In an original Coronado home, Robin Lynn is crafting new things. Nado Embroidery is the epitome of a small Coronado business. Robin saw a need for local embroidery services and wanted to be home more with her children, so she launched what’s become a thriving business.
“I, by profession, am a special education teacher,” Robin begins her entrepreneurial story. “I taught the last couple of years on the island as an ED specialist. My oldest son was struggling in kindergarten horribly, and later, he was diagnosed with ADHD. My wife Maggie and I thought, ‘What are we going to do?’ And we pivoted.”
Coming from a textile family, Robin felt optimistic that embroidery was something she could do, so with a vision and a belief, she went all in. “We put it out in the universe, and manifested.”
Humble beginnings
Nado Embroidery began taking orders in June from its home base on E Avenue. “The front part of our house is the original Craftsman cottage, around 100 years old. At first, we thought about me being in the garage, but ultimately, we decided it would be front and center. We have a Dutch double door that I can open. I’ve got a seating area, and then you go into the dining area, and there’s my room and my setup with my hoops and threads.”
Beginning with embroidered towels, the product list now includes hats, shirts, and more. “I did towels because I needed to get out there and have people know me. I made nice Coronado zip code towels. Then, I went into local businesses and sold myself. Maggie suggested putting the graduation year on them for kids for 20 years from now. So that’s what we did.”
Building a Reputation
One of the first businesses Nado Embroidery partnered with was Sea La Vie, which held an artisan event in October. “I used all my original designs and put them in for the event. Each artist was featured with a short bio, and a newsletter went out. The top three vendors for the most sold goods included Nado Embroidery! We were one of four artisans who were featured for the rest of the month. It was a nice compliment to this community for supporting my work.”
Robin is now expanding to sports teams and organizations in Coronado. She designed the logo for Camp Able and has recently taken on a project for the CHS boys water polo team. A parent of one of the players found Nado Embroidery’s website and they redesigned the logo and embroidered hats and bags.
Personal and Custom Requests
In addition to groups, Nado Embroidery also handles individual requests. “I have people who come in with items they want a unique, very specific design for. I use AI, and I’m pretty crafty. Between AI and me, I come up with designs that people like. I’m doing tote bags, stockings, jackets.”
With the holiday season in full swing, Robin isn’t slowing down. She’s still taking requests for stockings and other holiday items. “This is the part of the special education teacher in me. I want to help, and it’s so special when you get to be a part of someone’s project. They’re so happy when it comes out, and it looks nice, and it’s custom. A lady dropped off cashmere cotton sweaters. They’re so beautiful, and she’s getting them customized. She went to the same college I did, the University of Colorado Boulder. These beautiful sweaters were for her sister, and they’re great skiers. She wanted something very classy and subtle. We were able to come up with a design and tailor it to what she wanted. She came over and picked out her thread. It’s rewarding.”
The Process
Robin walks through an example of the process of working with Nado Embroidery. “I have this mom who’s visiting. Her daughter’s here, they’re military, and her daughter’s pregnant. The husband is going to deploy.” The mom bought a really nice tote bag from Anthropologie and initially wanted a simple monogram on the bag for her daughter.
Robin invited the customer over to get started. After they got to talking and looking at threads, the vision changed to something more comprehensive. Her daughter enjoys playing both mahjong and tennis. “Together we came up with mahjong tiles on the back. One should be a tennis ball, the other one a Joker. We added a wine glass. She left me with that and I figured out the details. I’m just plugging it in as I go along, on those sleepless nights at two in the morning. I sent her a mock-up and asked if there were any changes.”
Robin beams as she shares that the woman loved it as is and wanted to move forward. “It felt so good,” Robin says. “It’s a custom gift that someone is giving from the heart, and they’ll just love it. Those are always fun projects. They’re not the easy ones, but they’re the rewarding ones. Who doesn’t want a bag that’s been personalized with things they love?”
Back in June, Robin was the self-described towel lady, and is now amazed at how far Nado Embroidery has come in six months. “I appreciate Coronado supporting us so that I have the flexibility for my family.” Robin adds, “We’re military and have been here about two years. The community has embraced us, and we are so grateful.”
Find more information at nadoembroidery.com. Robin says that texting her at 719-963-1234 is the best way to reach her, as she is often creating and not on her computer.
