I am Retired! From working that is…Design is my passion and I love it every day.
Keeping the dream Alive is toughest part of an entrepreneur’s life; in my case a designer’s own brand. This means that every day you have to DREAM. What the business books call following a vision by writing a business plan (the worst part of my career but the necessary part).
Most of the time following your passion means after you have earned a living, continued to work on current projects or taken care of family. I was fortunate to have the perfect time in my life where I had to leave my career to follow my husband’s career. This break of up to 2.5 years in another country while my husband was working there could have been a time to relax but I took it as my ultimate opportunity to change careers. When I hit the new ground of our new home half way around the world I was dying to learn something new to help pursue a career in fashion design or running a fashion house something I wanted to do since I was ten years old.
So here I was in Malaysia half way around the world from Florida where I left my home behind and all of my friends. The first classes I embraced where Malay and Mandarin. Then one night while hosting a group of women for business in Malaysia, the former President of the club told me about the local Fashion Design School and that I could attend. I started immediately. The fact that the classes where held in Mandarin didn’t stop me from learning and loving the field, in fact I LOVE the Malaysians and they were so patient and kind. I had a GREAT time and cherish my friendships from the classes as much as I do my American university, FAU friendships. It took me weeks to make one illustration and I thought this is going to be tough but I knew I wanted to be able to illustrate my ideas and the only pressure was my own because this was for FUN! because I am retired 
. Mental games you might call them but life is all about perception so I told every one and I still do “I am retired!” What I mean is I’m retired from working a job that I don’t love doing. Perception is everything.
Success following your passion starts with believing in yourself 100%. You are at your best when you love what you do, you beam excitement and enthusiasm. I see this in others all of the time. They are working all day and then on weekends they follow their passions and that is what they talk about. Different is good too, that’s why there is no end to number of passion followers on earth. We naturally look for new and different. So tell yourself you’re retired and then follow your passion with a vengeance! Now go! Make me proud and make something new and different. Be inspired by others but don’t copy them. I would love for my designs to inspire you to make something great that’s all you and I will help you if you ask. Are you retired yet? I hope to see an invitation to your celebration for your new idea.
If you know me now and most of family would say, April works a lot! But to me “I am retired!” Because I love every day even if it’s a nightmare of a day and believe me I have days where things fall through and I am tested to a breaking point but somehow I just manage to think positive and keep going because I believe in what I am doing and I’m passionate about my business. I have learned that the only difference between success and failure is perseverance. I have been told by some of my successful mentors to just take a walk when things seem like they are over whelming. Then come back and start again. A dear friend once said “When you return from traveling or a trade show or finish a long project, you think you’re never going to catch up on the projects that you left for a week or up to 8 weeks. The trick is to just start working on your list and “much faster than you think” you realize “hey, I’m almost caught up and I’ve almost finished all of my projects.” This is a great feeling.
Another Movie I recommend that really depicts what a passionate person does in his life if he knows no boundry between “work” and “play” is “Meet Joe Black”. Play close attention to ’s character. He never stops managing and growing his business from the moment he wakes to the moment he sleeps again. This is the life of a passionate business owner.
I am retried; I am a passionate business owner; I am a designer. I love what I do and wish this for you.
April 
Hi April-
Me, my husband, Tyler, brother, Chip and mom, Kitty all met you last night in the parking garage….remember? When my mom gave me Foxers for Christmas a couple of years ago I remember thinking to myself, “WHO came up with this idea?? Ingenious! Wish I could come up with a fantastic idea like this and make a career out of it!”
Out of curiosity I googled Foxers and came across the link to your website and this entry which really inspired me. Actually, both my husband and I have been trying to dream up new careers that we love and are in control of. I love what I do now and have been doing it for 13 years…I think I’m just tired of working for someone else. Would love to talk to you sometime and hear how you got started. I’m in awe of how successful your brand is in only a few short years! Maybe you and your husband can come by for a glass of wine once we get my mom all moved in. She thought you were darling. (And so did my husband and brother! lol)
Jacque