Isn’t life all about figuring “it” out? It’s a never-ending quest to make our existence meaningful, from the moment we are born until we die. We take our first step, get through school, navigate relationships—the list is infinitely long. So what’s the difference between figuring out how to live and making your dream a reality? There isn’t one. Your passion is your life, and to live your desired life, you have to take the journey. You must make your passion a part of your daily routine, so it becomes less of a task and more of an innate habit. Just know that you don’t always have to figure everything out in order to move forward, because once you’re on the right track, it will take you where you need to go.
Over the next few years, I dabbled in nearly every profession imaginable to further my knowledge and ability in the fashion industry. I was a makeup artist at a cosmetic company, a sales representative at an apparel company, a regional manager for a retail chain, an assistant at a law firm, an office manager at a doctor’s office—I did it all. I conquered everything from cleaning the store and buying merchandise to marketing products and training hundreds of people on the art of selling.
These jobs were mainly in fashion and beauty, which is a fancy way of saying that I worked retail, which is another fancy way of saying that I got screwed. You can work 24–7, 365 days a year, and no one will feel sorry for you. Not to mention that you don’t make much money. In some cases I was taking jobs just to get by while pursuing my dream, and although I moved up in my positions pretty fast, there was always something missing…
Have you ever wanted to pursue something so badly that it hurt your soul? I have. I wanted to be around patterns, fabrics, clothing, fashion weeks, models, photographers, and makeup—the whole nine yards. You’re probably thinking, Who doesn’t? But for me, it was much more than just the glamour of it. I was captivated by creating and the journey of constructing a business.
If you go to work every day and count the hours until you can leave, you are not being your best self. We only get one chance in this life, and for me, whenever I was on someone else’s clock, I made it a point to learn something new that would better my future. I had realized what I wanted in life, and if a job I was in wasn’t going to challenge me or help me achieve my goals, I needed to search for something else that would. Don’t waste time at an unchallenging job. Figure out what will challenge you, move on, and find something else.
To get your foot in the door of the fashion world, you would typically start out by interning for a successful fashion house. But I had taken an unconventional approach by starting my clothing line first. I confronted challenges as they came my way, and when it didn’t work out, I learned a great deal from my mistakes. My mistakes were my best life coaches.
Despite that, I didn’t want to allow my past mistakes to define my career. I knew what I wanted, and I wasn’t ready to accept anything less than that, or to admire anyone else’s success from a distance. I knew that if I remained persistent, one day I would achieve my dream.
With that desire nearly carving out my heart, I wanted to bid regular employment adieu and became an entrepreneur again. I sought to open a boutique specializing in high-end apparel, which would give me an opportunity to sell my own designs next to well-respected brands. With the knowledge I had acquired over the years, I was convinced that this step fit my long-term vision. It would provide me with the opportunity to learn the inner workings of the fashion industry, and it would get me closer to my target market, buyers, and the most popular showrooms around the world. Most importantly, it would be taking a step out of corporate America.
In the spring of 2007, I decided that I was going to take a leap of faith. Being the dreamer I was, my boutique was already open and ready for business (in my head)! Faisal, the Jordanian who helped me find factories in Amman, had become a very close friend of mine. He was in finance, so I asked him to help me execute my financial plan for the boutique. At the beginning stages of drafting the plan, Faisal decided he also wanted in on it!
While I wished I could be the sole boutique owner, I knew that his expertise could be a huge bonus. He also wanted to bring a third partner into the deal, Moe, an Iranian businessman who I had never met before. I didn’t know much about this mystery man, but Faisal vouching for him sufficed. I thought the fact that they were in the same social and professional networks was at least enough to warrant an interview with him. Plus, the added twist of three partners made the situation undeniably more interesting. I could see the headline: Three Middle Eastern musketeers take over the fashion scene by storm in the land of opportunity. Okay, maybe it sounded more like an act in some sort of “axis of evil” stand-up comedy tour.
I arrived to the meeting like a proper boutique owner would—decked out! But my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw Moe for the first time. I’m pretty sure I looked like Jim Carrey in The Mask. I had hoped to meet a fashionable man in skinny jeans and a blazer with a pocket square—the type of guy who is so fabulously dressed that you’re convinced he’s gay. Instead, I saw an orange bodybuilder wearing a formfitting, very deep V-neck T-shirt (perhaps a U-neck) that exposed his curly chest hair, backless sandals, and capri pants.
Oh my God! Please let this be the wrong guy.
Thankfully Faisal was dressed decently, like a typical finance guy, which barely balanced out Moe’s fashion gaffe. The first impression you make in the fashion industry is based on how you dress. I assumed Moe didn’t get the memo that morning about impressions.
When Faisal introduced “Capri Pants” to me, we exchanged an awkward handshake. Moe was very proper and polite, while at the same time managing to be obnoxiously cocky. “Nice to meet you,” he said in a very deep Iranian accent with a faint touch of British.
After getting to know each other informally, we delved into our professional backgrounds. Despite my first impression of Moe, I tried very hard not to judge the book by its cover. I settled in and focused on what he had accomplished in his past fashion expedition. I kept telling myself that many designers and other people who work in the fashion industry dress eccentrically and are often unique. Above all, I knew that, ultimately, I needed his capital contribution. I had to look past the capri pants! But could I?
Throughout the meeting we discussed our hopes, dreams, and plans for the store, and I took many mental notes. We brainstormed for hours about everything from where the store would be located to who our target market would be. We wanted the store to be trendy and high-end, concentrating on a mixture of haute couture and edgy independent designers. High-priced items with extraordinary quality. The store would offer personal shopping, and the decor would be modern, chic, and sophisticated. I was already in love.
Our initial investment would be split in thirds, making us equal partners. Faisal worked at a major finance company, but he was prepared to resign to take on this opportunity. He was familiar with the fashion world since his mother owned one of the most popular high-end boutiques in Jordan. Coupling his fashion and business backgrounds, we agreed that he would handle the financial and business aspects of the boutique.
Based on Moe’s experiences, we agreed that he would run the operational side of the business. He had recently moved to the United States for family reasons, but he expressed that his passion still lay in the fashion industry. We agreed that he would be the general manager and run the company’s day-to-day operations.
I had access to Brazilian and European showrooms through my previous occupations, as well as vast experience doing fashion shows and marketing around DC. Additionally, by that point, I had gained years of experience working in retail management, merchandising, and customer service for many well-known brands. I would handle the marketing and buying, as well as being the face of the company. My soul was so happy, because finances and administrative work and I just don’t get along.
The meeting helped me realize that we all needed each other. On the road to success you should always focus on doing what you are really good at. With start-up businesses, entrepreneurs are often stuck doing things that they hate or can’t do very well. Having more than one cook won’t always spoil the broth, and can allow the soup to become richer, more complex, and balanced! Having three partners who could each focus on their own area of expertise was ultimately going to be the reason for our triumph.
I believed that our respective experiences would make for a great partnership, and it was especially helpful that the investment would be split among us. When we shook hands I felt like I was once again on the right track toward my dream. I had found a new purpose and was ready to give it my all. This was the meaningful challenge that I had been missing in my life, and it was going to set the wheels of my passion in motion. I closed my eyes and hopped on the carnival ride, praying that Moe’s outfit choice wasn’t an indicator of how the boutique would end up.