Mind Ya Business

What happens when a K-pop fan decides Chicago's southside needs a shop? She opens one herself. That's exactly what Lizbeth did when she launched Kpop & More at 5830 S. Kedzie Ave in Gage Park, bringing albums, photo cards, keychains, and all the cutest merch straight to Chicago's southwest side.

In this episode, Lizbeth gets real about what it takes to run a niche retail shop in a neighborhood that was asking for it; From sourcing inventory around comeback seasons, to building a loyal fandom customer base one photo card at a time, to competing with the endless scroll of online sellers. Spoiler: community wins every time.

Whether you're a K-pop stan, a small business owner, or someone who's ever wondered if your passion could pay the bills, this episode is for you.

🎧 Mind Ya Business is brought to you by the Southwest Collective, Chicago's NBDC serving Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, and West Lawn. We help southwest side small businesses grow, from operations and marketing to HR and strategy. Learn more at southwestcollective.org.

El Teatro del Pueblo: How Karla Galvan Built a Cultural Institution and a Business

A theater 22 years in the making, Karla Galvan runs Teatro Tariakuri out of the heart of Marquette Park on Chicago's southwest side, a bilingual theatrical and cultural center she built after hitting real walls in the arts world as a Mexican and Peruvian immigrant. Instead of walking away from the arts entirely, she built her own stage.

In this episode, Karla joins us to talk about what it actually takes to run a nonprofit theater as a business: from securing 501(c)(3) status in the middle of a pandemic, building a sustainable revenue mix beyond grants, and balancing her role as both creative visionary and executive director. We dig into the financial lessons she learned the hard way, why staying rooted in this community is a strategy and not just a mission statement, and what 20+ years of building "El Teatro del Pueblo" has taught her about sustainable growth.

Whether you're running a bakery, a salon, or a theater, this conversation is full of smart moves for entrepreneurs at every stage.

📍 Teatro Tariakuri: 3117 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60629

🎥 Check out the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/omfmdQc3U4Q

🎙️ Mind Ya Business is brought to you by the Southwest Collective, a City of Chicago-designated Neighborhood Business Development Center serving Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, and West Lawn.

This week on Mind Ya Business, we sat down with Angie Maciel-Wright, first-generation Mexican-American, mother of two, and co-founder of La Casa Playroom, a bilingual, multicultural play space at 4371 S. Archer Avenue in Brighton Park on Chicago's southwest side.

Angie's story starts where so many entrepreneurial journeys do, with a problem nobody else was solving. When she became a mom, she looked at Brighton Park with fresh eyes and realized southwest side families were constantly having to leave their own neighborhood to find enriching, welcoming spaces for their young children. So she and her husband Jeremy did something about it. In the summer of 2025, they opened La Casa Playroom, a warm, intentional space where children ages 6 and under can explore and grow through bilingual programming, multicultural storytelling, and hands-on experiences that celebrate culture and heritage. And where caregivers, often overlooked, finally have a space to breathe, connect, and feel seen.

In this episode, we get into:

🏡 How growing up watching her parents run a Mexican grocery store in Brighton Park shaped Angie's entrepreneurial identity, even before she knew it

💡 The moment she realized her neighborhood had a gap that needed to be filled, and the decision to fill it herself

💰 The financial reality of launching a brick-and-mortar business, from early planning and pricing strategy to building a sustainable revenue model across open play, events, after-school care, and private rentals

📣 How she built community trust and got the word out to the southwest side families she was built for, without a traditional marketing budget

👫 What it's really like to run a business with your spouse, divide responsibilities, and pace growth without burning out

🌎 Why affordable, culturally rooted spaces matter on the southwest side, and what La Casa represents as a community anchor, not just a business

🎙️ Plus, Angie drops some real talk in our Mind Ya Business Rapid Fire, the best advice she's received, and what's next for La Casa Playroom

From birthday cakes to brick-and-mortar: Rachel Díaz of Borinken Cakes on pivots, pan sobao, and building a business that represents.

