 |
A Seat at the TableAuthor: Capital Region Family Business Center
Welcome to A Seat at the Table, Trials and Triumphs of Family Business, hosted by Natalie Mariani Kling, a 4th generation family business owner. This program is a creation of The Capital Region Family Business Center, a non-profit agency whose purpose is to help family businesses grow and prosper.One thing about being a part of a family business, is that its unique. Family businesses often began very simply, with a person who had an idea. Rarely were these people educated in business or finance, they usually didnt have big investors, sometimes, they didnt even speak English. But they saw an opportunity that could support their family, and so they started.Once these family businesses grow and are handed to 2nd, 3rd, 4th generations, there are not only the complexities of any growing business, but also the dynamics of family and relationships and navigating things like, which family member will be CEO, should this year's profits be reinvested or distributed? Differences in opinions can complicate Sunday night dinners, estate planning, who wants to keep running this business, preserving a legacy, entitlement, privilege, imposter syndromebut there can also be magic.In a time where we want to KNOW the people behind a brand, and where authenticity and trust play a big part in our purchases as consumers, having a family that runs and operates a business over generations can create a very special culture where its success is built on relationships from vendors to employees to customers.On this podcast, expect real conversations with real family business members about what its like to be in a family business, run a family business, and the trials and triumphs of taking it into the next generation. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Management, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
Listen Now...
Episode 39: Love Her Shop - From Side Hustle to Million Dollar Venture.
Wednesday, 17 December, 2025
Let us know what you thought of this episode and any other comments you may have. In this episode, I sit down with Adreana Alvarez, founder of Love Her Shop, and her son Adrian, founder of Eras Shorts—their story is the kind that reminds you why family businesses really are unique.Adreana started with a problem every active mom recognizes: leggings that were overpriced, see-through, or constantly sliding down mid-workout. With encouragement (and engineering-minded problem-solving) from her husband, she built a better option—then built a movement around it. What began as pop-ups at gyms and farmers markets became an online explosion during COVID… and before she fully realized it, she’d sold over $1M out of her garage.But this isn’t just a “quick growth” story. It’s a community-first story—rooted in her dad’s journey from a third-grade education to building restaurants that became gathering places, and carried forward through Adreana’s decision to create a brand that is high quality, affordable, and purpose-driven. The name Love Her came from a moment outside an ER that reframed everything: this business wasn’t just a brand—it was a mission to give back to women.Then there’s Adrian—watching his mom print labels, pack orders, and make post office runs—and realizing, “If she can do it, I can learn it.” He takes what he learned in the warehouse and on sourcing trips and applies it to his own niche: affordable team shorts that help underfunded teams look and feel unified. And yes—he shares how Eras Shorts has been successful enough to help him pay for college while he still pursues broader business experience.We also get real about what it’s like to work with family: the code-switching, the boundaries, the respect, the conflict, and the pride. Three generations deep, the common threads are clear: fearlessness, values, and the decision to put people at the center—without losing the business fundamentals.You can find Love Her Shop on line by visiting the website, www.lovehershop.com00:00 – The garage-to-growth moment Orders explode overnight, and Adriana realizes the side hustle is turning into something real.02:05 – Meet Adreana + Adrian: three generations of entrepreneurship Introductions, family-business roots, and how entrepreneurship was “normal” in their household.10:05 – The origin stories: restaurants → promo business → Coca-Cola lessons Adriana’s dad builds community through restaurants, Adriana builds and sells her first business, then learns distribution and operations at Coca-Cola.28:25 – The COVID pivot: severance gamble → online launch → $1M wake-up call Bootstrapping the website, community activation, and the surprise discovery that sales crossed a million.40:20 – Purpose + product: engineered leggings, accessible pricing, giving back Stitching-as-contour, high-quality/low-price commitment, tariff transparency, and the “Love Her” mission moment.54:10 – Eras Shorts + working with family: building a brand, boundaries, values Adrian’s team-short niche, funding and growth, paying for college, and how they code-switch between family and business.To learn more about the Capital Region Family Business Center visit our website HERE. To learn more about River City Bank and how they can benefit your family business, visit www.rivercitybank.com
