Lizeth Cuara, a Mexican-American entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, is the force behind Misty Phases, a multimillion-dollar e-commerce brand specializing in postpartum shapewear. Her products draw inspiration from la cuarentena, the traditional 40-day Mexican postpartum period focused on maternal healing and recovery. But Cuara’s path to success was anything but conventional.
From hustle to healingRaised in Compton, California, by a single mother, Cuara grew up facing financial hardship. She never finished high school, and a decade ago, she was stuck in an entry-level job, struggling to make ends meet. Looking for a way to change her circumstances, she took a leap into e-commerce, experimenting with flipping Amazon return pallets.
With US $10,000 in savings, she invested in two $5,000 pallets, then turned to YouTube to teach herself how to list and sell the items on eBay.(Lizeth Cuara)Mastering shipping and pricing was her next challenge, but she quickly realized a simple formula: the more she listed, the more she sold. Within a month, she had made back her initial investment.
Encouraged by her early success, she quit her job to focus on the business full-time.While the pallet resale business was profitable, it was unpredictable— some shipments turned a strong profit, while others barely broke even. After eight months, Cuara started looking for a more sustainable and scalable venture.
Drawing on her experience, she identified a growing market for products like lotions, tea.
