Curious about what it takes to run a successful sticker club? Wonder no more!

In today’s episode, we’re joined by the incredibly talented Itzel Islas, who’s here to spill what it's like running a successful sticker club and so much more!

Itzel is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator originally from Tijuana, Mexico, now living in San Diego, California.

Her work is inspired by Mexican culture, vibrant colour palettes and playful elements of everyday life. Her mission since 2016 has been to create a positive bi-cultural impact through design.

In this episode, Itzel shares her journey of building a sticker club from the ground up, sharing everything from designing the perfect sticker to fostering a community of loyal customers.

She also opens up about how she’s scaled her business beyond social media, maintaining authenticity while growing her brand, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Whether you’re an artist or maker, a sticker enthusiast, or someone curious about turning passion into profit, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways you won’t want to miss.

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Connect with Itzel:

Instagram: instagram.com/yayitzel

Website: yaylandia.com

TikTok: tiktok.com/@yay.itzel

Patreon: patreon.com/yayitzel

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Itzel: Hi, thank you so much for having me. Thank you for being here. Okay. So, the people who are listening.

We'll have heard a little about what you do now, but I want to go back to where you started and where you did and learn a bit about how you got here.

So I did a little bit of research and read some other articles and interviews you've done. I read that after you went to school, you were designing apparel for another company before you started doing your own art. So I want to know how you got from designing for another company to designing your own art.

So you want to tell me a little bit about that?

I don't know, the end of it, maybe the last four years that I started just making things outside of work for fun, because I didn't have, quote unquote, really fun job at the quote-unquote da design apparel for brands such as Disney, Star Wars, Marvel. It would sell at big retailers like Urban Outfitters, Target, and Walmart.

There's only so much you can do with a wiki, so after a while, even though that was seen as a fun job, I started wanting more and feeling restricted, and so after work, I would start doodling. I'm a designer, a graphic designer, so I started playing with illustration a little bit more, started an Instagram account just to doodle, and had a digital sketchbook.

Little by little, I started seeing a good response and didn't think anything of it. But after a year, I'm getting a really good response from people. This could go somewhere, but I didn't think much about it. I had a stable job, and then it was towards the end that I was like, you know what?

This could be something because by now, some people have reached out to me and asked to do freelance work with my style. Posting every day helped me refine my style or, I guess, create what my style is today.

And I remember 2019, I was like, all right, this is it. I'm gearing up. I'm going to quit. I'm going to do it. I feel like this work, I saved up some money. I'm just working to go for it and see what happens. And obviously, I was just scared to do it. I was like, what if I don't know? I'm still determining.

So I was scared. Then the pandemic hit, and I was like, there's no way I'm leaving my job. I need to save income. I need to have health insurance. At the time, everyone was scared. No one knew what was going to happen. And there was one morning I remember very clearly. That time was super stressful for me, and they had laid off many people at my job.

We had a really small art department, and they kept saying, "You guys better step up, or we're also going to fire you, essentially." I was just so stressed. We were cranking out so much work. I remember making about 10 to 12 designs a day. And, yeah, it was just so stressful nonstop. And I remember not being able to go nonstop very well, like that stress was getting to me plus the stress of the pandemic. And I remember one morning I just started having panic attacks. At the time, I had no clue what a panic attack was. I had never had one before, and I was like, woah, that was so scary, what was that, I don't know, and then a few hours later, another panic attack.

And I had a series of, I believe three panic attacks? That day, and then I was feeling so sick. I didn't even know what was going on. I was like, I must, there's something wrong with me. I don't know what I got, but I caught something. And I remember going to the doctor, and they told me I was suffering from acute stress.

At that moment, I didn't know; it just had me wondering, "What am I doing? What is going on?" And even then, I was really scared to quit. I remember being bedridden for a few days. I would shake when I started walking, like my health was in really bad condition, which made no sense. I was like, "How did this happen?" Is this? It was wild for me to comprehend, and ultimately, I remember I requested a few days off, and then I didn't feel okay coming back after those two days. I requested a week, and I still didn't feel okay coming back. I requested two, and I had been working there for a long time, so I had a lot of vacation time, and there was, I think it was like, week two, I was there.

Literally the thought of going back to work made me feel terrible. And that's when I knew, I was like, there's no way I can go back for my health. I just need to figure this out. And so I remember that's when I emailed my art director. And I told him like, Hey, I'm really sorry, I just can't come back. And it was very unlike me and my work ethic; I'd been there for so long that it felt extremely weird but that's what kicked it off, and while it was unfortunate how it went down, I'm very glad to be here.

And many artists can relate to that situation, whether they were in that situation or are currently in that situation. And it’s definitely a relatable situation, right? There are creatives out there, and there's a work situation that you're like, I need to get out of this, or maybe you have just come out of it.

