Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration to choose this career was my Grandmother. As a little girl I used to watch her sew and always wanted her scraps to make my own creations. I very much admire entrepreneurs that made their way to success through hard work and grit not because they came from money. I admire anyone that can succeed just by staying laser focused and that is what I look to for inspiration.

How do you stay motivated?

I have overcome many challenges such as homelessness as a child, domestic violence and what keeps me going is the drive to show my kids and anyone, especially women caught it what seems impossible situations inspired about breaking cycles through education and hard work. I only started creating and really doing what I love which is designing and manufacturing after my fourties’ and walking away from very bad situation. I wake up motivated every single day and excited to live my dream.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use that money to expand what I’m already doing. I would use it to invest in my collections and go to National and International markets to expand the opportunities to capture more boutiques and also to hire local help which would help me produce more. I think with a carefully laid out plan I can truly maximize it to get more exposure and inspire more young people to learn sewing as a career