I remember leaving my office for the last time, uncertain of what the future would hold. For a while I had been feeling like there was more I had to give, more I had to offer this world but I was burned out. It’s been over 5 years since I left my corporate life behind and it has taken that much time to heal from decades worth of workplace trauma.
After the death of my brother in 2015 I began to seriously question if all the sacrifices I was making for work were worth it. Do I even belong here and more importantly does this place deserve me and all I have to give? The answer again and again was no. On top of all of that work stopped being fun and I needed more joy in my life!
While I have an absolute love for Retail and Sustainable Fashion this industry is known for chewing people up and spitting them out. It isn’t for the faint of heart and quite honestly I wanted the freedom to effect the change I saw as critical. One of the biggest things I noticed was the glaring lack of diversity in the sustainable fashion industry. Which is crazy given that Black, Indegenous and other people of color are the blueprint for sustainability and fashion. Thanks Dominique Drakeford for the reminder!
I’ve been in the industry since I was 15 years old. The changes I’ve seen in my time are plentiful and at times horrific. My career has taken many turns and I have connected with just about every link in the apparel value chain from sourcing raw materials all the way through to end of life use of products. I’ve also seen firsthand what happens when a company grows too fast and how the culture is eroded. I wanted to be part of the change and use those experiences to help small and medium sized businesses grow.
To say I was scared is an understatement. If I’m honest I’d say I was petrified but trusted that everything would fall into place. With knees shaking and a lump in my throat I began my journey into entrepreneurship.