Picture this.

You have a good paying retail job, you’re attending your dream fashion school in Los Angeles, and you’re creating your dream fashion brand. 

But something is missing.

From the outside, it seems like you’re on top of the world, living your best life.

You’re doing everything you’re supposed to be doing. 

But on the inside, you’re miserable. A feeling not be confused with ungratefulness...

You wake up at 5 AM to sit in LA traffic for an hour if you’re lucky. 

You go to work where you’re paid well, but the demand & stress that comes with it makes you wonder if it’s worth it. 

You go to a fashion-focused college where your idea for a fashion brand is met with doubt and unconstructive criticism.

“Brands like these don’t stick.”

What would you do in that situation? Give up?

Not today, B. 

I’m not expecting you to do exactly what I did, but hopefully my story will inspire you to make your next move. 

From the moment I could work, I wanted to be in fashion. I was attracted to fashion, but I was in love with the business.

With my eyes set on my dream, I did everything I could to try to make something happen for myself.

Unfortunately, that included neglecting my plan and removing myself from my dreams. I lost the magic.

Fast forward 5 years of doing all that, and you see me. A “too busy to realize I was giving all of myself away to a job” girl.. 

And the fact that you’re reading this VLB blog shows you I chose ME. 

Before my breakthrough moment, I had chosen what I was comfortable with.

I had chosen the stable, yet terrible life of overworking myself for a company that didn’t care about my well being. And let’s be honest, they didn't care about me. I was just another employee number on payroll. 

I was giving 110% of my energy towards everything that was draining me.

Where was I going to find the energy for Viva La Bonita?

The truth is I couldn’t.

And so I made the decision to re-route my life.

I was going to end up at the destination I always intended to, I just had to take a different way.

I left my 50 hour/week high paying job for a role in a smaller company where I made a lot less. But I also worked a lot less hours, meaning I could improve my mental health.

I left fashion school and stopped listening to the “professionals” and instead listened to my intuition. I found my magic. I was feeling creative again.

This decision didn’t come without consequences though. 

I had more time but I had less money. Here comes the stress and self doubt.

“How am I going to survive this?” 

But girl, I was happy. I felt like me again. 

Photoshoots before work, scouting locations after work. Skipping fancy dates and birthday vacations didn’t seem as bad because I was doing something I was passionate about.

While it was extremely hard making mistakes and learning every day, looking at my bank and barely having enough to pay the bills, and constantly saying no to a social life, I was evolving...

With each discomfort I faced, I wanted to quit. But I chose to grow through it.

My thought was “I’m not ready, but F*ck it. I’m gonna make VLB happen.”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back I was growing into the woman ready to receive everything that was going to come with VLB.

This idea of growing through situations to become the person you want to be is what inspired our Growing Through It Collection.

We are the roses ready to break through the concrete. We’re going to grow into all of the things they told us we could never be.

I don’t personally know who you are, but I know you have a dream. I know there is someone inside of you who is ready to make that dream come true. That magic is inside all of us.

You just have to face where the resistance is, and focus all of your energy towards growing through it.

It’s going to be tough, but you deserve to live the life you want to live.

You know, people ask me if I could go back, what would I do to make it happen faster?

The truth is I wouldn’t change my journey.

Everything I went through is exactly what was supposed to happen. I am so grateful.