FIRSTHAND
Melissa Fonseca: Part 3
Season 3 Episode 3 | 5m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
Melissa’s new clothing business could be her ticket out.
Melissa’s new clothing business could be her ticket out.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
FIRSTHAND is a local public television program presented by WTTW
FIRSTHAND
Melissa Fonseca: Part 3
Season 3 Episode 3 | 5m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
Melissa’s new clothing business could be her ticket out.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat music) - I always wanted to have a little boutique for just nothing but women's clothes and focus on the ladies sometimes.
'Cause sometimes we don't think about ourselves.
I never actually put my all into it.
And I've been thinking about it for I don't know how many years.
So I was like, you know what, let me try to push myself and order a few things and see how this picks up.
This is a large.
I sell 'em on Facebook.
I created a Facebook page.
I sold about a good, I wanna say, 20 outfits.
Sometimes I would take pictures of myself in certain things because if they see it on you, they'll probably feel like, they will feel like, okay, if it looks good on her, then it's gonna look good on me.
(upbeat music) I just wanna focus on clothes 'cause clothes make me feel good.
When I put on something nice, I feel pretty.
After I had my kids, I lost confidence in myself.
The times that I did feel the happiest or feel the prettiest, is if I had something new.
I felt comfort in clothes.
I feel, I feel like a different person when I put 'em on.
And I get a lot of compliments.
I love compliments.
Okay.
I'm coming down.
(group chattering) I'm praying that this is a ticket out of Walgreen's shop so I can just be like, I resign.
Walking.
I resign!
My mom loves the idea.
She loves it and she hopes that it takes off so that I can become a boutique owner.
- I'm posting that.
- You definitely wanna try to get a website.
But I mean, Facebook is good for now but you also wanna work on getting, like I said, your business structure.
Getting your federal tax ID.
You're gonna have to charge them tax on the merchandise you sell though.
- Oh, wow.
- [Mom] Yeah, yeah.
That's important.
- She's been offering a lot of tips.
Like, we meet maybe once a week.
Here we go.
Here's another one.
Now this one is a tight fit.
Put your thumbs on through.
- Your age group and younger is your audience.
So that's cool.
But you may also wanna, like you said, think of fluffier girls.
And then also for maybe older people like myself.
- When I know that I have somebody who's behind me cheerleading, I feel like she saying I can do this.
I'm gonna show her I can do it.
- I love those.
- [Melissa] Me too.
My relationship with my mom right now is wonderful.
We speak at least two or three times a week.
And every conversation before we hang up she tells me she loves me.
And she wasn't doing that before.
It's just, it's the best feeling.
(bacon frying) No, I hate jumping jacks.
I see it going somewhere.
And me going back to school also at least for one class and seeing where that goes.
I'm gonna set that goal.
That's my priority right now, the degree.
But I also would love to have a home for my kids.
So that way they won't have to ever worry about if we would ever always have a roof over our head.
You have bacon all over your face.
(speaking in foreign language) I wanna see them all go off to college.
I want them to experience living in dorms and playing sports.
I want them to do that.
I want them to go to college.
- [Teacher] Awesome Maya.
Good job.
- Good job Maya.
I'll do anything for my kids.
You know, whatever there dreams are, I want to help them chase 'em.
I'm already tired.
(Melissa laughs) However I can do that, I will.

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FIRSTHAND is a local public television program presented by WTTW