Meet Charlotte Becerra | Owner, Charlotte’s of Santa Ynez

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlotte Becerra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlotte, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have been in retail since I was very young. My mother had cookware stores when I was a child so I opened a “toy corner” in one of her locations when I was 12 and expanded to a second location a year later. Fast forward a few decades and my husband had a saddle shop for 5 years in Buellton but it just became too big to manage so I took all of the fun things out of it — silver bits, spurs, reins and other hand-crafted horse accoutrements as well as the sterling silver jewelry — and opened my boutique, Charlotte’s of Santa Ynez.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After I graduated from UC Berkeley, I actually spent 15 years in magazine publishing. It’s a great industry and I still miss it but life sometimes puts you on a different path than you expect. Nothing in life is easy (or everyone would be doing it), but the key is to align yourself with experts in your field, keep your mouth shut, your ears open and work hard. I am definitely a history buff and the development of South Western jewelry is directly tied to the Western Expansion. I have so learned so much from the pieces that walk in my door which is great; I love to learn something new every day.

Jewelry is an interesting thing… it is beautiful but what it does for the person wearing it is that it makes them feel beautiful, confident and happy. I can’t tell you how many people come up to me around town or at events and proudly show me what they are wearing that they purchased at Charlotte’s. I love to make people happy so this is quite gratifying for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My husband, Ramon Becerra, has lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for almost 40 years now and as he always says, “If there’s a heaven, Santa Ynez is the gateway.” For me, a perfect day would be a lovely ride on my horse maybe checking cattle and a nice meal at one of our many incredible restaurants. I suppose that is a pretty simple day but it sounds perfect to me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentors and my customers are what makes the boutique special. My industry is full of interesting and knowledgable people that are willing to share and pass down what they know. And, the Santa Ynez Valley is an amazing place full of wonderful people. I am grateful for all of them!

Image Credits
Lauren Maeve photography
Jessica Maher Photography