Designing My Next Chapter
How it all began
We all reach a turning point in life where the path ahead no longer interests us. The drive that kept us moving further and further up the hill to accomplishments that we craved so much seem meaningless and there is a gnawing feeling deep down that there must be more to life. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what triggers this change in mindset, but once the seed is planted, it doesn’t go away.
I can’t remember when I first started thinking about it, perhaps it was in the back of my mind for many years, however I do remember the exact moment I openly discussed it with someone. It was July 2018, when I called my sister on my walk during lunch hour at harbourfront, Toronto. I told her that I had made up my mind to quit my job and try my hand at entrepreneurship. I continued to discuss this with other family members and close friends, who all thought I was crazy, and I can’t blame them! I mean, who in their right mind would give up their comfortable IT corporate job with benefits and perks to venture into something so risky. Unthinkable! But the seed of the idea was planted, not knowing what form or shape it would develop into, and there was no turning back. There were many reasons which led me to this point, most of which are common drivers for most new entrepreneurs, like following their passion, having more control, improving work-life balance, flexible timings, etc. However, one reason that tipped me over the edge was that I had lost the passion which motivated me to excel in my previous career and as I crossed 50, I knew it was time for a change to align with my altered realities and priorities. It was time for a new beginning.
Sewing has always been my hobby, which is why I began leaning towards a custom sewing business. To see if I had it in me to turn a hobby into a full time job, I came up with a test: design and sew one garment every week for one year. It worked out well for me as I was in dire need of changing my outdated, undersized and shabby wardrobe. Starting with casual blouses for the office and dressy jackets for galas and Christmas parties, I progressed to sewing several light winter coats and found myself challenging myself further and further. It rekindled my spirit and the experience was enthralling every time I finished something new. My wardrobe definitely got the badly needed facelift and the praises from family and friends provided the reassurances I needed on my sewing skills. The next step was learning how to run a business.
One day, as I entered my local library, the first book on display at the entrance caught my eye. It was by Debbie Travis, my favourite DIY personality from her show The Painted House. On the display was her new book Design Your Next Chapter. What a coincidence! It was about her journey reinventing herself and realizing her dream of renovating a villa in Tuscany and turning it into a vacation getaway. I couldn’t put the book down. It featured stories from the guests at her villa and I connected with every one of them because they too were in similar phases of their lives where they had lost their spark and felt stuck. They too listened to their inner voices and realized their dreams.
I was not alone. Suddenly all my doubts dissolved.
My city’s website and library provided many resources in terms of books, articles, courses and webinars. They even had counsellors available for one-on-one sessions to mentor small business owners. I signed up for all I could find, covering everything from small business setup, selling online, to social media marketing. It also connected me to other individuals in similar situations so we could give moral support to each other.
Since I am still in the early stages, the self doubt resurfaces occasionally. Will it work? Will people buy my clothes? Will I be able to make a profit? How will I compete with the other thousands of retailers? Will I be overwhelmed and not be able to keep up? How will I staff? Thus the future has many unknowns and the path will be full of challenges, but that’s what life is about, learning and evolving. So I’ll keep going down this path and let my persistence and faith in myself, be my guide.