International Womens Day
Happy International Women’s Day to everyone, men and women.
Emma & What Matters Most.
Exactly 2 years ago, when I turned 50, it appeared to me it was too risky to remain in a closed cocoon, but what about missing the chance to bloom and fly? I stopped and considered whether I was thriving, happy, delivering my best work, becoming the best of me. Was I slaying dragons of everyday challenges along the way or staying in my comfort zone…? The answer was no. Procrastinating to express how I feel and so to act, not sure why. Perhaps because it means a lot to me, to get these words on paper, speak up, rather than just speaking in a closed safe environment, amongst friends who feel the same way.
But not to worry, it wasn’t too late to work it out, there was a lot of unravelling to do… I had built up a business and a life which were so intertwined and connected, because I built those up based on what others thought was best for me.
After one year of diving into discovery, a glimpse of what was next hit me. I was sitting in a restaurant, in a beautiful safari setting in South Africa; And it wasn’t what everyone thought was best for me. Here came the hard part: speaking up and articulating what it was, for me at first, and then to others.
Don’t we want it, all of us, human beings? To express about what we really want to do with our life, what’s on our bucket list, talk out loud about it, and then feel empowered by the pursue of a creative project that means something to us?
I’m not interested to give financial advice, but one tip everyone needs to know: always have your own capacity to earn money and have your own bank account, regardless what’s on it, even a slush fund account for your own use. If you don’t have these essentials, get one or you will have no choice but to follow. A harsh reality but a true one.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be the face of my business since scratch. Over 17 years of selling to women, there has been a lot of listening too. We all have a common longing for being someone beyond being a wife, a mother, a worker, or a peace maker. We long for creativity and adventure, living on our own terms, by ourselves or with a loving partner who supports this evolution of our becoming.
My project is to create a travel mini-series to inspire Naudic clothing. It includes curating travelling experiences and the discovering of lesser known areas, while gathering new ideas from all around the globe for Naudic clothing collections. I also make a point in having part of the profit from the sales donated to empower men, women and animals from marginalised communities.
It was time to sort through what mattered most in these categories.
Creating, I’ve always been a traveller. This matters the most to me. I seek the unknown, as it expands and opens my mind to real living. I gravitate towards challenges, as I feel uneasy with a status quo, I think the answers to what we are seeking are outside in nature, on the streets. This is where I get my inspirations for the Naudic collections, and now my discovered passion of writing, where I am learning to tell stories about real situations. Creating and building up a global business that I can manage from anywhere around the world has been the most empowering adventure and I’m still learning through my challenges.
Being allowed to speak up, in life and especially in business, where too often we are brushed aside, our say does matter and it is relevant. I’ve worked with a lot of women in business and talked with a lot of my female friends, we do value our time investment, and yet, there is a time cut off which happens especially around the time of having children, that’s when the biggest juggle starts. However, women have their place in business, we have a very clever way of finding the balance between financial spreadsheets and dealing with human beings. We have empathy regardless of career path that can solve problems. Therefore, we must speak up, we and be heard.
We were made to slay dragons. I’ve been fascinated recently by the women in Indian history, especially the women of the Mughal Empire from Agra, what they fought for and how they did it. We are built to slay dragons. Women before us did it, we can do it even better now. Doing the easy work is unfulfilling in the long run, doing the hard work is enriching. It stretches your mind, it leads you to know what’s important to you; that is the slaying of personal demons.
Saying not now instead of yes or no, I read about this recently - I’ve often been the yes girl to keep everyone happy. I’ve converted this habit into saying Not Now. It doesn’t mean no, and it gives me time to reflect on it. It’s also a way of deflecting things that come to me but aren’t meant for me today, or maybe aren’t for me any longer. Once you’ve discovered the path you want to be on, stay on it, opportunities and offers come daily, these can be things that fill your time but aren’t meant for you anymore, it’s important to break up with habits that serve you no longer.
Enduring the trashing, the turmoil of trying to do your best work - Ouch this part really hurts! But don’t give up, those moments that bring up doubt, shame, and insecurities are not reasons to quit your journey; you can transform those feelings into energy for a better future. Since that time in the safari restaurant, exactly a year ago, I’ve spent a lot of time in the past year thrashing it out, in boardrooms, in my mind, in my work place. At some point you need to break through, speak up, prove yourself capable and show your project and story to the world. It might help others in the same situation as you.
So, to achieve the project that matters most to me, small steps are leading me: slowly building the right team to carry us there, creating short video’s around fashion, travel and beautiful nature; enjoying life, colours, designs; rethinking lifestyles, running my business from anywhere and love; getting inspirations from around the globe. I am aiming at empowering marginalised communities and ethnicities who could rapidly vanish from this world.
At the end of the day, it is about our voice, your voice. Do you have a voice that is being heard? Does anyone care and listen? Are the people around you willing to let you expose your true self to the world? Can you release what’s hiding behind the curtain of your reasonable and sensible existence which needs and yearns to be heard? Even if your life story doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a mega movie, it is no less important, sharing your courage will inspire others to step up and show their courage.
The feeling of commitment to something and being able to talk about a project that matters to you, is the best feeling of lightness and also a bit nerve racking. It sparks a sense of wellness and leads you through the wonders of your life at its best potential. Go get it, whatever it is. Don’t waste another moment. It is beyond your expectations to lead a life of blossoming. This will be my blossoming never-ending story.
Love always, Emma x