Once upon a time...when I was a Freshman in High School, we had to explain in class what we wanted to be when we grew up. Most of us at that age have an idea of what we want to be and many of us may be pretty darn sure that's exactly what we want to do. However, life happens and typically we end up changing our minds over and over. That's what happened to me.
During that class, I said I wanted to be a Fashion Designer. That was exactly what I dreamed of being and wanted to do. As I started sharing this with people I got the inevitable "well you can't do that because..." reactions. Being a very soft and mold-able child, I took it all to heart and decided I couldn't do that after all. So by the time I graduated high school I had decided I would go for Interior Design instead.
Two years into the program I realized I hated straight lines. And Interior Design is basically Interior Architecture...I preferred the Decorating end of it. After a trip to the ER with my room mate and watching the TV show ER late at night with her, I decided I would try nursing instead. After all it looked so cool on TV, and real life is just like that! Another two years into the program, I was enjoying it, but met my first husband and got married before I could barely begin my degree. I did work at a couple of different hospitals over a period of about 3 years. After a disastrous beginning to my first marriage, I wasn't in the state of mind to go back to school.
One thing led to another and even though I loved working at the hospital, I still felt this pull to start my own business. I still wanted to be involved in Fashion somehow. Realizing I wasn't going anywhere with my job at the hospital I simultaneously accepted a manager-in-training position at a retail clothing/shoe store and started taking online classes for Business Management. I LOVED that job! I completed my management training and was rewarded with my own store to run.
My horrible marriage was still together but I was miserable. The new store moved me back near my family, and that helped a bit. But...things weren't changing at home. Then I found out I was expecting my son. Things looked up for a bit marriage wise, but quickly did a nose dive. The details are not for a business blog post. I went on bed rest a month before my son was born (7 weeks early)...officially ending my job managing the store. My health before that had already been doing the trick. Stress...it does a lot to the body!
After my son was born, I left my now ex-husband and moved into the basement of my parents house. There, I found a way to make money online with ebay and a virtual world called Second Life. And I made GOOD money! It was involved in the fashion industry too, so I was really enjoying it.
Two years later I met my new hubby, married him a year after that and then moved to the beautiful state of Utah! After working online a while longer, and then a short stint in a bank, while taking classes online again for Elementary Education...I was offered a job with my now good friend to help her out running and marketing her boutique in town. That boutique was called Bella L'Amore. I was ecstatic. First of all, that ever lingering dream in the back of my head was pulled front and center. I was working in fashion and in a boutique! For years my dream had been simmering in the back of my mind; growing from being a Fashion Designer to running a small boutique that held my designs. When my friend offered me the job, I felt like things were finally starting to fall into place.
In February, we rebranded the store to Rebel Thirty3 to finally fit the store into her idea of what she wanted to do with it. I was having a blast. She gave me a lot of creative freedom and working along side her and our other friend who also worked there, my dreams were finally beginning to take shape into reality. How could this happen? That doesn't happen in life! Very few people get to live their dream. No...not true. The correct way to state that, as I've learned is, very few people are willing to do the work it takes to make their dreams a reality.
Later that Spring, we began discussions of my purchasing the shop. Over the next very long 6 months, we waited...and waited...and waited...and finally on October 2014, things fell into place and I was able to buy the shop! Buckles 'n Lace was born. Or, I should probably say, re-born. The hard work had been done. The business had been open for 2 years. The store was completely remodeled from our project back in February. It was PERFECT!
And that, my friends, is what led to me owning a small clothing & accessory boutique in a tiny town that I have grown to love as if I were born & raised here. That is the majorly shortened version of how Dreams really can come True! I currently am working on my Fashion Design degree and I get to run a boutique!
Lesson Learned: Don't give up on your dreams. MAKE them happen! Its totally worth all the hard work to get there.
Visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bucklesnlace
During that class, I said I wanted to be a Fashion Designer. That was exactly what I dreamed of being and wanted to do. As I started sharing this with people I got the inevitable "well you can't do that because..." reactions. Being a very soft and mold-able child, I took it all to heart and decided I couldn't do that after all. So by the time I graduated high school I had decided I would go for Interior Design instead.
Two years into the program I realized I hated straight lines. And Interior Design is basically Interior Architecture...I preferred the Decorating end of it. After a trip to the ER with my room mate and watching the TV show ER late at night with her, I decided I would try nursing instead. After all it looked so cool on TV, and real life is just like that! Another two years into the program, I was enjoying it, but met my first husband and got married before I could barely begin my degree. I did work at a couple of different hospitals over a period of about 3 years. After a disastrous beginning to my first marriage, I wasn't in the state of mind to go back to school.
One thing led to another and even though I loved working at the hospital, I still felt this pull to start my own business. I still wanted to be involved in Fashion somehow. Realizing I wasn't going anywhere with my job at the hospital I simultaneously accepted a manager-in-training position at a retail clothing/shoe store and started taking online classes for Business Management. I LOVED that job! I completed my management training and was rewarded with my own store to run.
My horrible marriage was still together but I was miserable. The new store moved me back near my family, and that helped a bit. But...things weren't changing at home. Then I found out I was expecting my son. Things looked up for a bit marriage wise, but quickly did a nose dive. The details are not for a business blog post. I went on bed rest a month before my son was born (7 weeks early)...officially ending my job managing the store. My health before that had already been doing the trick. Stress...it does a lot to the body!
After my son was born, I left my now ex-husband and moved into the basement of my parents house. There, I found a way to make money online with ebay and a virtual world called Second Life. And I made GOOD money! It was involved in the fashion industry too, so I was really enjoying it.
Two years later I met my new hubby, married him a year after that and then moved to the beautiful state of Utah! After working online a while longer, and then a short stint in a bank, while taking classes online again for Elementary Education...I was offered a job with my now good friend to help her out running and marketing her boutique in town. That boutique was called Bella L'Amore. I was ecstatic. First of all, that ever lingering dream in the back of my head was pulled front and center. I was working in fashion and in a boutique! For years my dream had been simmering in the back of my mind; growing from being a Fashion Designer to running a small boutique that held my designs. When my friend offered me the job, I felt like things were finally starting to fall into place.
In February, we rebranded the store to Rebel Thirty3 to finally fit the store into her idea of what she wanted to do with it. I was having a blast. She gave me a lot of creative freedom and working along side her and our other friend who also worked there, my dreams were finally beginning to take shape into reality. How could this happen? That doesn't happen in life! Very few people get to live their dream. No...not true. The correct way to state that, as I've learned is, very few people are willing to do the work it takes to make their dreams a reality.
Later that Spring, we began discussions of my purchasing the shop. Over the next very long 6 months, we waited...and waited...and waited...and finally on October 2014, things fell into place and I was able to buy the shop! Buckles 'n Lace was born. Or, I should probably say, re-born. The hard work had been done. The business had been open for 2 years. The store was completely remodeled from our project back in February. It was PERFECT!
And that, my friends, is what led to me owning a small clothing & accessory boutique in a tiny town that I have grown to love as if I were born & raised here. That is the majorly shortened version of how Dreams really can come True! I currently am working on my Fashion Design degree and I get to run a boutique!
Lesson Learned: Don't give up on your dreams. MAKE them happen! Its totally worth all the hard work to get there.
Visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bucklesnlace