Last week, I told a friend:
"Anywhere your identity is tied becomes a roadblock to progress."
I shared how I was once a fashion designer in NYC before moving back home to Illinois. For a long time, I couldn't move forward because my identity was still wrapped up in being a "NYC Designer." Until I let go of that, I was stuck.
And I’ve seen the same pattern over and over again. Social media stats, retail location, number of designs in my shop...My identity isn’t “mom of a toddler” —obviously, because I don’t have a toddler. But it’s also not “mom of an 8th grader,” because Olive won’t be that for much longer.
When I first started my business, it was my answer to three problems:
- I wanted to sew, pattern-make, and design clothes.
- I wanted to be a wife and mom alongside designer.
- I wanted something to balance motherhood.
These were the pillars of my brand in 2010—solutions to the life I was building.
It's now 2025. I crave structure, reliability. A business plan would be nice. Savings. Dependable sales tactics.
But, my business continues to teach me, not to be defined by my circumstances. It exists to be flexible, to evolve with me. But I must agree to be flexible and evolve, for the biz to work.
This feature from our Illinois Public Media was pretty special to watch. It aired in the middle of Spring Break, so I was covered in dirt from the garden, watching it with Olive and Jarrett.