Jehu Cecilio, a 39-year-old tailor, runs a business specializing in dressmaking and clothing repairs. He started the business to challenge himself, earn more, and spend more time with his family. Initially, competition was a challenge, but it motivated him to improve service.
A memorable incident involved a costly mistake with a brand-name dress. Jehu enjoys customer satisfaction and making friends but dislikes discount requests. Prom season (March-June) is busiest, while winter (December-January) is slowest.
He works about 50 hours weekly, takes three vacations yearly, and has a typical day balancing work and family. His current goal is to open a new store.
(summary generated by Otter AI)
Transcript:
Sofia Cecilio: What is your name?
Jehu Cecilio: My name is Jehu Cecilio Jimenez.
SC: How old are you?
JC: I’m 39 years old.
SC: What is your job?
JC: I run a tailoring business.
SC: What does a tailoring business do?
JC: Umm we make dresses and fix any kind of clothes. We fix pants, suits, uhhh blouses, wedding dresses, quinceanera dresses, prom dresses yeah that’s what we do.
SC: Okay.
SC: What made you start your own business?
JC: What made me start was to challenge myself that I’m capable of running a business, and also make more money and have more time for my family.
SC: Okay.
SC: How did you feel when starting your business?
JC: You have to put it closer no?
JC: I felt excited at the same time, a little nervous.
SC: [Laughs] what conflict did you [laughs] go through?
JC: Hm?
SC: What conflict did you go through when starting a [laughs] business?
JC: Oh, a conflict I went through when I started was getting customers because there was a lot of competition, there were a lot of tailors in the area.
SC: How did having a lot of competition make you feel?
JC: It made me feel like working harder and giving better service.
SC: What is a story you remember at work?
JC: A story I remember is when one of my workers messed up a customer’s dress and I had to pay for it which was so expensive, it was a brand name dress.
SC: How did you feel…during?
JC: That day I felt so terrible, because the customer was yelling at me.
SC: Uhmm, what do you like the most about your job? And least?
JC: What I like most about my job is seeing my customers happy once they received their clothes and also I made a lot of friends. And least when they ask for discounts.
SC: Why don’t you like it when a customer asks for discounts?
JC: Because the price I give them is reasonable.
SC: Okay. Which season of the year is the most busiest and slowest?
JC: Prom season is the busiest, which is between March and June, and the slowest I think is in winter between December and January.
SC: How many hours do you typically work in a week?
JC: I work about 50 hours a week sometimes more sometimes less.
SC: Do you ever get vacations? If yes, how many?
JC: Uh yes I get vacations three times a year, one of them is in summer, it’s when you and your sister have summer vacation, the other one is in Thanksgiving, and the last one is in Christmas, and also I have days off, usually is in holidays.
SC: What is a typical day like?
JC: On a typical day I wake up around five thirty or sometimes at six to get ready and drive you and your sister off to school. After, I go to my favorite coffee shop and get some coffee then I go to work around nine. When I get there I start cleaning the place–to open it, and I start working. After a few hours of working I eat lunch around one. After, I go buy supplies for work after eating and then I go back to work to drop off the supplies, and then I go to your school to pick you up at three then, wait for your sister to come out at three forty, then we go back to work and work until six after that I organize my work before leaving and drive back home.
SC: Are you exhausted when your day ends?
JC: No I’m not because all I do is for my family and give them what they deserve.
SC: Okay. And do you have any goals for your business right now?
JC: Yes I do, my goal right now um is open a new store for my business.
SC: Okay.
