kbFAWN's Story, How It All Began
kbFAWN started out as an array of small little ideas that came together into one big idea. It still continues to evolve as you read this. It initially started out as an idea from watching a Netflix episode during the pandemic about billionaires and how these people came about making their billions. I was very intrigued and they made it seem so simple! I could barely sleep that night and woke up thinking I could do that easy peasey! Yes, you can all laugh at me, my kids did as well, when I told them I was going to be a billionaire. I am cool with getting laughed at, I have pretty thick skin...as I am still trying to work off the COVID-19.
Anyhoo, when I did my google search of what the top paying jobs were, cardiologists, orthopedic doctors, and lawyers were tops on the list. Um, my degree is in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in oil painting and a minor in literature. I don't think anyone would be comfortable with me performing surgery on them. Amongst other careers were CEOs, financial gurus, and entrepreneurs. I would jump on the opportunity to join the financial world again in a heart beat, if it didn't require so much time away from my home. I did love every minute of meeting with clients and being able to help them plan for their futures, coming up with investments and tools for their savings which made the most sense for their situations. I enjoyed working with business owners also. Having come from a large commercial and residential minded family business. I am well versed in how to help the business owners, as well as provide great opportunities for their employees and themselves to enhance their retirement nest egg. I miss the connections and fast paced world of the financial industry.
SOOOOoooo, I opted to be an entrepreneur and CEO of my own company. Albeit and an ETSY Shop, but one has to start somewhere, right?
In all seriousness, it is fun to dream and discover new opportunities regardless of how old we are. It can be scary to try new things and venture outside of our comfort zone as we age. However, there is something about the adrenalin behind the unknown and trusting at the end of the day it will all work out! And, hey, if it doesn't, is it really that big of a deal? At least I can say I tried and I learned a new skill in the meantime!
I am beyond excited about kbFAWN and find the potholders charming and sweet. I have had such a great outpouring of support and so many people relate with having grandmas who made similar items or had someone who made potholders like these for them. We are so quick to run to the store and buy something manufactured, myself included. We often forget the hard work that goes into sitting down and making something from scratch. This experience has given me even more respect for my husband, my father, and my father-in-law who were providing for their families, taking risks, and believing in themselves. Each of them starting their own businesses. My husband and father in the construction world and my father-in-law as a doctor, who eventually went into private practice. They all relied on other people to help support them both financially and emotionally. I appreciate and recognize all of the sacrifices and hard work my husband does to provide for our family. Growing up the sacrifices and accomplishments my dad went through to always make sure my brothers and I were well taken care of does not go unnoticed. We are blessed. That being said it was not always rainbows and sunshine. It's still not always easy, and more often than not, it is pretty damn hard. Just when we think we have a handle on things. Something else will pop up. Whether it is related to Todd's business, my work, one of our family members, our kids, friends, and most often than not, between him and I. Because who do we unload on the most? Yup, those we love unconditionally. If you live in a house that runs smoothly day to day, I hope you take some time to be grateful for that. My house typically does not flow that way. Each day is different and chaotic in it's own way.
The pandemic provided some calmness and of course some underlying fear of the unknown. But, amidst the pandemic of 2020 I decided to teach myself to crochet and carry on a legacy. My mom had been wanting me to learn since I was a child. Not only was I not interested, I was AWFUL at it. To the grandchildren, my mom is known as Gramzie (the cute version of Grandma Zerth.) She continues to hone her craft, trying different patterns and making a wide variety of beautiful pieces for family, friends, and neighbors. The gift of crochet does not come from my side of the family alone. My husband’s grandmother was also a skilled artisan to crochet. To everyone she was known as Mimi. My hope is to become as skilled as Gramzie and Mimi. However, this is a unique gift that takes time to learn and improve. I was beyond excited when I caught the hang of it and wanted to share this love with others. I also wanted to be able to give back to a charitable contribution. That is when I decided to create my own charity, FAWN. (Funding Adolescents With Needs.)
It is fun to think back on how all of this started, a little joke and some healthy competition about wanting to be a billionaire sparked me to make some fun creations and carry on a family tradition. Not to mention give back to kids I hold dear to my heart.
Thank you for partaking in this dream! 10% of all sales go to support kbFAWN
I will share more about the vision I have surrounding FAWN in my next blogs.
"A child with special needs will inspire you to be a special kind of person."
-Global Hydranencephaly Foundation
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