Magaly Chocano and her husband at their new boutique, Ore & TImber.
Our True Beauty series features the most influential and stylish women in Texas. We take a peek inside their closets, their minds, and their hearts to find out what makes them truly passionate. Today’s post features Magaly Chocano, San Antonio tech entrepreneur and most recently the proud owner of Southtown’s newest boutique, Ore & Timber. A native of Madrid, Spain, Magaly founded Sweb Development in 2008 as a web and mobile app development firm. In August of 2009 she launched SwebApps: the first build-your-own iPhone application platform for Small Businesses online.
Sweb has been featured in Time Magazine, USA Today, ABC News, Fox Business News, Business Week, Wall Street Journey, Mashable and Giga Om among many others. In 2012, Magaly was recognized by the San Antonio Business Journal as one of the 40 most influential people under 40. In 2013 Magaly was recognized as one of the 10 fun and fearless Latinas by Cosmo Magazine in NYC.. In 2015 NAWBO gave the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Magaly and in 2016 she was awarded the Enterprising Women of The Year award.
Her position as a leading female tech entrepreneur in San Antonio has won her many fans and friends – both due to her outgoing personality and her giving spirit. Read on to find out more about this inspiring woman!
Haute in Texas: Hi Magaly! Thanks for chatting with us. First off, who had the biggest influence on your style growing up?
Magaly Chocano: The biggest influence on my style, growing up, was my sister Carina. She is 6 years older and was and still is super trendy. She is a tremendous writer and fashionista!
HIT: What’s your biggest fashion regret?
MC: Hmm my biggest fashion regret. Although I’m not sure it is a regret, probably showing up to a fancy award ceremony where I was one of the recipients in Doc Martens and a jean skirt — it was a cute outfit but not for the occasion!
HIT: Now that you’ve opened your own boutique, how has it affected your personal sense of style?
MC: I have to give all the credit for the store style to my husband Tirso. He is a phenomenal furniture designer and artist. I just bought the things I loved to enhance the feel. I am not sure it has affected my personal style as it has actually brought together all the things I love in one place!
HIT: Will Ore & Timber have textiles or accessories at some point? What can we expect to see from the boutique in terms of aesthetic?
MC: We have beautiful Indian scarves and gorgeous jewelry in the shop. We are also carrying weekender bags made of Guatemalan Huipiles and leather. We are testing what people like and ordering new things as we get suggestions and they fit our style.
HIT: As a woman in tech on top of being a retail small business owner, how do you keep a wardrobe that’s multi-functional for all the places your days take you?
MC: Whoa – that is an awesome question! Jeans are my thing – I am very casual and love to dress things up or down with boots and cute jewelry. I am also a purse/bag junkie!
HIT: You have young girls as well, correct? What do you tell them about their style or fashion choices?
MC: Yes – We have two girls, ages 14 and 11. Our 11 year old was an incredible fashionista when she was little – at the age of 3 she would walk in to a shop in LA and pick clothes (cute clothes too) over toys! My 14 year old is finally interested in fashion – before walking into her teens she was a suspenders, bow tie and thick black rimmed glasses type of girl. I try to let them make their own choices — although sometimes I need to intervene.
HIT: How do you see your look evolving over the next ten years? Is there a big fashion risk you’d love to take?
MC: Well – I’m in my 40’s so in 10 years I hope to look and feel even younger (possibly with the help of Botox). I think I will always be a casual dresser with GREAT shoes and accessories! The fashion risk I would take is a dress with cleavage that gives you vertigo – like the ones J.Lo wears.
HIT: What advice do you have for young girls who want to be an entrepreneur some day?
MC: There is a fine line between listening to advice to keep you in check and losing your “north” with all the advice. Remember to stay the course – don’t look to your sides – keep moving forward. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. Never be the smartest person in the room. Always keep learning. And treat your team with love and the way you would LOVE to be treated – remember they could chose to be anywhere else but they chose you!
Thank you Magaly for sharing your killer perspective with us! For more information about Ore & Timber, visit their E-commerce-friendly website here or their Facebook page here. I’m totally crushing on this cuff bracelet and this salt scrub.
Let us know who you’d like to see for a future True Beauty feature by emailing me at aquila@hauteintexas.com!
XO,
A
