This past weekend I did a short film where I had to talk about myself. I had to answer questions about why I started Tailored Moments and what makes us different; this was probably one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever done!
In August 2016, I launched Tailored Moments at an intimate party with friends and family. During the time I had only curated maybe two events with a website that said "Coming Soon!" Wow! So much has changed since then yet it still feels like yesterday, and we're just getting started.
I've written several blog posts before, but this one seems the most personal and a bit touchy. I wanted to share my story as a creative and new entrepreneur mainly for myself. If I'm being honest I've never faced some of these truths and I certainly never cheer myself on or acknowledge any of my growth. I wish I took compliments well, but it feels super awkward being praised.
Long before I started this event curating journey, a chunk of my experience was in retail and I knew that it would be my path. I knew that district and regional roles were in my future. I worked really hard for it and was with one company for almost 8 years. They taught me so much about leadership, people, and always doing the right thing. It's funny but my experience was never grounded in sales. I learned a lot about numbers but none of that excited me.
After spending so much time there, it felt right to explore other options and continue my growth in the retail space. I was offered an amazing position with a huge brand! To me, at the time, this was the position that could seriously take my career in retail leadership to the next level. I'll always be grateful for this because that particular experience really inspired me every day. My creativity was always challenged and I had a voice that was respected.
Two months after Tailored Moments launched (October of 2016) I was fired from that job. Many people aren't aware of that because when it happened I felt so embarrassed; I refused to talk about it! My heart was broken and it almost felt like someone had passed away. I didn't understand why things happened the way they did, until later.
I spent a little over 2 years with that company and towards the end I remember being very unhappy. I was losing my drive and dreading coming into work everyday! We've all been there before, however, this was odd for me. I'd never felt that way about my work. I had been very blessed to be a part of companies that I truly loved working for.
It took time but I realized why I was let go. I joked about getting fired often. I mentioned leaving several times not knowing that I was literally speaking this into existence. I believe things happened the way they did because I needed to be humbled and put in an uncomfortable position in order to travel on my next journey.
I was unemployed for about 2 months and it was awful! I sold a lot of my clothes and shoes. I even remember gathering coins to put gas in my car so I can make it to interviews. I interviewed for great brands. Two of them I had 4-6 interviews with and didn't get the job for either one. My experience was great and I had amazing references. I couldn't figure out why this wasn't working!
Fast forward to a couple months later I realized what I should've been doing... selling cars!!!!! Well, sort of. I took a job at a dealership and I was grateful! The goal was to stay there and use the money and extra time not being a store leader to fund Tailored Moments. Everyday I didn't have customers I would work on my pricing and packaging. I worked on branding and marketing. In between my phone calls at the dealership my website was being built all while at my desk; I had to make it work!
I was determined that my business would flourish because it had to. There was literally no other option! All my down time was committed to Tailored Moments and in less than a year I was no longer selling used cars. One of the best days and scariest days of my life was putting in my two weeks notice. Even though I was nervous to let health insurance and PTO go, I knew it was my time!
Here we are 2 years from where things started and I'm so grateful! I have so much more to learn. I have so much more to experience and because I now know how fast life can switch up on you, I'm ready for it!
Today Tailored Moments has completed 48 projects since the brand launch. I'm continuing an amazing opportunity with Sharespace... The Tailored Moments Internship Program is growing with 6 team members... We're continuing our event series LinkUpHTX with creatives here in Houston... As of August 1st, we now have our own studio/ office space in east downtown...
If any of you reading this needed encouragement because you've reached a block in your life and you haven't figured out what your passion is... my hope is that this blog post inspires you. Life takes us on wild journeys and we have no clue where it will it leads us. Trust your creativity, trust the process, and always be ready for the bumps in the road because they'll never stop!
Thank you for reading and a huge thank you to everyone that has supported me while on this journey! I can not wait to celebrate many more Moments with you.