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For this entrepreneur, burnout inspired a new business

Sean McHenry Jan 28, 2022
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Patty Delgado used her burnout as inspiration for a new e-retail brand. Courtesy of Patty Delgado

For this entrepreneur, burnout inspired a new business

Sean McHenry Jan 28, 2022
Heard on:
Patty Delgado used her burnout as inspiration for a new e-retail brand. Courtesy of Patty Delgado
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Last year was tough for Patty Delgado, the founder of Los Angeles e-retail company Hija de tu Madre.

“As an entrepreneur that works around the clock, I have the stereotypical founder struggles,” Delgado said. “I’m tired. I’m very tired of my inbox. I’m tired of my phone.”

But her burnout got her thinking about the nature of running an e-commerce company. “What does a business look like where you can have boundaries for yourself that kind of protect you?”

That’s when she came up with the idea for a second business, The Feelings Gym, an e-commerce company with plans to sell wellness-related products like journals. Delgado is setting new boundaries: Her e-commerce store will “close.”

“For example, [it’ll have] an e-commerce website that’s only open Monday through Friday, with certain business hours,” she said. “Right now, we’re saying 9 to 5.”

She hasn’t launched the business yet, and she also isn’t sure the model will work. One thing she does know is that she wants to approach this business differently. “I know what founder burnout is like,” Delgado said. “And I’m not trying to repeat that again with the second business.”

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