House of Chingasos is a print-on-demand apparel brand based in Las Vegas. The company went from a humble side hustle to a $3 million business under the leadership of founder Carlos Ugalde. Utilizing targeted Facebook ads and customer engagement, the brand grew rapidly with designs inspired by Ugalde’s Latino heritage. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Carlos Ugalde to learn more about the company.
Carlos Ugalde’s Background
What is Carlos Ugalde’s background? Ugalde said:
“I grew up in the Los Angeles area and was always the creative type in school. That carried over into my professional life as a designer and copywriter. After being let go for budget reasons I realized I had to go out on my own because the money was no longer available in my field due to young talent working more cheaply. I had to make something work!”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Ugalde shared:
“After trying some other t-shirt ideas including a cat t-shirt brand ( I’m not a cat person at all btw) I decided to try a market I actually know something about…Being Latino! Something, a brand more culturally relevant and less jokey- something to connect with the culture’s humor and heart.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Ugalde reflected:
“This part happens DAILY. Checking the Reviews page and seeing the happiness that customers express with words and photos on how much they love our apparel for themselves and their family members…it’s always fun and touching!”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Ugalde explained:
“At our core we are a t-shirt streetwear brand. Connecting Latino-Americans with their culture through inspirational, funny and heartfelt designs though we offer Caps, Hoodies, Blankets, mugs and more!”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Ugalde acknowledged:
“Constantly having copycats stealing our original design and selling them on knockoff sites, Amazon, Etsy etc. It’s a constant battle but we win with creativity, New Drops and a loyal fan base!”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since its launch? Ugalde noted:
“The technology has remained steady on my end though I’m sure Printful has advanced significantly over the years. AI is pretty great in helping us create base images that we can expand on at a much faster pace, allowing us to offer more new designs quickly for our customers.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Ugalde cited:
“The first sale was my biggest thrill! Couldn’t believe that someone would buy from a Facebook ad from some brand they’ve never heard of. AMAZING!! Then the first 10k, 100k, first Million… We just had a record breaking day this week crossing the $40,000.00 mark for 1 day of sales..that was HUGE!”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Ugalde highlighted:
“Too many, take your pick from all of the fun reviews on our review page.”
Revenue
When asking Ugalde about the company’s revenue, he revealed that the company did a 70% increase in 2023 over 2022 at $2.97 million. And the company was on pace to beat that in 2024 with over $400K in sales done in the first half of December alone.
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Ugalde pointed out:
“Not sure but in the hundreds of millions for the Latino market I assume.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Ugalde affirmed:
“We don’t have a rigid design style, we bring our customers great designs depending on what we think they will love, we push new drops often and we ensure that all our apparel designs have meaning and heart that will connect with our tribe.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Ugalde emphasized:
“Looking to grow the brand into brick and mortar locations of our brand as well as getting into big stores like Target, Macy’s and more.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Ugalde concluded:
“Just to believe in your goals, cut off any possibility other than success and never stop learning. Success is not owned, it’s rented and the rent is due every day!”
