I always knew that I wanted to be in fashion. What field of the fashion industry is what I never knew. In previous posts, I mentioned that I tried a bit of everything. Fashion designer, fashion writer, and retail until I fell in love with production management and the fashion business. This is how life works. You try a bit of everything until you learn what your true passion is. Sometimes, as immigrants, we are scared of taking another step in our career because we are afraid of losing the stability we have (especially after taking so long to build that) and we settle for something that might make us happy, but not fulfilled. This is the moment I had to stop and ask myself “but is this really the career I came here for?”
Growing up in a business environment, I always knew that, one day, I would build my own business, help and mentor people. Or at least try it, invest in it, and see what happens (lol, but for real). Another thing I have mentioned in previous posts is the fact that, back in the day, I used to be lazy and live in my comfort zone. I never had the guts to step up, stand for myself and get it done. I was always good at doing that for other people (as any good employee would), but never for myself. Especially when I moved to the US and had no friends, no family, and no network to start my career. I settled for less and stayed in jobs I did not like because I was always afraid of not finding anything better. When I started working in product development and production management all of that changed.
After I found my passion in the fashion industry, I busted my ass learning everything I could, being the best version of myself, making mistakes, being honest (every time I messed up), finding solutions, being proactive, and always (always) working ethically. I built up an amazing relationship with my boss and everyone who worked with me and I am SO grateful for that, but when you have big goals and do not want to “hit the ceiling” you have to take risks, trust your instincts and get out of your comfort zone.
Last year I read You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero. In this book, she said, “You can have your dreams or you can have your ego” which spoke to me so loudly because this is literally the definition of taking a step back, re-evaluating what you want, and moving forward with your own thing. That is what I have been saying on my blogs (at least the personal ones and immigrant's life ones, lol) since the beginning of the year. If you feel like you are in an environment where people around you are bothered because you are growing or you just feel like you are trying to be bigger than the space you are currently in, then it is time to take that step forward. Sacred or having no idea of what you are doing… no matter how, but it is the time!
I always believed that God knows what he is doing and things tend to happen at the right time. I was feeling like I needed to bring my career up to the next level and the death of my cousin helped me realize that. I always say that it is a very immigrant kinda thing to be scared to move forward, and it is on a whole other level because we take SO much more into consideration when we have no one to rely on and everything to lose, but in general, it is hard to embrace change.
Stepping up your game, becoming a badass, and showing that you are the best at what you do is not something you should be scared of nor you should give up on that to let other people shine. The fashion industry is very competitive (as in every industry, but I can only talk about the one I know) and people tend to be not so "friendly”. I honestly have never seen it like that. I never saw life, career, friendships, and relationships as a competition. Nobody goes through life alone and helping each other is the way to make it, but that does not mean you cannot do your best, become the best and shine on your path.
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