Happy Birthday to Us!

We’re celebrating two numbers today: 1 and 900.

Everand® has officially turned one, and we feel a mix of emotions about that—excitement, gratitude, amazement, and a tiny bit of exhaustion! But the second number feels just as important, if not more. It’s the number of hours of work we’ve provided to refugee women living in Chicago. Well, actually, you have provided it through your purchases and support, which have kept all of us so busy and motivated for the last 12 months. (For the scoop on what the six months prior to launch were like, read this article about Everand® at The Chic.)

We wear so many hats each day, most of which we were unfamiliar with, from being the CEO to handling the shipping, accounting, and marketing departments. But we also have so many people to lean on and learn from. Over the past year we’ve realized there’s something pretty awesome about starting a business in your 40s. We have a lot of amazing friends who are truly experts in their field.

A friend’s mom who has been a collector of African textiles for more than 40 years was visiting and took the time to meet with Jenny, sharing stories, and personal photos of fabrics being woven on looms in villages during her travels. Our favorite local coffee shop, Backlot Coffee, had us create a series of beautiful seat cushions that are on display at the shop. Interior designer friends styled entire rooms with our pillows. Multiple friends gave input on our website, blog, social media and legal needs. We met new, like-minded creators at our first show. Friends and friends of friends purchased and came back to purchase our creations again and again.

The kindness and support seem endless and have given us such great direction in just a year. We can’t wait to see what the second year brings.