But yeah, it's that sometimes you need that. Push or that some kind of situation to be like, okay, this is the time, whether I wanted it to be or not, whether I was planning for it or not, to push me into this new direction, this this, time to leap into my own thing. I was building the Yaytzel Brand. So was that when you officially started yay at EatSale, or was it did your brand become that brand at a different point in time?

I couldn't figure out what was right. I said "yay" a lot, and I was just like, that worked, and I never changed it. But in 2020, I decided to be like, all right, this is a real business now, and I'm doing freelance already. That's so cool.

Okay. And so in terms of visual branding, what did you do in the beginning to brand your business? In terms of yeah, logos, colors, fonts, how did you decide in advance of that in the beginning, if you did at all?

And then, gradually, I noticed I was gravitating towards certain colours more. Slowly, I decided, "Oh, those colours look good together. I should make them more cohesive," and I created a colour palette for myself. And then, as I was making products, I noticed, little by little, that I needed to brand them a little better.

Some people are reaching out about wholesale and carrying some stuff, so maybe I should make myself a logo. I design a lot of logos, and I should make one for myself. Yeah, everything was just very organic.

You have a set colour palette across things like Instagram highlights. So, how has that happened? Is that still part of that organic process, or have you sat down and said, "Okay, I need the logo. I need the colors." Yeah, tell me about that process.

So I just started creating alphabets and thinking, "Okay, these are the brand fonts, going off of what I've already been using for the account." So it was basically just gathering everything I had been doing, putting them all in place, and thinking, "Okay, this is the look." Sometimes, I'll go a little bit outside of it, like not super, super tight, but yeah, there is.

I gotta go for it.

You can see those colour palettes. I love how you have those highlights on your Instagram that all use that same font. Okay. The colour palette and everything make a difference, right? It creates this very you vibe, so everything feels like you. So I love that, and out of curiosity, because I know everybody listening is going to want to know how you create your own fonts.

But I'm in the process of making them actual fonts, so I just type them up. But there is something that's just made, and that's just more sense. But there is something about me that I like the playfulness of putting each letter and then making sure it goes or it looks the way that I want it to look and if I want to be playful or if I want to update a little bit of the letter or, I don't know, I just, I feel like this is repetitive, but yeah, my work is very organic, and I do like to keep the feel of it.

Show notes if people want to use that. Because, yeah, it's fun, and a lot of artists love doing that. I'll leave that in the description. Okay.

So tell me about why you started with those products and, yeah, how it went starting with stickers and key chains.

I always recommend people. They're like, what should I get started with? Or how should I start my shop? I'm like, start with stickers. I cannot repeat this enough. Yeah, just because they're easy to produce, we can get as little as 30 or 50 pieces done. They're so Cheap to ship out. You just need an envelope, which is 70 something cents now, and for an envelope and a Stamp, the stamp is like 70-something cents now.

So it's just it's very affordable and it's a way to gauge If people are interested in your work, and also maybe certain illustrations just to see the response of friends and people. And yeah, that was definitely what I started with, and it was also pinned at the time, which I don't work with anymore, but it was like stickers and pins and then changed into teaching.

Those were my first products.

Because, yeah, as I said, a lot of artists have a Patreon but don't know how to convince people to sign up. But yeah, how have you found the best way to talk to people about your Patreon and promote it?

I think that always looks so fun. I like to take photos of the stickers themselves and let people know. I don't do anything fancy, really. Sometimes I'll create videos and post them on Instagram, so I'll make a wheel or make a TikTok, just me shipping, or me packing and then shipping, me walking to the mailbox.

I'm just really showing people what I do — nothing too formal or fancy, but just showing people what I do because a lot of times, a lot of people aren't aware of what boot camping is or what a sticker club means. What I've learned with doing social media is that you have to show people what it is you offer and what it is you do for them to understand.

People want to know what they're spending their money on, so I like to show the process and be very clear about what you get. I'll make a story and say, "Hey guys, there's a couple of spots open. Here's my link." And yeah, that's worked out so far.

But if you show them, like, yeah, this is what a sticker club is. This is what you get. This is what it looks like. This is literally me shipping your sticker club envelope. Yeah, that helps a lot. Yeah, do you want to explain for maybe people listening, if they don't know, what a sticker club is, what goes into it, and if you want to do your sticker club of your own, what kind of, yeah?

So, there is always a different stamp and stickers to close the envelope. These are just little details that people seem to really appreciate.

It's awesome. Yeah, I love that. It's such a good idea and such a satisfying thing for people to receive. Who gets cool, fun mail anymore? No one. So to get actual mail and it's a fun sticker—incredible. I love it. Okay, so outside of stickers, you also now obviously have way more things.

You also have things like berets, earrings, tote bags, cups, prints, all of the things. How do you decide what new products to add and weigh up whether they're going to be a good product, a profitable idea, like that kind of thing?

