The Matilda Jane Family

I’ve sat here for the last 45 minutes trying to think if I should start my story at the beginning or where we are today. They are both such great places.

Let’s go for the beginning. Starting Matilda Jane was crazy, scary and quite a bit of the unknown but above all it allowed me to pour my heart and soul into a job that did nothing but make me smile.

Walking into Fairfield Manor to chase and catch the dreams that Lynette and I built together was certainly a time in my life that I was my happiest. Building, dreaming, and pouring our passions into everything we knew how to do filled our days. I designed the collection while Lynette built the business. We owned every right and wrong decision. Just the 2 of us. Those were the years. Burning the midnight oil, two girls doing the job of 5 just to make it happen. Just to have a job we could call our own.

Moving into 435 with a crew of fearless gals and a slew of passionate Trunk Keepers kept us alive and alert as ever. I now had Sam and the Platinum crew to help me out in the design department, Lynette had Kayla and crew to help her out on the business end. Chris had an entourage of darling girls to get things packed and shipped out. It was a dream come true. We had to pinch ourselves every once in a while (ok, everyday) to believe ” we built this!” And above all Matilda Jane was a beautiful company with true heart and soul.

And as you grow at a great pace, as you continue to take on new challenges and responsibilities, you realize you need more time. While our children were home sleeping we’d be third shifting it pouring our passion into what we did since Day One: design and build.  I yearn for the day when I can walk into MJC and do nothing but design. I miss those days. My head was clear and open. Lynette would stew over her latest training, or an idea to help build the Trunk Keeper network or ponder over …… We could bounce things back and forth and just wonder “how the heck did we do this?”

Well, we certainly know how we built MJC. And you all do too. We did it together.

We have pondered, pulled our hair out and went round and round for the past year about “How are we going to keep this train going without us personally crashing”. It has been hard and it has been the best time of my life.  We were lucky, very lucky, almost like fate to meet John, Eric and Steve at CID. We instantly connected. You all know I am not a hugger but for some reason  it was my instant reaction to John. It was almost as if they could look right at us and see how happy, proud yet exhausted we were. It was like they had been there, done that. And they had. They knew what we needed: help, experience and most importantly time to do what we love so we could focus on our talents and tightening the culture of MJC.

It is always my biggest fear that we will grow so big that the culture, the feeling of family will be lost. And it was the first ting they picked up and said right out of the gate “Your culture is what defines you. You can never let anyone play with that. It is too valuable.” They are right.  It is.  It is my heart and my soul. It is you and all you have allowed me to be. I am not where I am right now without each and every one of you. You have supported  what once was a crazy idea and turned into a beautiful company. The things we are able to do is beyond what I ever envisioned.

So after pondering more and really spending time with the 3 boys (ok men, but they have huge smiles as if they were 8) we fell in love. We realized it was time to share what we have. It is an honor to share it with Steve, John and Eric.  Not only are they humble, they are brilliant. I am so excited to put their minds at work on all the dreams we have not yet accomplished.  I mean seriously, did you ever think you could fund an Orphanage in Africa?  Well, we did.  I do not mean Matilda Jane. I mean US….you and me.  Look at what is happening with The Amber Roussel Fund. It is because we all want was is best not only for our families, but for each other.

Some of you met John, Steve and Eric at Art Fair and some of you met them at Conference. And I am certain over time more of you will get the chance to meet them and know 100% that they are perfect for us and we need them. I feel like this is a lot to put on the table today, but I am so happy and feel a relief off my shoulders that I want to share it with you. They are going to help Matilda Jane continue to do all of the wonderful things we’ve done.  All of us together. We needed it for ourselves, our family and for MJC. I love Matilda Jane too much to let myself crash.  Lynette and I knew if we did not ask for help, we were both on the course of exhaustion.

The good news, we are overwhelmed with happiness and ready to jump in and make Matilda Jane better than it has ever been.