A major moment at Coachella quickly turned into uncertainty for a San Antonio small business owner.
SAN ANTONIO — Just days ago, Melissa Rojas was in California representing San Antonio on a bigger stage than ever before.
The owner of “Chasing Camila,” a brand named after her daughter, had been invited by Karol G’s team to take part in a Coachella-related market in Palm Desert. It was the kind of opportunity many small business owners work years to reach.
“It was just an amazing experience to be able to take my product and showcase them over there,” Rojas said.
Her designs, known for their bold colors and cultural influence, were connecting with new customers, and for a moment, everything felt like it was lining up.
But that momentum didn’t last long.
On her way back to Texas, Rojas got unexpected news: the retail space she relied on in San Antonio had suddenly and permanently closed.
“As soon as I got on my flight, I got the word that my physical space was abruptly and permanently closed,” she said.
The closure came at a critical time.
Fiesta season is one of the busiest, and most profitable, times of the year for local vendors. For Rojas, it’s when months of preparation typically turn into a major portion of her income.
Instead, she came home to uncertainty.
“I felt like I didn’t get a chance to kind of enjoy it. I kind of felt like I was brought down back to reality,” she said.
Rojas says she still doesn’t have clear answers about what happens next, especially when it comes to lost sales and inventory already in the store before it shut down.
“I don’t even know what the answer is to anything,” she said.
With little time to react, fellow vendors and friends stepped in, packing up her merchandise before she even landed back in San Antonio.
Now, instead of relying on a storefront, Rojas is shifting her entire business model, at least for now.
“So I have pop-ups every day… I don’t think I’ve had a moment to process what I’m going to do next,” she said.
Pop-ups across the city, temporary setups, and social media updates have become her main way of staying afloat during one of the most important sales seasons of the year.
Rojas, a single mother, says the loss of a physical space isn’t just about convenience, it’s about stability.
It was a place where customers could shop her designs in person, even when she was traveling or juggling other responsibilities.
Now, she’s navigating what comes next in real time.
“I think this is the time to rely on each other and just kind of ask for help if you need it,” she said.
For now, that support from customers, fellow vendors, and the San Antonio community is what’s keeping “Chasing Camila” moving forward.
Even as the future of her business remains uncertain, one thing hasn’t changed: the name behind it.
A brand built for her daughter, now being carried forward, one pop-up at a time.