It's been nearly two years since I started my lifestyle brand Chelle Summer. As someone who always tries to move forward in life, things are not quite where I'd like them to be, but yet I continue to forge forward and remind myself that it will turn around at some point. The key is to continue working toward it.
Owning my own business isn't new to me. Instead this is a different type of business and there have been many aspects to deal with (like filing for trademark status which also led us to change the name from Michelle L. to Chelle Summer) that have been time consuming. But that's part of going forward– you grab what's thrown at you and you run with it (whether you like it or not).
And while I wish it were further along, I also can look back and see how much I have a better idea of how I'd like certain aspects to be and how much I've learned about sewing and design. But past experience as an author also taught me that writing a book isn't the hardest part, selling it is.
I don't get to spend an entire day creating just as I would love. Outside of help from Greg (which is going to ground to an almost halt soon with soccer and school starting), I'm a one-person show. I am Chelle Summer because I make Chelle Summer happen and I keep it running. Swimwear and clothes are coming, just not as quickly as I would like them to be.
Slowly but surely I'll get there. When I started I was surprised I had such quick interest in the bags and as I add items, I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what direction suits us best. What I do know is that I have to keep it interesting for me and that going forward you'll almost never see the same handbag twice because Chelle Summer is all about having something unique. It's about taking vintage and making it new again. Yet we're also still aiming for our own fabric designs.
And I'll get there because I don't know any other way. I'll keep forging forward until it happens.