I was gone. Now I am back.
In the lat year and a half I have been searching for things a little beyond my sewing machine. I LOVE creating and always will, but I felt something was lacking. So I started to look for places outside of my studio that I could help. I love the excitement of small business and felt I had some experience in this area that I could contribute to another company. First I started working with a Mens clothing company and did so part time for about a year. It was interesting, I learned some things, they learned some things but at the end of day it for the most part was me creating ads and marketing strategies which were all driven by sales, sales, sales! I wanted to find something a little deeper, so we politely parted ways.
Time went on, I continued to sew and searched for a new place I could help. I decide to volunteer. I thought maybe a new "job" would find me this way. I started with what I love-food. I became a part time cook at my local hospice and became an un paid employee at an organic veggie delivery place. This was a new company that was working to get healthy food into as many homes as possible. Both were a great fit. It allowed me to step out of my comfy sewing comfort zone and explore other passions I have. But at the end of the day, I am not a rich lady and as much as I would love to volunteer my life away, I need cash pay my bills. Luckily, my wish to work with another start up company was granted and I was hired part time by the Veggie place to help with all kinds of random stuff that a new business requires. It has been a great fit and its a job I can feel really good about.
So up until now, I have CHA CHA, Veggie place job and my volunteer chef (using this term loosely). I am diversifying and I am definitely not bored. But I want to add one more element to the mix. Yoga.
I have been practicing on and off since I was a teenager and in the last few years have really grown a deep appreciation and understanding of its benefits that are far beyond physical. So I decide to become a Yoga teacher. I want to be able share this amazing practice with others. On May 1st I flew to California where I stayed in an ashram for 31 days and completed my Teacher Training Certificate at the Sivananda Yoga farm in Grass Valley. It was intense, difficult, fun, exciting and definitely out of my comfort zone. I am happy to say that I passed and I am currently using friends and family as guinea pigs as I get this teaching thing down.
So thats it, that is where I have been and what I have been doing for the last 18 months or so. I am excited to be back in my sewing room, listening to library books on cd and watching ridiculous amounts of Netflix documentaries while I sew up a storm. I look forward to sharing progress pictures with you over the next two weeks. I will try to be more social media savvy and post pics on my Instagram and Twitter accounts.
I am always surprised by the amount of emails and messages I get from customers wanting to know where I am and when new bags will be available. I am just one small women in the crazy world of online retail and I am SO SO grateful for the love and support you all show me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Lori Cha Cha
2 comments:
Seriously, we sound like kindred spirits. I, too, sew, and feel like I need something else, but was holding myself back because I felt that I "should" just steer that restless energy back into my business instead of going off and diverting some attention to some other pursuit.
So, thank you, I look forward to seeing your new bags!
Thank you Stephanie! It's great to know we are not alone! Steering some of the restless energy back into the business is probably good thing, but I am choosing to believe that life/career can be made up a few ventures mixed together. I am going to give it my best effort anyway.
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