For Angelica, embroidery is more than just stitching fabric; it’s about weaving together family, heritage, and modern technology. Inspired by her mother’s hand-crafted designs, Angelica nurtured a lifelong dream of turning her cultural roots into an occupation.

“I am passionate because my mom embroidered and crocheted for me and my sister,” Angelica said. “And from this, I got the inspiration to do this business.”

Angelica

Thanks to a collaboration with her son, Alejandro, and his cousin, Jorge, that dream has become a reality.

Magic Souls’ official grand opening was January 11, 2025. Specializing in high-quality embroidered hats, shirts, and hoodies, the company seamlessly fuses traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. But getting to this point wasn’t easy.

Launching Magic Souls demanded a significant investment in equipment, prompting the family to seek help from SNAP Financial Access.

FROM IDEA TO REALITY WITH SNAP’S SUPPORT

“In the beginning, many years ago, I tried to do a business,” Angelica recalled. “I had plans to sell traditional clothes from Mexico, but I didn’t have any of the tools. I went to talk with somebody at SNAP, and I got into a program where I took in a lot of information. But later, the pandemic hit, and you know what happened.”

Despite this setback, Angelica refused to give up on her dream. Her vision gradually evolved. She considered starting a coffee shop but then had an idea. Traditionally, her ancestors embroidered everything by hand. The process was very time-consuming. She wondered if they could speed up the process by fusing traditional designs with modern technology.

Her son, Alejandro, a Spokane Community College student studying software development, attended a workshop at SNAP Financial Access, where he gained knowledge. The family soon decided to pivot from selling traditional Mexican clothing to custom embroidery.

With a clear goal in mind, the family started their business. However, they quickly realized the need for a more advanced embroidery machine to handle larger orders. This led them to seek loan advice from PJ Ellis, a business lender at SNAP Financial Access.

 “They were referred from Nuestras Raíces,” Ellis said. “They found out they were looking for a loan, so that’s when they spoke to the technical assistance provider at Nuestras Raíces, and they were able to get involved directly with me as a lender.”

The loan approval process took several months, but Ellis diligently guided them through each step, from developing a comprehensive business plan to determining optimal pricing structures.

“The most rewarding part so far was closing day,” Ellis said. “It was just so exciting to have them in the closing room, and Angelica was in the room as well. You could just tell she was so proud of Alejandro and Jorge for taking a big step to enhance the quality of their business.”

A FAMILY BUSINESS BUILT ON PASSION AND EQUALITY

While Alejandro serves as CEO, Magic Souls operates as a true partnership, with all three family members contributing equally.

“I feel we have the same position because we have the same responsibilities and work hard in different areas,” Angelica explained. “I don’t want to give a specific position, for we feel comfortable. We feel free to express ideas and do whatever we want to do.”

Jorge, who grew up in California, spearheads the company’s design efforts and manages its social media presence.

“My name is Jorge Carlos, and I’m one of the partners of Magic Souls,” he said. “I’m doing digitalization, and I do embroidery. But most of what I do is social media, videos created with Canva Illustrator.”

Magic Souls embraces modern marketing strategies by incorporating music into its brand identity. They even leverage AI to generate original compositions based on their own lyrics.

Meanwhile, Alejandro skillfully balances his business responsibilities with his college studies and his summer job as a Wildland Firefighter.

“Alejandro, he works in the summers as a firefighter,” Angelica said. “He comes back super exhausted. But he also gave himself time to check on what we were doing, and how the business was going. And Jorge works different jobs. It’s less physical, but his job is more mental. Anyhow, he feels tired sometimes, but he stays energetic, and he’s working hard. I’m very, very proud of him.”

SERVING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY WITH CULTURE AT ITS CORE

Magic Souls Embroidery is more than just a business; it’s a platform to celebrate cultural diversity and provide accessible embroidery services to both English- and Spanish-speaking customers.

“Not only do we speak English, but we also speak Spanish,” Alejandro said. “You can visit us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at MagicXSouls. Make sure to give us a like and follow us.”

Angelica underscores the company’s commitment to offering affordable products.

“We want people to know that our inventory is competitively priced,” she said.  “Some people see our high quality and assume it’s expensive, but that’s not the case.”