I've never seen that so and I want one and that's what made me want to make one. And it's been really cool because putting out these products that feel like a need for me and then seeing other people feel the same way has been super fun and exciting. I think that, and at this point, I do know, for example, people really like my reusable tote bags, and that's my favourite; personally, it's the product I use the most in my shop.

I will create products

And that's what I think people love about you: You have so many unique things, like foods that you love and all these different things that you put in your art. And that are unique to Mexico, and all these different things that are you and that other people can relate to as well.

It makes sense that you were like, "I want this thing with this thing on it, not that thing that everybody else has." Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

So I want to believe in it. And I think I truly believe in everything I make. I can sell you the product because I know what makes me excited. I don't think it would be as genuine if I was just creating it based on what is trending.

I wanted to ask you about how you've released this as a collection, right? Some artists don't release things in collections. They just release individual items. But this specifically, and maybe previously before you've released it as a collection, so what do you think? Releasing it as a collection may be better or more advantageous. Tell me about the thought process behind releasing a collection versus yeah, individual items.

It appeals to me to see it all as a collection. I just like the cohesiveness, I like that it's a little group, and I feel like that's something I would gravitate towards if I'm going to a shop or something along those lines, so I think that's why I made this collection, and it depends sometimes I'll put out a single sticker.

But normally, I start noticing that I'm making things all based on a theme, so I like to wait until I have a solid little group of four to eight things and then release them as this special thing. It just feels more special.

Have you found that? Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe it makes sense that if people really resonate with axolotls, for example, they're going to be like, Oh my gosh, finally, Itzel has launched this axolotl thing. I can't wait. And I'm going to buy all the axolotl things. I've been waiting for the axolotls.

Yeah. Okay. I love that. I was just, yeah, curious. Cause I'm sure, yeah. People have maybe thought Oh, should I release a collection? Should I launch like maybe just one special thing or whatever? So it's just an interesting thing to talk about.

Yeah. So what do you think is working for you right now when it comes to growing and engaging your audience on social media?

And I think people really resonate with that, and they really connect with that. I think that's my main thing, honestly. And I try not to stress too much on the algorithm, because it changes every single day. There's nothing we could truly do about it. Yeah, I feel like there are thousands of people telling you how to do it one way, how to grow, and how to grow, but it all changes.

It's all so what's the word? Fickle, essentially. And obviously, I do the posts, I try to do the reels, but other than that, I just try to put out things that are authentic to me, and that I believe in, and I think people resonate with it.

So have you done, have you found anything other than social media that's worked well for you?

I always create events with the idea of what would be the perfect event that I would like to see. And it mostly always involves design, coffee, and treats. I'll put that together. Also, I've been doing artist meetups lately. All of these things have been a way of exposure without even thinking about that.

But people who didn't know my work might come across my work. They might walk into the shop that day and see my products or attend the artist meetup without even knowing who I am. But after that, they start following me. And so I think those have been non-social media.

And I think that's such a smart way to put it: put yourself out there without showing your work. It's like, I might not be saying here's this thing you should buy, but it's like, Hey, let me teach you how to do this thing. Or let's all come together and make this thing together and by proxy, you'll get to know me, but I'm not necessarily saying buy this product.

And I'm like, "Let's do it. Does it matter if I don't know? It doesn't matter if I've never done it before." I'm very nervous and scared about it. I will say yes. And then we will figure it out, and great things come out of every time.

And I think a lot of artists tend to be like introverted people, not a full generalization. There are a lot of extroverted artists, a lot of us are introverted people who prefer to not do those things, but it definitely can be worth it. And I used to be. So introverted, but just by trying these things and yeah, saying yes and practising and learning, I've gotten a lot better, so it definitely helps. So that's great advice.

Also, sorry, my brain thinks in Spanish a lot, and sometimes, this is very silly, but I learned American English. So sometimes, if there's any English accent, my brain is computing a little bit. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. The biggest lesson so far is definitely trying to be your most authentic self because.

People really resonate with that. I think if you're trying to, if you're pretending to be someone you're not, or you're trying to follow a certain trend, I don't know how, but people can tell. And so I just always try to encourage people to just be genuine with the work they do. Try to think of what makes you happy, what sparks you.

Connect to your middle school, or high school self and try to go back and pull from that for experience and inspiration. That has been my biggest lesson, having people resonate with my work. And I think the other thing would be to be nice. Being nice has taken me so far it seems something like something so simple but just being nice and being patient because obviously growing and following or building a brand or getting anywhere takes a lot of work and a lot of patience and time it's taken me since I started 10 years over 10 years to be the designer of the night that I am today so I always like to remind people to try to be patient peace.

And yeah, I think that's it. I post most of my updates and things that I have going on Instagram, so I think that's it. It's the main place for me.

Okay. Thank you so much for joining the show, and goodbye to everybody else.