(About a 6-minute read, or listen above!)

Things are moving along! I want to share a big update, some lessons and some insight that I have learned along the way. I know, I know!  You want to know when we are launching! I wish it was tomorrow! Here is what I can tell you…I am moving as fast as humanly possible, and I promise you it will be worth the wait!

Right now, I am waiting on two things to get to that next step (with lots happening in between), but in positive news, I can tell you that these two things are going to make all the difference.

Like everything else, the answer I get when I request timing for anything in this business…

“7-10 business days.”

Six months ago I would have thought, ‘Not bad!’ Now, my immediate thought is, ‘Great. I am now going to be delayed ANOTHER two full weeks!’

Once I have these missing pieces to my puzzle I will be able finish the two remaining samples, and the collection will officially be complete!

At this point, I wish I could be sharing more on social media, but I have to be real with you guys. It's not always glamorous. Yes, I could video myself revising my budget and projections over and over and OVER again, but would you really be interested in that? The good news? The fun and glamorous part IS COMING! I'm so excited and getting very impatient, but as soon as I have all of my samples complete, I can shoot it, and from there, I can finally start sharing! When that day comes, I may actually cry of happiness!

The Rollercoaster

While we wait, I feel like I need to share some lessons that I'm learning along the way. I have to say it has already proven to be a roller coaster of emotion like I've never experienced before. I think it's important to share these ups, downs and frustrations because it's what starting a business is all about. Hopefully this little diary of mine might one day give some insight to someone about to take on a similar challenge. 

Here’s how the ride goes…

One day I’m completely overwhelmed thinking, “Can I actually do this?” The next, I’m feeling so confident I can, I almost surprise myself! 

One day I’m crying in frustration that some of my patterns and fits aren’t right yet…The next, I’m beaming of pure joy as my girlfriends try on the others and they look amazing on every body type! 

One day I’m swamped with work because I’m struggling to find capable people to help…The next, I’m relieved with excitement because I think I’ve finally found the right match. Some days I’m racing against the clock thinking nothing is getting done quick enough to meet my deadlines, and others,  I am as calm as could be thinking, timing happens for a reason. 

You need to let go and realize you can only do so much to move things along when you are relying on other people to help sail the ship. And you need these people to help you sail! You cannot do it alone! 

Slow and steady wins the race. I have to remind myself to keep forging ahead step by step. I WILL get there. 

What really is an entrepreneur, anyway?

I think that before I started this, I had a preconceived notion of what this really meant. Last year, I watched maybe every possible YouTube video on the Business of Fashion, and there's one thing I remember hearing that, now in retrospect, could never have been more true.

Building a fashion brand is 10% design and 90% business.

Yes, design and vision is a big part of it. So is being a salesman and a marketer. However, what I am really finding, is that you must essentially become a head hunter and a teacher as well. Why? Because you are about to embark on the never ending search for the right people to your puzzle. Once you find these people, you need to teach them about your vision. You need to teach them how they can help you bring your vision to life.

Starting a business like this is not just about YOUR creativity or YOUR ideas, or YOUR drive. It's about finding people that have EQUAL creativity, EQUAL ideas, and EQUAL drive.

Your business will only be as good as the people you find to work with you...The suppliers. The manufacturers. The craftsmen. The employees. And that process is like finding a needle in a haystack. Lots of networking events. Lots of people to talk to. Lots of digging.

Yes, it's about having an idea, the drive and dedication to execute on that idea, but being a strong leader is about surrounding yourself with the right people, and this is something that takes more time than I had ever imagined or expected. 

I'm such a planner, so it's hard not to get ahead of myself. I'm so impatient. I want the right people to just appear. I want things to perfectly stay on track to meet my deadlines. I am learning I need to get real with this fantasy. I have to take it back a step and live in the now. I need to ask myself, what am I getting done TODAY? What small goals have I achieved THIS WEEK? There are so many moving parts that you can drive yourself crazy if not to go back and focus on that smaller steps to get to the larger goals. 

This is me embracing crazy! I hope you guys try to stay as patient with me as possible, continue to follow along, and embrace this crazy with me!! THIS IS HAPPENING! 

xx

D