Artisan Spotligt - Gustavo

Hi, my name is Gustavo. I wanted to share this picture with you guys because it is so meaningful to me. In the picture, you will find my wife, Claudia, my two wonderful kids Xitlali Monserrat and Gustavo Jr., and my mom Lilia in front of the Cathedral of The Virgin of Monserrat most commonly known as The Virgin Mary. This is symbolic and significant to me because when I started my college journey, I had to drop out the first time when I had only 3 semesters left, due to dire circumstances that were out of my control. A year later I went back, but right before graduating, I had to suspend my final research and thesis, again. During my undergrad, I had gotten married and my wife had already had 2 miscarriages, which took a toll on us physically and emotionally.

When I dropped out the first time, it was because she was pregnant for the third time, but just like previous pregnancies, it was a very high-risk pregnancy. I decided to stop studying so I could take care of her. Thanks to God and his mercy we were able to have our first child, Xitlali Monserrat, the meaning behind her name is “Star chosen by God” like Mary of Monserrat was “The chosen one” that is why this picture is so meaningful to us in front of that cathedral.

The second time I suspended my studies was right before graduation was because my wife was pregnant again with our son, Gustavo de Jesus, which means “ Gustavo of Jesus” sent straight from heaven.  Due to previous experiences, I wanted to be present and help my wife make it to her due date successfully, and we did. I went back a third time and after I finished my thesis and graduated, I worked in my industry as a communications engineer (a communications engineer is responsible for the research, design, development, and production of communications equipment/systems).

After a few years, it started to take a toll on me and my family because I was having to constantly travel for work and I wanted to spend more time with my wife and kids. This is when we made the decision to start my own communications business. I ran this business successfully for 5 years but was still never around. I then realized I was captivated by the art of my own people; the art of making huaraches or hand-woven leather shoes and I wanted to do something with that.

I have a lot of family and friends that make these shoes out of their homes and this is how this new project with SOLS was born. It is an honor for me to contribute to a product, enjoyed by others around the world, that is 100% Mexican.  Especially since it's made by the hands of people I personally know from my hometown. I want to help provide a steady income for these people so they can pay for schooling for their kids to get an education and other basic human needs. I love to be home with my family and spend time with my kids and watch them grow up rather than traveling and being gone all the time. I want these shoes that are made with love and care to fill every corner of the world. That is what I dream of and brings me satisfaction at the end of each working day. Thank you to all of you SOLS lovers for this opportunity.