the message she’s trying to bring.
When Raquel is thinking through a design, she’ll do polls on IG (hint…you can help here! Go follow her!)
The plush Saint Doll collection is a good example of this. Certain Saints seem to resonate more to some than others (poor Juan Diego).
The Biggest Investment (37:50)
Paying for counseling or coaching is a constant for Raquel, because of her dedication to personal development. These things have returned in so many ways…in sanity, well-being, profitability.
Although it feels nerve wracking to spend the money, but these have been the biggest and best investments in herself—which is why she’s always in one or two programs.
A's to Our Q's (39:40)
What makes Raquel’s family unique is that they’re a blended family. Raquel became a single mom at a young age, and she was very self-conscious that she may never get married because she already had a baby and wasn’t sure if she would find a man who would be willing to take that on. So, she began praying for the intercession of Saint Joseph (the adopted father of Jesus, who could have abandoned Mary). Sure enough, Raquel met this guy (who was a construction worker) and he adopted her daughter, became Catholic, and took Saint Joseph as his Confirmation Saint. It’s a beautiful story and mix of how God makes all things well…if you give Him your little bits, he’ll make a masterpiece of it.
Raquel’s go-to dinner in a pinch is mac-n-cheese or grilled cheese, but she also has “Old Reliable,” which is kielbasa sausage chopped up, sautéed with some peppers and diced tomatoes from a can and some rice. It was a dad meal when Raquel was younger, and she’s cooking it for her kids too!
Dark chocolate chips and peanuts are a guilty pleasure that Raquel enjoys after her kids go to bed.
Raquel is currently reading Traction, and she was reading Rocket Fuel before. She has The Artist’s Way on the side, and Sterling Jaquith’s Not of this World.
The product that Raquel has given away or gifted the most would be any of the prayer blankets, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe swaddle (particularly to mothers going through the loss of miscarriage).
More from The Little Rose Shop
You can find all the products on the Little Rose Shop, you should definitely follow Raquel on Instagram, and join her email list!
