I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Since I was young I loved to be creative, with my hands, making little hooked rugs, loom pot holders, color by numbers. I just loved making things.
As I grew up I realized that you have choices about the direction of your life and making things wasn't something I should focus on as a career. Maybe that's what I told myself or maybe that's a product of my schooling. But somehow I didn't connect my love of making and my need to earn a living.
So I followed the path of millions before me. I graduated college and went to work in an office. Commuting into the big city on public transport, like a sardine. Carrying my heels, wearing my sneakers (hello, 80s kid). Day-in, day-out. Day after week after year. Was THIS going to be the rest of my life?
The thing is, I felt a bit stuck. I was earning good money and so, I stayed with it. Life is funny that way. Raising kids, schedules, birthdays, anniversaries. You just keep going.
Then we had the good fortune to live abroad, in Johannesburg, South Africa. And my whole life changed. My focus changed. I chose meaning over rote corporate existence. Tasking my passion for creativity, making a difference in people's lives (and my own) and putting everything I've learned in my work life together, taking a giant leap forward toward entrepreneurship.
It's not for the faint of heart. Being a woman-owned, small business founder is intimidating. There's so much I don't know. So many mistakes and wrong choices are part of the growth pattern in starting a business. But I absolutely LOVE it all. Well, not the mistakes but learning from them is what's exciting.
When you buy a Bosisi bag, it is thrilling. I get a jolt of adrenaline. A huge smile comes on my face. I think about our seamstresses and how proud I am of their skills and perseverance. Maybe that one handmade bag will give them more financial stability. That's the goal of Bosisi and I love thinking about ways to build a pathway to economic freedom for each woman we hire.
It's because of amazing people like YOU that empower our seamstresses, the families that rely on them, and me as a struggling small business owner and keep us all going.
If you have options, please consider choosing to buy from a local shop, a small business that will continue to improve the lives of so many people in their supply chain.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!
