My Story

Rollin' With The Punches

Webster's Dictionary:

1. Literally, in martial arts (especially boxing), to maneuver one's body away from a blow so as to lessen the force of the impact.

Urban Dictionary:

2. When things don't turn out how you planned, you adapt to the changes and keep moving forward gracefully

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

I have worn a lot of hats throughout my life. Some that didn't fit well, some that will last a lifetime, some that I wear proudly, and some that didn't suit me. Sometimes I wear multiple hats at once, and sometimes I take my hat off and let my hair blow in the wind. But, no matter what hat I've got on, I wear it the best I possibly can! Sometimes it's time to throw the hat away and get a new one, and that is EXACTLY what I'm doing now! Here is my story about how and why I created the brand, Just Lovely Apparel :)

A few of my hats...

Adapt to changes and continue on gracefully

In the past 10 years I have moved from South Carolina to Florida to California to London England, and then back home to Marietta Ohio. I have moved from industry to industry trying to decide what hat fits me best. I have done everything from retail management, to financial consulting to fitness coaching, to owning a bar. YIKES! Many people might view that as being "lost" or "confused" but I like to think of it as being a jack of all trades!

"Not all who wander are lost"

I always knew I wanted to own a business. In college I started tossing around the idea of a coffee shop that played acoustic music and was a fun hangout spot... something similar to "Central Perk" on Friends. Next I thought, I'd rather do something more creative such as making dream catchers or candles. I tried both, but I just wasn't that into it. Then I was approached by a college friend about her fitness business. I had followed her journey for quite a while and felt like it was something I'd be interested in. Also, with it being an MLM, I wouldn't have to do much leg-work to get it started since it's mostly just marketing yourself on social media to gain clients.

DREAM CATCHER IDEA

FITNESS COACHING

About 2 months after becoming a fitness coach, an opportunity presented itself in the area that I grew up in. A bar that had been around forever went up for sale, so some family members and I decided to buy it!! Yes, you heard right... we bought a full on bar/restaurant!! What the heck were we thinking?! LOL. We opened in 2017 and sold it in 2020. It was an awesome experience but something I will probably never do again!

During my time at The Hideout (the name of my bar) something really caught my interest. We ordered some t-shirts and tank tops from a local print shop for our employees and to sell to customers, but I couldn't believe the price of the shirts! I thought, well if I knew how to make t-shirts, we could really save some money and profit more on the shirts we sell. Although I never got my idea up and running during the time I had The Hideout, it was the first thing I thought about when we sold it. And guess who my very first customer was?? That's right-- the new owner!!

MY VERY FIRST PROJECT!

Developing my brand

When deciding what exactly I wanted to "specialize" in when it came to my apparel, the decision was pretty easy... I wanted to create a brand that represented the things I LOVE and I felt pretty confident that there are many other ladies out there that share my passions! Each collection that I have created is a part of WHO I AM and what I LOVE <3

FAITH & SPIRITUALITY
DOGS, FAMILY & FRIENDS
YOGA & FITNESS
DRINKING & HAVING FUN
ADVENTURES & TRAVEL

My goal is to create lovely tank tops and apparel that can be worn for just about any occasion. I wanted them to be versatile enough that you can just throw it on over a bathing suit and hit the beach, or dress it up with a skirt and heals and head to dinner with some friends!

MY INSPIRATION

Rollin' with the punches is pretty much how I live my life. If you don't like something-- change it!! Start doing the things you love and the rest will fall into place. Life is too short to waste time doing something you don't feel passionate about!!

13 WAY TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES...

Be Decisive
Establish good ties and social connections within your community.
Have goals.
Turn difficult situations into avenues for personal growth.
Trust your instincts and remember you are capable of doing great things.
Maintain your optimism.
Understand your strength and weaknesses.
Don't forget that time will heal.
Appreciate and accept change.
Stay fit and healthy.
Be proactive.
Educate yourself.
Ask yourself: "What is the worst that could happen?"