Building a Life & Business You Love

At Mestiza New York, we believe style is more than what you wear - it’s how you build your life, your career, and your relationships. That belief came to life during our first-ever virtual panel, Living in Style: Building a Life & Business You Love, where we gathered inspiring women across fashion, retail, design, and entrepreneurship for a candid conversation about growth, ambition, and longevity.

Hosted by Mestiza co-founders Louisa Rechter and Alessandra Perez-Rubio, the panel featured:

• • • Alexandra Dillard, Vice President of Merchandising at Dillard’s
    • Jennifer Hunter, Founder of Jennifer Hunter Design
    • Lauren Dudley Stephens, Founder of Dudley Stephens

Together, they shared hard-earned insights on building meaningful careers, scaling businesses, and staying grounded while doing it all.

Below are the biggest top 5 takeaways from the night. These are lessons that resonated across industries and stages of life.

1. Your Network Is Your Greatest Career Asset

One theme echoed across every panelist’s story: relationships matter more than résumés.

Early jobs, unexpected opportunities, and pivotal career moments often came not from perfectly planned paths, but from people: friends, mentors, peers, and extended networks built over time. Whether entering a new industry or growing a business, trust and connection consistently opened doors.

For young professionals especially, the advice was clear: Don’t underestimate the long-term power of genuine relationships. Build them early, nurture them often, and lead with curiosity and generosity.

2. Use Your Early 20s to Hustle, Experiment, and Say Yes

If there’s ever a time to work hard, take risks, and embrace uncertainty, it’s your early twenties.

Panelists emphasized using that chapter to:

• • • • Try different roles (even imperfect ones)
      • Learn by doing
      • Build resilience through rejection and redirection

Career paths are rarely linear. Being fired, pivoting, or feeling “behind” often becomes the very thing that clarifies what you truly want. Momentum comes from action - not waiting for permission.

3. Invest in Product and People to Scale Sustainably

When asked what truly helped scale their businesses, the consensus was ultimately unanimous: product and people are everything.

Great products create trust and longevity. Great teams carry the vision forward. Without both, growth becomes fragile.

For Mestiza, this means continually refining our designs. Timeless silhouettes, proprietary prints, convertible details - while investing in a team that deeply believes in the mission. Scaling isn’t about shortcuts; it’s about building something that lasts.

4. Alignment Is the Secret to Long-Term Success

One of the most powerful insights came from Alexandra Dillard, who shared that Dillard’s multi-generational success comes down to alignment around a single, shared goal.

When leadership, teams, and partners are moving in the same direction, decisions become clearer, execution becomes stronger, and longevity becomes possible. Alignment creates consistency, and consistency builds trust with customers over decades.

5. Style That Lasts Is About Versatility and Meaning

Personal style came up not as a trend conversation, but as a reflection of values. Pieces that earn a permanent place in a wardrobe are:

• • • • • Versatile across real life
        • Timeless rather than trend-driven
        • Emotionally resonant

That philosophy mirrors how we design at Mestiza: pieces meant to move through seasons, stages, and memories - designed to be worn again and again without losing their sense of occasion.

Looking Ahead

The evening closed with an exciting sneak peek at a new product drop from Mestiza, a giveaway celebration, and an overwhelming response from our community asking for more conversations like this.

We’re so grateful to our panelists and everyone who joined us. If you missed it, or want to relive the highlights, we hope these lessons stay with you as you build your own life and career with intention. Please keep in touch for the next one and please share what you’d like us to cover next!