Supporters!

I had such a good weekend that I am still in a super spirits!  I remember working at VZW and not being happy.  I already knew what I wanted to do in life.  Design!!  I could see myself being so happy creating things and sharing it with people.  So to bring my dreams into focus I started to bring my sketchbook to work and started designing.  I was determined to acheive happiness.  A couple of my co-workers took interest and I recall some of them saying, "Nadia, when you get big, I am going to come work with you!"  I'm not sure if at the time they really believed that it could happen, but I know I did!  I can honestly say that my old Verizon Wireless family has done nothing but shown me love and support from the beginning and I am sooooo very thankful for them!  They were some of my first customers and still show their support.  

Ms Vera at the old office in her TGB Signature Tee!

Fast forward, three years removed from the corporate world and I have reconnected with an old  co-worker and friend, Ms. Vera.  When I got back in town I called her up to see how she was doing.  And to my surprise her work situation has also changed and allowing her a bit more free time and more than anything happiness.  Now I must say... we make a great team.  This past weekend she was my partner in crime as I went out promoting THE GREY BUTTON.  It means the world to me to have people like Vera by my side rooting me on along this journey.  We met some amazing ladies.....and men, who were all open and excited to listen to me pitch our brand to them and with the support of their purchases we added a bunch of people to the button family!  Here are some pics from a few of the places we went to!  I have to get better at remembering to take pictures.  I LOVE going back and flipping through them but unfortunately I don't have a lot this time!!

On my mind: "Where is TGB going?"

I get asked a lot, "Where do you see THE GREY BUTTON going?"  And if I'm being honest, I would love to see our designs in some of the top department stores one day and across small boutiques around the world so that we could provide jobs right at home with our own GREY BUTTON factory!  Now, even though I know the method of getting to that stage is challenging, I believe we can because we would have the support of real people!  And that is by actually putting in the work to get out and talk to people about the brand.  No one knows it better than me (and the hubs)!  This is our baby!!  Who else is going to speak so passionately about our vision? ....the significance of the button?  Who else knows what goes into the development of each product from concept to production.  The blood, sweat and tears....Knows the love and gratitude that goes behind and beyond THE GREY BUTTON.  We do!  Where do we start?   Back at our roots and making our rounds networking with local beauty/barber salons.  Why not start here?  This is where every woman starts getting beautiful.....with her hair.  And where men who have girlfriends and wives go-all the time .  Ok,  I admit, I am usually freaking out right before I have to walk in to pitch my business to strangers.  But once I bring out some product and start to see people are really interested, and handing out my card, and talking about the button and such, I feel really good!  Yes! Another person knows about THE GREY BUTTON.  I'm doing that times a million if I have to.  Until the next question is, "Looking back did you ever think THE GREY BUTTON would have grown to ALL of this?"  And I can answer, YES.  I have big dreams and I'm never letting go!  

Who wants to come with me?!.

Tangled Leather Earrings ~ "Algae"
www.thegreybutton.com

Thankful!

This morning I am feeling very thankful.  I woke up reflecting on how far we have come on THE GREY BUTTON journey.  Maybe it's being back in the location where we took the first steps to make our dream a reality, I don't know...but I welcome the feelings of gratitute.  I am not even going to lie and say that everything is going according to plan because it has not. Plan...shlam...! We have an outline and then we step out in the world, hop in the car and the plan goes out the window.  But we don't "give up" on things we love.  And we love THE GREY BUTTON.   So we dust ourselves off and try again..and again....and again..  You get my point.  When I look back on where we started, to where we are today, I am very thankful.  I am able to do what I love which is create from my imagination everyday!  I am also so very thankful for the people who think the things I create are worthy to spend their hard earned dollars on.  

Now... if I could just get everyone to start sharing instead of hoarding their designer friend we could grow this thing faster!

Some of our new creations