Creating Confidence: Muchacha LA

By Amy Wang ‘21

Muchacha Los Angeles all started when a girl with a hobby was given a class project assignment. Established in July 2017, Muchacha Los Angeles was first an ETSY shop project that freshman Danielle Boyce decided to turn into a company and business. She explains, “It evolved from my side hobby to my main hustle.”

Creating a pair of her statement earrings takes about 4 weeks. Danielle starts with the design before buying the materials and making the earrings by hand. Once her product is finished, she has a friend photograph the earrings and continues by posting them on her websites, ETSY, and social media platforms.

Managing one’s own business while being a full-time student is not easy. Danielle admits, “I have no idea what I’m doing or how I’m handling it. It’s a really big balancing act.” She has always been academically-focused in high school, so it was difficult to transition to this dual role. But at the end of the day Muchachas is what she loves. “The best things in life make you happy and better and it just so happens that Muchachas makes me happy, better, and also money.”

Danielle did not always have a passion for handcrafted jewelry. In fact, she used to stigmatize people who made jewelry thinking that it was not something she would enjoy at all. Once she started making earrings herself simply because pom poms were cheap, she realized that this was something she flourished at.

Despite the encouragement from friends, Danielle did not consider selling her work to the public at first. However, it was working at Studio DIY where she met the founders that motivated her to give the earring-making business a try. Receiving encouragement from professionals in the field ultimately made the difference and convinced her to pursue the challenge. The founders were role models to Danielle as she explained in admiration, “what they said is law so I will do this.”

While making her Muchachas appears as a creative and fun art that some would even describe as stress relief, Danielle still goes through rough times with her business and work. “This business is everything that I am. If someone critiques a design I make, I thank them because I needed that. But if I get a bad review or the earrings don’t turn our well, I take it personally. The hardest part is remembering that in the end, it really isn’t everything-everything.”

Nevertheless, Muchachas has become a large part of Danielle’s life as she jokingly admits, “My initial desire a few nights ago when I was pulling an all-nighter was to dropout of school even though I know that school should come first. I’ve reached this point of love and devotion that I can’t give it up… It’s okay if it’s not going to make you money for the rest of your life or if it’s not going to last forever, but there’s a certain level of pride knowing you put a lot of work and love into something and that you made something really incredible out of that.”

The most important thing about Muchachas is how they make people feel. “If you’re adventurous with your statement earrings, you can be more outgoing, ambitious, and comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Danielle wants people who wear her earrings to feel powerful because “when the spotlight is put on you, you’re going to have to perform, and if you’re going to have a secret weapon, they might as well be colorful pom poms.”

Website: https://www.muchachala.com/

Instagram: @shopmuchachala

Want more from Trojans 360?

Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content!

You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post!

And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.