One of my first memories as to why I like fashion, was of me as a kid walking around my hometown of Torino in Italy during a winter afternoon and noticing an older lady that was probably in her sixties with a beautiful long winter peacoat, pointed flats, and a Louis Vuitton bag. What I didn’t know then was that I thought that having that life was so impossible that I kept walking and told myself that life just didn’t exist for me.

Little did I know that as a kid I had a secret talent and passion that was a gift. I just didn’t think it was something I could tap into and use in life to make a career out of it. 

I believe God gave us all innate gifts that are unique to us. Too many times we shy away from our talents because we don’t understand how to channel and use them.

As a kid I was very artistic. The problem with loving the arts is that I didn’t know anyone who had pursued them and had success at it. I only knew my professors only pursued academics. I spent my childhood with people telling me that what I loved was a great thing, but it would never pay the bills. 

My problem was that I was hanging out around the wrong people. People who didn’t know how to teach others how to pursue their passion and be successful. For example I believe the majority of musicians, me included being one as a kid, are taught in school to either become broke school teachers, or broke orchestra players. And that maybe 1 or 2 of them can have a shot at becoming famous. As if there wasn’t any other option in between. There are many fulfilling careers that don’t revolve around become famous that are just in between and are still very fulfilling.

Also, almost any type of career has its stigmas and is frowned upon for something. 

The trick is that it is up to us as individuals to figure out what we love, and find the best way to break into that industry, and not wait for outward validation to do what we like.

I have learned lately that if I love something bad enough, doubtful voices can only weigh me down if I am not convinced of what I am doing. Nothing can destroy my foundation if I love what I do and I am at peace with where I am at. 

If I am unsure, have some doubt, or still question whether I love what I do, people criticizing my choice will only hurt me because they are bringing back to the surface doubts that were already boiling just under the surface. If they are gone, their voice will enter from one ear and go out the other. 

For a long time I wanted to pursue my motherhood lifestyle blog. The one thing that kept me from pursuing it full time were my own doubting voices. I was afraid people would view me as shallow, or make fun of me for liking clothes. What if people thought I just cared about my appearance and clothes? I had so many concerns in my head as to what people might view me as. Most of those came from my own stigmas and negative views about this industry. Something which held me back a lot.

I have also learned over the years that the right combination of passion and talent is what one needs to build what they love. For example, the reason why I chose to pursue a mom lifestyle blog is because I have really enjoyed being a stay at home mom. I have made a game out of it and called my self and traditional old fashioned housewife. I have taken pride in what I was doing and was often asked how I was able to do what I did. I wanted to share with others my systems and routines, and that’s where I had the desire to start this blog. 

There are many unique new ways to pursue ones passion nowadays that with the right amount of wits and persistence, many barriers that used to make things  impossible, can now be broken. 

Something else I have noticed, is that  many people try and compete with others within their industry. They become obsessed with their competitors and try so hard to copy every one of their moves, never satisfied that they can’t quite seem to catch up. But here is the problem. What they don’t understand is that it’s not a competition. When you challenge someone who is passionate with what they do, you will never stop them. Because the love for what they do is what drives them to wake up everyday and show up. 

There are many lifestyle blogs for moms, but if I get caught up on studying my competition, I will only copy what others are doing and not focus on sharing what I know.

Too many times I notice people focus on an outward result instead of being their own best version,  and pursuing their own individual passion. 

I’ll share an example. My husband is a Real Estate Broker. I also have had my license active and have worked behind the scenes with him for many years while the children were little so that I could help him out and understand what he was doing while being a stay at home mom. We loved what we did so much, that we honestly never questioned whether David my husband should be in a different industry. 

I have watched many people ask my husband who absolutely loves Real Estate how he has the life that he has. Followed by them asking what he does and how to do it themselves.

 I often remind my husband to remind everyone to ask themselves this one thing. 

Are they truly passionate about real-estate? Or do they just want a lifestyle? Because the lifestyle is only the byproduct of a well lived and pursued career. 

Do they see themselves going to house after house. Do they love it so much that they will talk about it while on vacation and research articles late at night?

 So much as to go visit vacant homes just for fun on evenings, and study every grid in the whole county during their spare time. Do they want to naturally learn every single nick and cram about a transaction?

Do they love it enough that if they donated their whole proceeds to help someone else, or split half of it with another agent they will still close the transaction and fall asleep happy knowing they did some good and move on to the next thing because they know they are doing it for the love of helping others with the knowledge they have gained?

Do they love it enough that year after year and client after client, every time a new call comes, they can’t wait to go help that person solve not just a transactional problem, but understand why they are making that life decision and knowing they have been entrusted with a person with a very complex important life who will need guidance, a listening ear, and the most knowledgable person on their side to give them the best advice for them, and not just for their own personal Real Estate bottom line as a Realtor?

That is passion. I have loved watching and learning from my husband how loving others and finding purpose each day in within ones career is very much possible and can become a whole thing. Money is often sacrificed in the process and other times is just a byproduct of everything else. The journey was the joy. 

I decided to keep pursuing my blog because  after speeding over a decade in homes, I keep going back to my childhood dreams. When I first got married to David, I remember he gave me a budget of 200$ dollars and said: “ Honey I know you love clothes, go get something nice form the mall.” We went together and found some cute things. But also felt extremely underwhelmed by the meager non fashionable stores that were available to us in our small college town. I came from
Italy, the capital world of fashion. I knew I couldn’t find here what they had there.

We were walking around, when David said to me, “Don’t worry, some day together we will do a fashion brand.” He already knew me more than I knew myself. He knew I loved clothes and that I wanted to do that. I just didn’t think it was possible at that time in my life. 

I love healthy food, motherhood, an organized home. I love to dress, care, love, teach, and raise my children. I have tamed the inner fashion monster in me so that I am not a shopaholic, and have learned to shop with purpose and pick things that I absolutely love and I want to share all of this with others. 

I have learned this because we grew up with little money and I have been a stay at home mom my whole marriage. But compromising style was never an option for me so now I want to share what I do on my journey. 

“FIND YOUR WHY TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO  PURSUE WHAT YOU LOVE”`

Next week I am going to share more about why it took me so long to start pursuing my passion and what life curve balls made it seem impossible for over a decade.

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