Diary of an Underwear Dream (Chapter 9): Las Muchachitas When Mariela and I launched our business, we were 23 and 24—wide-eyed, full of dreams, and determined to build something of our own. But to the outside world, we were just “las muchachitas”—the young girls. At trade shows, people assumed Eberjey was our parents’ company. More than once, we were asked “to speak to the owner” to try to negotiate better terms. In Miami, where the nickname “las muchachitas” first took root, our suppliers, seamstresses, pattern makers, and cutters couldn’t believe two young girls had the drive (or nerve!) to start a lingerie business from scratch. They thought we were clueless—and, truthfully, in many ways we were. But we were fast learners. We weren’t pushovers. And little by little, we earned their trust. Eventually, they were all rooting for us like we were family. At first, we rolled our eyes at the nickname. But somewhere along the way, it became our little badge of honor. A reminder that we started small— scrappy and underestimated—and that we kept going. And we’re still going. And since I’ve never properly introduced her: meet Mariela, my business partner of over 25 years. She’s originally from Argentina and, like me, moved to Miami as a child. Though we grew up in different corners of Miami, we didn’t meet until after college at a direct marketing agency. But from that first moment, something clicked. We were meant to build something together. Las muchachitas, then and now.