Hi! I hope that the month of March has been going well for you. Can you believe that we are already approaching the end of March? This means that a quarter of 2024 is almost gone in the blink of an eye! I really think that the older I get, the faster time whizzes past.
When I reflect on the things I did in March, I think about the happy moments below:
1) Arrival of my first factory sample (drum roll!!!!)
My design prototype I made on the left, and first prototype from the factory on the right
I shared in my previous blog article that I have completed making my first design in my capsule footwear collection and was working with factories to make samples. I was super stoked that the first sandal sample arrived two weeks ago and shared my unboxing video on my Instagram account. I am now in the process of refining the first sample and hopefully I will receive a final pair in April. Stay tuned to this space for more updates!
If you are curious about how I design and make my shoes, check out the following 3-part blog posts:
2) Completed making my second design
My second design prototype, a pair of Mary-Janes called Lanna (photos by Yvonne Liao)
I designed a pair of Mary-jane shoes called Lanna and finally completed making the sample! The entire shoemaking process took much longer but it is finally done! From this sample I will be further tweaking the design and changing the materials so this is not the final design yet! What do you think?
3) Attended Female Founder Day at Industrial City (Brooklyn)
Female Founder Day at Industrial City (photos by Yvonne Liao)
I spent a wonderful and invigorating day connecting with other women at the Female Founder Day organized by Female Founder Collective (http://femalefoundercollective.com). It was a humbling experience to see that there are so many badass women from all walks of lives building their business empires. I left the event feeling uplifted and inspired with more ideas on how I can build my business and empower other women. There were so much positive vibes and advice, and my favorite advice comes from Rebecca Minkoff when she signed on my copy of her book, FEARLESS.
4) Flowers in my neighborhood are starting to bloom and I love it!
Spring flowers blooming in my neighborhood (photos by Yvonne Liao)
As a Buddhist, there is saying that goes “winter always turn into spring”. I always think about this quote during spring because of the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom everywhere in my neighborhood. The beautiful flowers serve as a reminder that there is a time and place for everything; no problems last forever, and that the obstacles and challenges (winter) that we face in our lives are necessary so that we overcome them and grow to become stronger and more resilient (spring).
5) Do you know that International Women’s Day has its origins in the New York City?
Image created from Canva (www.canva.com)
According to the information on www.census.gov, National Women’s History month began on March 8, 1857 when a group of women working in the textile industry in New York marched on the streets to protest against unfair wages and working conditions. It was one of the first organized protests organized by women this later led to other women-led strikes in New York.
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