| Okay, I'll begin by telling you that I've been divorced for | | | | handbag, all I could find were black bags and I had |
| about 5 years, have an amazing family and by | | | | more black handbags than I cared to admit to. I told my |
| anyone's standards, I have a wonderful life. | | | | daughter that what I'm looking for essentially is a really |
| I worked in the film industry for almost 9 years for my | | | | unique handbag. Something that people will stop me on |
| ex-husband's company. But when we split, I had the | | | | the street to ask, "Where did you get that handbag?", |
| dire task of figuring out just what else I was supposed | | | | but I can't find it. To which she replied (and she was 10 |
| to do, having worked in that industry for his company | | | | at the time), "If someone doesn't already make it, why |
| for the duration of our relationship, here I was, having | | | | don't you make it?" My thought was, "Me? Make a |
| to think about finding a job. A what? I was totally | | | | handbag?" Can I do that?" |
| clueless. Where would I start? I'm the first to admit that | | | | I thought about my daughter's suggestion for about a |
| I'm probably not going to receive 'employee of the | | | | month. After which time, I decided to go ahead and |
| month' honors anytime soon, and the thought of | | | | start my company designing and manufacturing |
| actually having a boss makes me cringe (I'm definitely | | | | handbags. I studied fashion design when I was |
| the "I only have two hands, do it yourself" type of | | | | younger, and I couldn't think of any reason that a |
| employee). | | | | handbag would be more difficult to make than a dress. |
| Considering all of these things, I realized that it was | | | | Decision made! |
| probably best that I start thinking about starting my | | | | I started my first company in November, and by |
| own business. But what kind of business was I going | | | | February, I had 23 stores who were carrying my |
| to start? What did I know about running a business? | | | | product. I designed and drafted the pattern, found the |
| What did I know how to do? Granted, I could fold | | | | fabric, manufactured the products, and I did it all alone. I |
| laundry, and change a mean diaper, but who was | | | | work at home for the bulk of the time and it's a ton of |
| going to pay me for doing that? I was terrified. What | | | | work, but I'm happy with it. |
| was I going to do? What if what I did was a flop? | | | | Looking back now, I can't figure out exactly what it |
| Worse yet, what if this endeavor was a success? | | | | was that I was so afraid of. I just knew that I was |
| Anyway, one day I returned from a shopping trip with | | | | terrified, but decided to go ahead and do it anyway. |
| a black handbag amongst my treasures. When I took it | | | | Turns out, it was a wonderful decision. I'm my own |
| out of the shopping bag, my daughter looked at me | | | | boss, I'm running the show. I enjoy it so much, that I've |
| and said, "Another black handbag? What's up with all | | | | started another company doing something else that I |
| of the black handbags?" Okay. I'm a self-confessed | | | | love. Yes, most of the time life is hectic, but I absolutely |
| handbag junkie, but when I was shopping for a | | | | love it. |