Dear Sophie, Benjy, Charlie, Bobbie, Lucy, Levi, Remi and Zoe,
Your Nana is not perfect – which probably will come as no surprise to you – as who knows what my loving sons say about me in the privacy of their own homes. Hee Hee!
Either way – by my own admission right now or your dads’– your 78-year-old Nana has many foibles and sometimes things just don’t go her way. This is the story of one of my less-than-successful ventures.
Four years ago, one of my closest friends called me up and said she was sending me an article of clothing for my birthday that I would “absolutely love.”
At that point, I was turning 75 and couldn’t begin to fathom ANY garment that I’d be overly besotted owning.
A package arrived shortly thereafter. I eagerly ripped open the box and tore through the tissue. And my friend was right: I was instantly enamored beyond measure.
Her gift to me was a woman’s upcycled jean jacket – but not just any plain old jean jacket – this one had on the back panel a nine-inch sequined Hamsa.
I was so taken with my birthday gift that I decided that over the next couple of months I would learn all I could about the business of upcycling. (Upcycling involves creative re-use – turning unwanted products into something of higher quality or value than the original.) And that’s when I decided selling embellished, one-of-a-kind upcycled jean jackets was my destiny.
That was close to four years ago.
I formed an LLC, opened a bank account, hired an assistant, and began filling every closet in my house with jean jackets. And then came the embellishments: I bought ribbons, patches, upholstery fabrics, fabric paints, beads, yarn and chenille letters. I filled bin after bin after bin with those enticing goodies.
That was then.
This is I now:
At present, I have well over 900 jean jackets – so many I had to rent a storage unit to contain them, the garment racks, the signage, the outdoor booth display poles, the tiered grids, the mannequins and the long display tables.
With the help of devoted friends and my wonderful assistant, we designed an eye-catching booth – displaying our gems at holiday bazaars, craft shows, art fairs and expos.
But alas, for whatever reason, the jean jackets just didn’t sell in the volume anticipated and I got a little discouraged. And then a little more discouraged. And then I got anxious and stressed. And what was once a highly energizing endeavor began to be something that pulled my mood and spirits downwards.
And as much as I enjoyed the hunt for bargains and the thrill of never knowing exactly what I would come across while thrifting, I finally had to admit that it was time to dig myself out of this untenable (good SAT word, BTW) situation.
What had I learned?
I learned I loved creating.
I learned I loved meeting new craftily talented people.
I learned I loved delving into Pinterest for new design and embellishment ideas.
What else did I learn?
I LEARNED I HATED MARKETING
I LEARNED I HATED SELLING
I LEARNED I HATED FILLING OUT FORMS, KEEPING TRACK OF INVENTORY AND SUPPLIES
AND I LEARNED BALANCING A CHECKING ACCOUNT WASN’T “MY THING”
How to go forward?
I admitted I needed to make a change.
Tentatively I put a plan in place – a rather radical on:
Instead of selling them,
I would give them away
And that, my dear grandchildren, is what I am in the process of doing.
With the help of civic-minded friends and your Uncle Harry, I have been contacting non-profit organizations that service under priviledged children, (because I have tons of jean jackets for little ones too) and adults, homeless people and victims of domestic violence.
And every offer of free jean jackets that I have made has been met with graciousness, unbridled excitement and gratitude. And in some cases, not only am I donating the jackets and the embellishments, but I am actively participating in the creative process of decorating them with the recipients.
Here I am with my first foray into dropping off my jean jackets to a non-profit. This batch is going to Gulf Coast Jewish Family Service to serve their client base – which is highly made up of refugees.
Why am I sharing this with you?
Because sometimes – even though we go full throttle ahead with the best of intentions and a high level of enthusiasm and commitment – sometimes things just don’t work out.
Because even when things don’t work out, there is something to be learned.
And here it is:
- Carry yourself boldly forward to try new things in your quest to find out what you want and don’t want.
- Fine tune the knowledge of your strengths and passions.
- Be flexible and open to changing paths when things don’t go as planned. It’s okay to pivot. “Failure” can guide you to better choices.
- Embrace your victories and your setbacks.
- Adopt a mindset of continuous learning and personal development.
And what is the lesson I learned?
That even at age 79, it’s never too late to try something new.
And the time is always right for a Nana to speak about her experiences to her beloved grandkids.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
Nana