THIS YEAR'S SEEDS

Hope you've had a great week, and how is is already Friday? 

Sharing my regular update on what's going on behind the scenes. I'm feeling persistent but modest at the same time.  A part of my role in Elegantees has died, but new seeds are planted for new life to bloom soon.

Can we become more than a “Millennial brand"? These are brands that were at their peak from 2010-2020, and we started in 2010. These companies blew up with success in that era by curating perfect product photos. That's not what the algorithm is about anymore, so many of these brands are over. 

This is not just about Instagram. Times are always changing. Did you know that half of the companies that were on the Fortune 500 list just 25 years ago no longer exist? The reason is not adapting quickly enough.

The brands of today are thriving by being entertaining and taking people behind the scenes, but that's exhausting for me to keep up with. I'm humbly embracing that I am not the best person for marketing Elegantees anymore. Before you read that wrong, I'm not firing myself!  No, I'm far too passionate about this cause, and this brand is still my dream. I'm simply stepping aside in this one department.

It's time I let others help me fly my wings a little farther by taking marketing off my plate. Product development and job creation for survivors is my main passion anyway. I can't believe that so many people want to help be the wind beneath my wings too! That tells me we're going to make it far!!!

For the past few years, I've tried to revive strategies that were successful in the past. I hoped it could restore the inspiring optimism that we'd hire hundreds of seamstresses in Nepal. All those seeds landed on rocky soil and nothing sprouted.

I hold on to the word collaborate for this year because I asked God to give me a word for 2025, and that's what I got. I am hopeful this year's seeds will take root in good soil that will be deeply rooted and multiply into a strong garden.

Two weeks ago I sent an email asking for our supporters do the storytelling of Elegantees. Our volunteers and myself were blown away by how many of you enthusiastically said you'd like to help. We celebrated this as a huge win, and I'm teary-eyed as I write this. Thank you for caring. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough.

Being in New York City, there is no shortage of young women who can help with Elegantees marketing. They were in elementary school when Elegantees started, so their perspective is not stuck in the "Millennial brand" mentality of perfectly curated photography. I love their fresh approach to everything. 

I believe collaborating with college students as much as possible is also going to be valuable. Next weekend, three associates are flying to South Carolina to do a fashion shoot of our Spring dresses. They are going down with nothing but iPhones, an itinerary with local models, and their creativity. 

So very excited for the plants that will sprout up with all these seeds!