Bagolitas
I’m going to attempt the impossible – a “quick” summary of the Bagolitas journey thus far. It is one that started with a home project gone awry when my husband didn’t care for the floral fabric I used to recover our kitchen chairs and from there, the first handbag was made and the whirlwind known as Bagolitas began.
The incredible ride since 2005 has been filled with big highs (over $5M in sales in just 5 exhausting years!) and dark lows (weathering the economy, ending home parties and closing the Studio in North Liberty, IA). Amidst the “American Dream” entrepreneurial story were magical moments: a gift of money from Grandma Vonnie to “use for opportunities you weren’t expecting,” hiring my first employee, Elsa, who came to Iowa City after Hurricane Katrina, receiving a miracle order of over 60 bags from Jo Brown who was dying of lung cancer and gave the bags as gifts to her friends at a love and friendship luncheon, the donations to charity, totaling over $100,000 and the amazing women I have met along the way. Those memories I will always hold near and dear to my heart.
That part of this journey also represents a precious pocket of time when I allowed myself to get sucked up (like a vacuum!) into the entrepreneurial abyss – weathering little sleep, an overload of stress and a loss of who I am and what I value most in life as I chased success.
After a much-needed sabbatical to rest and regroup, I’m sticking my toe in the water again. Luckily I have learned a few things to make my second go around a business that fits into the nooks and crannies of my days, instead of ruling them.
So here’s the scoop on the new norm in Bagolitaville. Each month I will be designing in a color scheme and once a week (or two, or maybe even three…) I will be adding new products to the site – most will be one-of-a-kind creations.
To follow the journey, visit http://fortheloveofhandbags.wordpress.com/ and like Bagolitas on facebook to be part of discussions on what colors and products I should create in next!
