Like many women, Boise resident Monique Diaz Evancic is frustrated by the lack of true, functional pockets in her clothes. Many are simply decorative, and the “real” ones often barely fit half a hand, let alone a phone.
Her Cuban grandmother—who ran a very successful business making fancy clothes for the Havana rich—taught her to sew on an antique Singer machine as a child. With this knowledge, Monique could easily add pockets to anything with a side seam. She could help other women stop relying on handbags just to carry their keys while walking the dog.
Heck, she could even launch a business! Soon, she would be doing just that.
Pitching a Business, Stitching Out a Plan
Monique is no stranger to launching businesses. In 2021, an organic heirloom seed company purchased her business Seed Play Love, which makes “living” backyard play tents for kids that doubled as flower trellises.
One of Monique’s favorite business podcasts, My First Million, promoted Hubspot’s business pitch competition The Hustle’s Big Break in spring 2025. On a whim, she submitted a pitch video … and won! She pocketed the $5,000 in prize winnings to put towards her new business, Pocket Change.
The plan’s already taking shape. At Pocket Change, women mail in their dresses and skirts, pockets are added, and the items get shipped back in nice poly mailers. Monique will promote her services at boutique shops, where serious clothes-buyers are looking to make the most of unique finds.
Monique is working with a developer to get her website up and running with payment functionality and two-way shipping. She also bought fabric and a fabric cutter using her prize winnings.
With a waiting list already topping 75 people across the country, she plans to launch in the fall.
Financial Projection “Magic” from Business Impact NW
Monique doesn’t have an accounting background, so she sought out expert support from Business Impact NW.
“It’s been my experience that one of the messiest things with small business owners is their finances,” she says. “I don’t want to be messy!”
Paige Wiscombe is the Idaho Women’s Business Center Program Director, and she’s the one helping Monique use the nonprofit’s Financial Workbook Projections tool.
“The way we’ve curated the spreadsheet makes it really easy to use even if you’re not a spreadsheet person,” says Paige. “You follow the directions and the formulas populate for you. For me and my coaching, it’s like the MVP.”
Monique agrees that these fully templatized, spreadsheet-based resources are helpful in the extreme.
“It’s all fully laid out and foolproof,” she says. “I feel so much at peace that I have a professional with a business and financial background looking over my shoulder, making sure I’m being accurate.”
Paige loves seeing Monique’s business take shape.
“She’s very innovative and action-focused. She’s a client who actually applies what you give them—and often what you see is that when people implement the suggestions and the shared resources, they find success.”
Support From Friends & The Business Incubator Ecosystem
Monique’s friends, especially her female ones, have been texting her memes. “They’re on Team Gets-It!” she smiles. “We’re reclaiming control over our clothes and our ability to carry things unencumbered—like men do.” A pocket of resistance against the fashion overlords, if you will.
She works closely with the Boise business resources community, particularly an incubator called Trailhead which runs the Idaho Startup Lab. (That’s where she met Paige.)
“I definitely recommend leaning on these resources, because especially with startups, you’re wearing all the hats,” says Monique.
She’s grateful for the organizations that guide startup founders through the grueling launch process, and for coaches like Paige who can make complex financial projections understandable and low-stress.
How can Business Impact NW give you peace of mind as a business owner? Check out more resources at businessmpactnw.org.
Want to get on Monique’s mailing list to have pockets added to your cute, pocketless dresses? Visit her interim website at PocketChangeFashion.com.
About the author
Robin Kallsen
Robin Kallsen is a Seattle-based freelance copywriter who crafts detailed, fun-to-read articles on market research, cybersecurity, and other topics. She’s also a musician who busks at Pike Place Market during the tourist season, playing bass while singing vintage jazz, blues, and French songs.