My Journey

I quit my job to follow my dreams…twice.

The first time I did it was to go back to school. I packed up all of my belongings and moved from the mountains of Utah to downtown Los Angeles…a bit of culture shock, for sure!

My dream was to make footwear, but first I had to get a fashion design degree.

I remember sitting next to a young man in class who told me he was 18. I did some quick math and realized I was technically old enough to be his mom. I questioned if quitting my job to follow my dreams was the right thing to do, but I carried on…and learned a lot!

After finishing that program, I decided to get my master’s degree in footwear, bag, and accessory design. I packed up all my belonging in Los Angeles and drove across the country…and then moved to Italy! It was a very intense program, and again, I learned a lot.

After finishing that program, I moved back to the mountains of Utah. And started working for the same company I left 3 years prior.

I worked there for about 2 1/2 years, but started to think “I need to start my business for real” early on. I tried to balance getting a business started and working 40+ hours/week at my paying job, but it was hard. I couldn’t stay up until 4 a.m. if I felt creative because I had to be at work at 8 a.m.

I officially started WillisKa in May 2015, while I was still working my paying job. I did that for 3 months and then decided to take the plunge. I quit my job to follow my dreams for the second time. I packed up all my belongings, yet again, and moved back east to start my company.

And…well…here I am.

I wake up each morning excited to start the day. I am constantly being creative. I am learning about writing blogs, creating websites, social media marketing, etc….and loving it! I’m getting my sewing and pattern making skills back and having fun while I do it!

The most important part of WillisKa is I’m trying to source all my materials from the U.S.A.

This sourcing has taken me back to Los Angeles to visit a leather finishing plant…to New Hampshire to talk with a man whose family owned a mill for over 45 years. I am learning so much about the materials I am using. It is definitely a challenge to find snaps, zippers,  leather, wool, thread, etc. made in the U.S.A., but I’m getting closer everyday!

My goal is to form great relationships with companies in the U.S.A. that have the same passion as I do to produce quality goods in our country…and share our journeys!