How I Got Here…
Part 1
Welcome to my blog!
*deep breath in … & exhale*
I really can’t believe I am officially doing this, putting my journey into words. I have so many ideas and stories to share, and I’m excited to embark on this adventure of sharing how I’ve landed here.
My story is unconventional and unexpected, especially in the way things have unfolded, which led me to this point in my life.
You’re probably wondering how a woman in construction as a professional for the past 12 years has ended up a haircare enthusiast, sharing all things hair and products. Trust me, there are times where I ask myself, "How did I really get here?" Today's blog post is about how this unexpected passion presented itself during the time I needed it the most. From the outside, my life seemed perfect—a successful career in construction, "financial stability" (I’ll use this term lightly because let's be real, I love to live), and all those important milestones neatly ticked off in a box—saved up and bought a condo early in my career, got married, we bought a house, got the dog, went on our dream honeymoon. If there was a literal book on how to live life, I would have been that person who would follow it to a tee.
But when it came to my career and work life, deep down, I was unfulfilled, which left me always searching for more outside of the job. I would call them my creative escapes—because deep down, I was too afraid to quit the stressful career choice to pursue something else. I wouldn't even know what career path to choose or how to go back to just the regular jobs I had before. Giving up wasn’t an option. That would mean that I failed, and I was so loud and proud about working in construction that there was no possible way I could do anything else.
Which brings me back to my creative escapes—each one of these came into my life for a reason. In 2012, a year after I started my very first job and also the year after my dad died, I decided to become a licensed Socacize Instructor. I was extremely lost in 2012, trying to understand how to grieve my dad's death, holding onto everything I possibly could to remember the good times. That's when I got involved with Socacize unexpectedly. It was soca, I was surrounded by those that loved the culture, and I got to work out. Plus, being an instructor, I was able to help other women towards their own fitness goals. I did this up until early 2015, and that’s when I found a new passion in baking.
It started with cupcakes for my nephew's birthday and a surprise cookie cake for my now-husband. Summer 2015, I officially launched the business "Edible Arts and Crafts," and I never expected it to turn into what it did, but at the time, it was the creative outlet that alleviated the stress and unhappiness I felt in my career. Baking just made sense! My parents ran two bakeries when I was small, and my mom would make me the best birthday cakes when I was a child, so it brought me back to those days of watching her decorate cakes. I started small, a few cupcake orders, then cake orders for birthdays, baptisms, engagements—anything that needed celebrating, I would do it! That's when my creativity went through the roof, and I was so happy making beautiful creations for other people to enjoy—it really did give me that sense of fulfillment my career couldn’t.
Fast forward to 2019, where I was booked, double booked, and sometimes even triple booked on weekends—there was no work-life balance. I joked and said, "Work all day, cake all night," and that was the literal truth. It was all hands on deck for 2019, my husband was on full-time errand and dishwashing duties, my mom helped out where she could, and my in-laws were constantly on the lookout for when butter and icing sugar were on sale. Looking back, it was insanity from Wednesday evening in our house until the cakes went out the door on the weekend—I think I traded my soul with the sacrifices I had to make to ensure that I delivered exactly what I had pictured in my head (yes, you read that right, the idea I had in MY HEAD). The perfectionist got the best of me, and it was then that I learned that striving to be perfect wasn’t realistic. Not only that, but I neglected my health, my sanity, and constantly lived my life based on cake orders. Let's just say the halt my cake business experienced in 2020 was much needed.
2019 was such an eye-opening year for me—my body was starting to show me signs that burning the candle from both ends was starting to catch up with me. Long story short, I hated the person I saw in the mirror (I was the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life), my hair was falling out, I was always bloated, always stressed, and all I did was work and keep myself "busy." By the end of December... I knew I had to do something. What started out as a necessity to do something about my scalp health and hopefully "fix" my hair turned into the start of a journey of self-care and really focusing on putting aside time for me.
It’s crazy to look back at where this journey had started, and now 3.5 years later has led me launch a blog series. Its all part of this intertwined story of how I got here … sharing my more of my journey, experiences and of course hair care tips and trick that I’ve learnt along the way. My hope is that through my journey, you’ll find inspiration to seek your own passion, embrace change, and prioritize self-care.
Thank you for joining me on this adventure, and I can’t wait to share more about hair care and life’s incredible transformations. Stay tuned for the upcoming blog posts, and remember, life has a way of guiding us to unexpected places. Embrace the journey, and you might just discover your own version of happiness and fulfillment.
xo Sasha
