No Career is a Straight Line

?I wonder what the weather is like in Italy during the fall...

I pondered this question on my flight to New York City when I was 18. I was starting my first job as a design assistant, which I imagined would entail attending quarterly fabric shows in Italy and offering my feedback in meetings.

It turned out the only intel I had on fabric was cutting and gluing swatches onto line sheets. My feedback similarly consisted of making minor design adjustments in Excel. Photoshop didn’t exist then. So, I copied thousands of images onto Excel sheets every week. The only Ciao! I said was to my false expectations about how my dream would unfold.?

I started my career with the impression that becoming a designer would be like all the good parts in The Devil Wears Prada. What panned out is the hardest work of my life with glimmers of diamonds placed further and further apart.

Behind every glowing resume, there’s a long list of challenges that person overcame to achieve their goals. I’ve learned that while the twists and turns on my journey made me feel lost. Those hardships were pivotal in leading me to where I am today. No career is a straight line. The only way to stay on your path is to keep finding your way back when you veer off.??

I’ve poured my heart and soul into building our brand since I was 22. For better or worse, it’s a part of me and vice versa. I felt that notion shaken to its core when I returned to the office after having my third baby. We’d hired executives to shape our next chapter and I felt like I was walking into a different company — One that I wasn’t sure needed me.??

Our aesthetic and messaging were being transformed before my eyes. I knew they didn’t evoke our ethos. Still, I didn’t trust myself enough to advocate for my vision. Those two years were grueling. They were also the most formative in cementing my confidence in myself as a leader. I know now that no matter how off course I feel, I always have agency to try and right the ship. I vowed to never let go of the creative reigns of my company again. Success may not be in our control. But, effort always is.?

It’s easy to look back and wonder: How did I let myself get so lost? The simple answer is I didn’t know I was. The grass is always greener on the other side. It’s only through experiencing something that you learn it isn’t right for you. Experience breeds the fiercest conviction.?

If seeing our aesthetic change was gut-wrenching, the potential of our entire company disappearing during the pandemic was grave. The early days were encompassed with a deep sense of fear. Can we bounce back? played as a recurring loop in my head. I was hopeful, but not relieved, when we realized it was possible. I knew the pivot to Direct to Consumer would demand every fiber of our being. Covid was a devastating turn on our path but it instilled an unwavering grit. The GPS didn’t offer a few routes forward. There was only one. No one would have chosen it. Still, it accelerated our roadmap to reach milestones we anticipated hitting in five years in less than one.?

Media and marketing often paint a picture of idealistic careers. How might we debunk these false realities by sharing what it really takes to build a business? What if we listed the number of do or die moments a founder survived alongside her accolades? These are the real stories. They’re worth telling.?

Two decades in fashion taught me that the weather isn’t always going to be crystal clear on my journey. I try to enjoy the sunny days when they come and stay optimistic when it rains. I’ve survived enough storms to trust that the rainbow comes after.

What challenge was most influential in your career? Share your story in the comments! ??????