Don't rush success

     Recently I was asked by a boutique owner to put some of my clothing in their store. I was beyond excited when I got the call and was asked to meet. This would be our second meeting. Not wanting to waste any time I scheduled the meeting for the very next day!

     I gathered some samples of my best selling items and even some new ones.

My excitement quickly began to fade after speaking with the shop owner after only a few minutes.

     You see the first time we met and I looked around at the shop I felt it was a place I could see my clothing. A place where I envisioned women coming in shopping with their girlfriends and browsing the racks, trying on my clothing.

However, since that first visit things had changed. Not only had the boutique owner taken on a new outlook on life but that new look spread across the shop, name included.

     After she ran down the list of changes she planned for her boutique she then gave me a list of things she wanted to put in the shop from my collection. With that list of items also came a list of changes. Changes she wanted me to make to my babies!!

     Now don’t get me wrong, I know when a buyer is looking to make a purchase for a department store they pick out something they like and then ask for alternatives. Those alternatives can be in color or the print. Those are acceptable. Especially because they are buying these items from you.

     In this case, there were too many changes asking to be made and all on cosngiment. If I had made these changes the designs would have no longer been mine.

     All of the joy and excitement I had felt prior to the meeting had vanished without a trace. I wanted to say yes. Yes, to all of her requests. Just to say Yup I did it. My clothes are in a boutique.

     When I left the meeting I thought long and hard about the request. I felt that if I said yes I would be selling out. Selling out and selling myself short.

     I’ve worked hard on my designs and it took a long time for me to get the point of showing them on the runway. I’m proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished under circumstances not many know about.

     It would have been great to have my clothing in a boutique, and I know it’s going to happen some day, but it’s gonna be on terms I can live with.

     You see, it takes a while to become the successful people we dream of being. We just can’t rush that success. It takes time, hard work and not giving up. When that day comes, I want to be able to be happy about it. Not doubting my decision.

     I also know that when I do sit down to that big meeting one day and a buyer from a big store is sitting across from me they’ll probably want to make some changes or ask for an alternate print or color, and I’ll be able to comply. When you’re trying to live you’re dream things aren’t going to come easy and everything isn’t going to be perfect…

I’m not trying to be perfect,

Just Legendary

J.