Today we’d like to introduce you to Lourdes (“Lou”) Alers.
Hi Lourdes, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always had a love for all things creative, but a few years ago, my curiosity to learn more about modern calligraphy quickly became an obsession – like, daily deliveries from Amazon with new supplies kind of obsession! I scoured the internet to learn anything and everything I could about lettering and started practicing daily. I quickly realized this was something I was truly passionate about and the possibilities were endless. As I was leaving my friend’s spa one day, I noticed a little chalkboard hanging on the wall with their social media info scribbled on it and basically told her I was taking it with me to change it up. When I brought it back to her, she was surprised to learn of this skill I was hiding and 1) gave me a bigger chalkboard to work on for her; and 2) encouraged me to “share this gift with the world and make money doing what you love” – those words stuck, and I love her for that. What started as a hobby escalated rather quickly, and a few months later, I decided to make Lettering Lou official. It has been quite an adventure and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I connected with some local venues, went to networking events, participated in styled shoots, stayed involved in the community, and met some amazingly talented people along the way – all of which helped grow my business to where it is today. It has been so rewarding to share my love of lettering and help create those unique details for people’s special days.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While my business was growing and exciting things were happening, the struggle of juggling my business while still working my full-time office job, being an athlete mom who has never missed a race, and dedicating time to family was exhausting. I often struggled with not having enough time with my family, but I had faith that things would work themselves out and I would be able to find a better balance… and I have, but still a challenge at times. Honestly, I think this is something we all struggle with or could relate to. Thankfully, I have a patient and supportive husband who gets it. As far as the business goes, my biggest struggle has always been with social media – we have a love/hate relationship going on. Since the majority of my commissions are for special events, I find myself waiting to post pictures of pieces until after the event happens to not ruin any surprises, but then find myself putting it off because I find myself paralyzed by the thought of having to come up with a quality caption and photo. The struggle is most definitely real. And while I know there are hundreds of ways around the marketing aspect of things, it remains my biggest obstacle because my focus continues to be my family and my clients. So I am beyond thankful for clients who DO find me and recommend me to others, and have managed to keep me busy!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I offer custom, hand-lettered services to help make your vision (aka “Pinterest dreams”) come to life! From envelope addressing, event signage, seating charts, place cards, custom denim jackets, digital lettering for menus and overlays, personalized gifts, and just about anything else you could dream up. I specialize in weddings and special events, but seeing my work at small businesses around the community and helping us all thrive together makes my heart happy, too! I pride myself in providing a personalized experience. I love connecting with my engaged couples on a personal level to learn more about them and their style and help them navigate their wedding details dream and come up with a plan to tie all their design elements together with solutions that fit their vision. Loving what I do makes it easy to provide my clients with little extras like recommendations for vendors or general help with all things wedding related. I am known for being a bit of a perfectionist, and I’m all about the options! I typically provide my clients with a digitally-lettered mockup of their request before getting started so they can visualize what the end product would look like – this seems to work well and gets clients excited to see the finished product! I am proud and honored to have seen my work published in Florida Bride, Metro Weddings + Events, Tacari Weddings, Aisle Society, and a few more – and it seems surreal sometimes. But I think what I am most proud of is being able to provide my clients with a quality product and personalized service that often times exceeds their expectations. Seeing their smiles is the best reward.
What are your plans for the future?
One thing I am looking forward to are more peaceful times, post-pandemic, where we can freely love on our friends and family “IRL” again. My ‘little one’ will be going away to college next year, so once I get over the initial shock of not having any kids in the house, I am excited to explore options to offer lettering workshops in my community. It’s been a question I’ve been hearing for a while now, and well, I love to teach anyone who wants to learn, especially children who are eager for knowledge and ask the best questions. Future plans do also include making my social media game strong, or at least a player! Every day is an opportunity to learn something new or simply spreading kindness – and that sounds like an awesome plan for the future to me!
Contact Info:
- Email: letteringlou@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/letteringlou
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/letteringlou
- Other: www.pinterest.com/letteringlou
Image Credits
Boudoir Betty, Tampa (pink acrylic sign) Rabecca Cruz Photography (leave her wild mirror) Chelsey Somohano Photography (terracotta place card) Elizabeth Dugan Creative (copper acrylic sign)
