Sharks Won't Bite

"You should go on Shark Tank"! 

When people hear about Majamas and how I started this company, they relate my tale to one they've heard on that show. 

My response? "None of those sharks would ever bite at my business." We believe in making our garments the right way, not the cheapest way and for the most part, investors care more about big margins than the human cost of doing business.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

People assume that when something is made in the USA, it's made in bright, beautiful shops and all the employees are happy and paid well. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.

Twelve years ago, I was working with a contractor who assured me her shop was clean and well run, but when I went to inspect it, I found a complete mess. Bundles of junk and un-sewn goods were everywhere and the room was dark and hot. The workers were sweating (literally a sweat shop) and no one was happy. 

I realized that even though I thought I was doing the right thing by sewing in a U.S.A.  shop, supporting this woman's business was wrong. She didn't care about her employees and if she didn't care about the people she spent most her time with, she wouldn't care about my work. 

Our sewers work in clean and well-lit shops

I immediately pulled my production from this shop. Cut fabric, thread, trims and half-sewn garments. Overwhelmed and awkwardly lugging these armfuls to a rental car, I stumbled and watched half of them fall to the ground. As I stood looking at my production clumped in a pile on a dirty, city street, a man approached me and asked if I could use some help. Through tears, I answered, "Yes, thank you!" and as we walked to the car, he told me he had a sewing shop up the block. Through all this chaos, I had a stroke of luck; this man is now one of our most treasured contractors and his work is not only beautiful, but his shop is too.

He runs a family business. His brother, sister and mother all work with him and their employees work in a clean, well lit environment. They are paid a fair, living wage and their work shows it.  They are respected by their employer and in return, they respect him. 

Running your own business is a continuous "learning experience". No one told me to inspect a shop before contracting with it, but that day I learned to never hire a contractor without seeing their business first.

Majamas on Shark Tank? 

Not going to happen unless I'm one of the Sharks on the panel. Then, I would be the one investing in those fellow businesses doing things the right way, not the cheapest way. I'd insist the contractors take good care of their employees by paying fair wages and giving them clean, bright working conditions.   

Let's face it, most capitalists are greedy and only care about the money they can make, but at Majamas, we care about everyone involved in our business. It's the right way to operate and as a consumer, we all need to demand our products are made this way.  

Being Present

As I sit in my new office at 2140 W. Fulton, I breathe a big sigh of relief.  We are finally feeling settled into our new space and I am grateful we got thru these past 10 months.  Moving is tough and this move was one of the hardest steps to take in the 16 years we've been doing business.  We not only moved our business but we launched our new baby line, Shirley & Victor.  These two phases combined nearly made me crazy.  I'm not just saying "crazy" lightly.  I really lost my mind.

Russell and I work out a lot.  He was an elite, competitive swimmer and water polo player and he continues to swim Masters 3-4 times per week.  I was also a competitive swimmer and former triathlete.  When business gets tough, we tend to run together and discuss our challenges of the day.  One chilly February morning, I stopped right in the middle of our run and broke down in tears.  Not something I do often and definitely not something Russell expected to have to deal with that day.  I was exhausted from lack of sleep and so overwhelmed with stress, I completely lost it. 

Josie, happy to be in the new space

Years ago I walked into a doctor's office and saw the words, "Constant Stress is a Killer" written on the wall.  I can tell you first hand, this is true.  So how did I muster thru one of the most difficult times in my career?  I began to meditate.  I read Dan Harris' book, 10% Happier and started adopting some of his meditation techniques.  Not only did I start to sleep a little better but I was able to focus on the tasks at hand.  The first thing I did was to practice trying to be completely present.  For just 5 minutes each day, I forced myself to become 100% present in whatever I was doing.  I stopped the noise in my brain and really forced myself to listen to the person speaking to me or focusing 100% on whatever I was doing.  Every morning after working out I would lay on my yoga mat and just be present.  I started doing this for five minutes each day and before I knew it, I was meditating for 30 minutes.  Each night before going to bed, I drank a cup of "bedtime" tea, turned off the news and sat quietly, listening to my breath going in and out.  I am convinced without meditation, I would have been put on medication causing a slew of other complications I know I was not up to dealing with.

I'd like to say I no longer have the stress I had a few months ago and although it's gotten much better, I have daily challenges, just like everybody else.  I still have days when I can't settle my mind and meditating seems impossible, but I have learned how to cope with this.  I simply acknowledge my thoughts and then allow myself to let them go for at least 5 minutes each day. I force myself to breathe deeply and listen only to my breath. I recommend this for everyone, regardless of whether or not you think you're stressed. Not only will you begin to feel better, but you will find yourself enjoying life a lot more.  So be calm, be happy and be present!

Our new showroom, where buyers and customers can shop

                         

MOVING ON

My oldest daughter's departure to college last fall woke me up.  How did my little baby become old enough to move out and how did I get old enough to have a daughter old enough to leave home?

Don't worry, I won't bore you with all the details of my life, but these last six months have had me taking inventory. In my twenties I swore I would be vigilant and live each day with meaning.  My thirties were filled with new babies and launching my business.  These past few months I've been mourning the passage of time, but today, I feel motivated to be vigilant once again and to make the best of each day.  So, change is upon us! 

When Russell and I started Majamas, we quit our steady jobs, mortgaged the house and put all we had into it.  We eventually opened a store attached to our office in the Oak Park Arts District and it has been operating since 2004.  We are located next to the Buzz Café and rent the building owned by Laura and Andrew.  They have been terrific landlords and their business has definitely contributed to the success of ours.  We have had some wonderful neighbors in the OPAD like Pamela Penney, Val's Halla, Lisa Nordstrom, Liz Gaylord, Nancy and Bill Creighton and so many more.  

I always knew this day would come.  Nothing stays the same and just as my daughter has grown up and moved away, so must Majamas Boutique.  It's time for us to take another leap and implement the next phase of our business and in doing this, we have to move into a larger space.  Big buildings are hard to find in Oak Park and even though the Oak Park Development has been terrific in trying to help us find a bigger space, we just can't seem to find the right one.  So, we are heading to the city where our new space will allow us to have fashion shows, parties for our clients and even monthly sales we hope you'll attend.  We will still have our online retail sites (see addresses below) and a full showroom in our new space.  We intend to continue stocking other lines we love like Kickee Pants, Jelly Cat toys, Zutano and our new baby line Shirley & Victor so you can still give the most unique gift to any new momma and baby.  In addition, we will be expanding our Eliseo line designed for all women seeking beautiful clothes and of course, our awesome bras are available on our site and in the River Forest Whole Foods store.  We will be closer to our contractors who sew our lines and will remain committed to keeping everything made right here in the USA.

We will miss working in Oak Park, but Russell and I will continue to reside here.  Thank you to all our wonderful and loyal customers these past 11 years.  It has been a pleasure working with each and every one of you!  We have learned a lot from our clients and without your input and loyalty we would never have made it to this next step.  Stay connected with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram your looks to us.  Please don't lose touch Oak Parkers!

Find us at the following web sites:
www.majamas.com
www.majamasboutique.com
www.shirleyandvictor.com
www.eliseofashion.com

Or email us at:
germaine@majamas.com
russell@majamas.com