Shared joy.
“How are you feeling right now?”
That was the first question Emily Grey, our amazing business coach, asked the ladies in my Mastermind when we arrived in Sardinia last week.
I looked around the room at the women I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside for the past 18 months as we run our businesses and felt incredibly loved, cared for & invested in.
As a mom with young kids running a business, that feeling is such a gift.
To be surrounded by women who uniquely understand the challenges & joys of entrepreneurship in this life stage has been more impactful than I can say.
That feeling just continued throughout week.
Side conversations at dinner, in the car on the way to a local farm, on a dingy (LOL!) continued to underscore that work can look different than the typical 9-5. As a mom, it has to, but to intentionally choose what I want it to be instead of crumbling under a system that’s not set up for me has been empowering.
A 30 minute conversation on the front of a catamaran & a new branch of my business that was previous only a whisper was not only created, but several of the women have the exact skill set to make this perfectly aligned with their business goals as well.
(In case you’re wondering, it’s a trip to Ethiopia with our custom branding clients - and perhaps some of you, too! - to connect directly with our artisans & highlight their incredible work.)
I absolutely do NOT have the bandwidth to add a new branch to my business, however aligned it may be with the impact I want to have, but the women around the boat do & they can push this forward when I can’t.
This is exactly how I want to be running my business - alongside other incredible women who can help carry the load.
I chose to forgo extra outfits & used ½ my suitcase to bring the new Fall Styles with me to Italy I asked if any of the incredible woman would model. So many said yes without hesitating!
And we had the most delightful time laughing & taking photos.
Cate of Cate Holcombe Interiors would literally stand next to a wall as I prepped my camera & looked so effortlessly fabulous that I’d just snap the shot.
I was incredibly humbled when Brooke of Brook Bryand Creative - a true master of photography & videography - asked if she could help.
Watching her do her thing was such a joy.
She grabbed Erin, who among other business endeavors in her small town in Michigan is the owner of the boutique Kit’s & Aneesa of Retreat Companions while I pulled aside Bryce, the co-CEO of Career Collective to showcase these gorgeous new bags from Ethiopia.
So without any further ado, I present to you the new Fall styles from Ethiopia: https://www.purseandclutch.com/pages/new-styles-just-arrived
My hope is that when you buy a bag from this mini collection, you receive some of the beautiful joy that they represent -
From every handcrafted stitch to the energy of these incredible women modeling to knowing that you’re investing in a handbag that’s both beautiful & sustainable!
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Happy shopping,
Jen Lewis, Founder of Purse & Clutch