This week, Rachel sits down with us to talk about the full arc; From family kitchen to pop-ups to a mall kiosk to multiple storefronts, and what it actually took to know this was more than a hobby. And if you've been sleeping on TikTok for your business? Rachel has something to say about that. Eighty percent of her customers come from the app, and she'll tell you exactly what she did differently after Facebook and Instagram didn't deliver. This one's got the lessons, the receipts, and the realness. Don't miss it.

🎙️ In this episode:

• The leap from pop-up to brick-and-mortar, and knowing when a hobby becomes a business
• How product design training shaped the way she built Borinken Cakes
• Closing Logan Square: operational constraints vs. a tough season
• Sourcing pan sobao from Puerto Rico and managing a cross-island supply chain
• Why TikTok worked when nothing else did, and how to actually show up there
• The one part of the business she hasn't fully cracked yet

Jesse Iñiguez grew up in a neighborhood with no coffee shops, so he built one. But Back of the Yards Coffee was never just about the coffee. It was about proving that communities like his deserve quality, investment, and a place to gather. In this episode, Jesse breaks down the business model behind the mission, the growing pains of scaling a vertically integrated operation, and why he believes community investment and business success aren't competing priorities; they're the same one. If you're building something in a neighborhood people underestimate, this episode is for you.

We're back ... & better than ever.

2025 laid the foundation. Now, Mind Ya Business is stepping into a bigger role. In this reintroduction episode, our full Southwest Collective small business team — Jamie (Business Operations & Marketing), Marlin (Human Resources), and Hugo (Design & Strategy) — sits down to tell you exactly who we are, what we're continuing to do, and what we're bringing to Chicago's southwest side in 2026.

As a Neighborhood Business Development Center (NBDC) designated by the City of Chicago, we serve small business owners & emerging entrepreneurs in Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, and West Lawn.

In this episode:

• Meet the team and the credentials behind the conversation
• Learn what the NBDC designation means for your business
• Get a first look at our 2025 events, programming, and episode calendar
• Find out how to work with us, ask us your questions, and get involved

New episodes drop twice a month. Subscribe so you never miss a move.

Smart Moves for Sustainable Growth.

In part 2 of our Chambers of Commerce conversation, Jaime walks us through what it actually took to launch a chamber on Chicago’s southwest side — the grind, the organization, the community work, and the lessons learned in the trenches. We break down the blueprint for starting a sustainable Chamber, the patterns that usually signal one won’t survive long-term, and the behind-the-scenes issues most business owners never see coming.

And if your area doesn’t even have a Chamber? Don’t stress — we map out alternative business resource groups that can still plug you into visibility, support, and real network power. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a business community from the ground up (or how to spot a failing one before you get dragged in), this episode is your sign to tune in.

Tapping into your local Chamber of Commerce can be a major glow-up for your business… if you pick the right one. In this episode, we break down what a Chamber actually does, the different forms it can take, and how to spot whether it’s truly serving its members or just running on vibes.

We’re talking pitfalls to avoid, the red flags that scream “don’t waste your membership fee,” and the green flags that signal real support, visibility, and community impact. If you’ve ever wondered whether joining a Chamber is worth it — or how to choose the one that actually moves your business forward — this episode is your cheat code.

In uncertain times, even the strongest businesses feel the pressure. Episode 6 of Mind Ya Business explores how to adapt when foot traffic slows, revenue dips, and every dollar counts. Learn how to assess your costs, restructure your operations, and prepare your business to weather financial setbacks without losing momentum. Whether you’re a storefront owner, service provider, or solo entrepreneur, this episode helps you keep your business afloat when the tides turn.

Ever wonder who handles what when it comes to running a business in Chicago? In this episode of Mind Ya Business, we break down the roles and responsibilities across the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. From licensing and permits to taxes and regulations, we help business owners navigate the maze of government departments—so you know exactly who to call when “that’s not my department” gets thrown your way. Tune in for practical insights, tips, and real-world examples to keep your business compliant and thriving.