To Be Honest... I'm Scared.

I've written a lot about happy milestones in my personal life, successes in my business, but rarely have i spoken about the not so pleasant side of being an entrepreneur.

The frustrations, the anxiety, the stresses, the sleepless nights, the tears, and the questions. 

Shortly after I started my own business, I took the plunge and quit my well paying full-time job so I could work part time and dedicate more to growing my business. It's been a real blessing to see where God has taken me in the last 2.5 years but now i'm at that awkward and frustrating stage where I ask... What's next? and When/How do I get there? My next goal is to be able to quit my part time job so I can fully concentrate on running the business but to be honest...

It scares the socks out of me.

Quitting my part time job would mean getting rid of my "safety net", not having the security of knowing a paycheck will arrive at the end of each month. It would probably mean cutting down on entertainment and eating out and buying people presents. I feel like it would be unfair to my husband to quit my job at this stage and put the pressure of paying bills on his shoulders. Then there is that part of me that says...

What if?

What if quitting my job is what it will take for me to take my business to the next level? This would allow me more time to dedicate to perfecting details, meeting more people, coming up with new ideas, etc. I've read many articles where people tell their story and encourage others to take the plunge, not to be scared, that things will fall into place, that the risk will be worth it. But then again... What if i fail?

 Taken at the edge of the Westin Grand Hotel, Downtown Vancouver. Photo by Charles de Jesus.  

I'm truly thankful for a supportive husband who's always there to listen to my frustrations and lift me up. Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I continued to work at my full-time job and ignored the tugging in my heart to start my own business. We'd be able to afford going on more vacations, up to date on the latest gadgets, in the know with the trendiest restaurants... but then again, i think about how much closer this experience has brought us...I think back to the "thank you" messages I've gotten from others who were encouraged by my story...I think about the amazing people I have met because of my business and I think about the reward at the end of the sacrifice... and i wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Like the saying goes...

"If your dream doesn't scare you, you're not dreaming big enough."

Do you have a dream so big it scares you?
tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

If You're Going to Stare at Me, At Least be Subtle About It.

As part of a show I am taking part in for Herro Hachi, I decided to get a giant t-shirt made to use as my booth sign. I was going to make a YouTube video regarding my preparations for the show but because of some hilarious footage, I decided to change directions and make a "tutorial" instead.

My friend and I went downtown to catch up, go shopping, and eat and I told her I wanted footage for my video of someone looking at me funny because of my giant t-shirt. What I got was way more than what I expected. Hahaha! Since it was raining, I couldn't get the original footage I wanted which was of me walking through busy downtown streets w/ my giant shirt on. Plan B was to go into a coffee shop and just ask the cashier what he thought of my t-shirt. After I did that, I told my friend that I noticed there was a woman who had been staring at me for a good 5 minutes since I came in... she turned the camera on to capture it and the woman was so busy staring at me, she didn't even notice!

 

 

After capturing that footage, I took the t-shirt off and pretended nothing happened. I noticed three of her friends turned around and looked at me at the same time, then staring lady said "oh, she took it off" Hahaha!

But you know what... 

HATERZ GON' HATE! ;)

Look at the Snuggie... people laughed at it for a long time but now... you probably have one at home! haha!

Wearing the giant t-shirt started out as a joke for video footage but I must say, it's quite comfy. Hmmmm...

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Help Others and You Will Always Succeed...

...That's what my dad told me when i shared with him my desire to do more with my business other than just selling clothes. Don't get me wrong, designing and selling my own clothing has been amazing, i love what i do ... but at the end of the day, the poor are still poor, the hungry are still hungry, the abused are still being abused. 

What can i do? People say things like

"You can't help everybody" 

True, but helping even just one can make a world of difference! I decided to commit to donating a portion of my t-shirt earnings to Gentle Hands in the Philippines. It only made sense to start with my home! :) You can read more details on my blog post here or watch the video below:



 For those of you in the Philippines, it would be so cool if you guys visited these children... they will change your life, seriously!
 Has a persons act of kindness changed your life in any way? tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Who Doesn't Love Sales?

Many of you know that I have my own clothing line which I started in 2009. Because of all your support, I have been able to expand my line in the past two years and it's time again to make room for a new Fall line! With that being said, half of my store is...

60% off = $10 shirts! 

At the end of August, i'll be getting rid 

of these on-sale designs for good! 

 Shop HERE! ^___~

 
 Enjoy!
  tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

My Life as a Cheeseburger Neeenja

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was wanted and had a group of assassins chasing after me. For murder? For terrorism? Nope... for theft of a cheeseburger. I only remember some details since as you know, you lose almost all memory of your dreams when you wake up. I do remember that my friends parents hid me in their floor/secret hiding spot while the assassins raided their house. It was a pretty intense dream but sadly, i don't remember if that cheeseburger even tasted good and i don't know if i ever got caught for my crime.

What do you think my dream is trying to tell me?

top: neeenja pullover by me / herro hachi // neeenja headband: the black bow from my sister-in-laws maid of honor dress.

P.S - for the sole purpose of this blog post, i went to McDonald's to purchase a "burger" - it wasn't a cheeseburger though, it was a junior chicken burger.

P.P.S - now i feel sick so ya'll better appreciate this post. hahaha! jk ^_~


tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Simple Smiles: The Eyeless Oinker

One of my fave ladies, Nikolett, does blog posts entitled "Simple Smiles" where she writes things that made her smile that day/week/month. 
I really have quite a ball playing around with photo apps on my iPhone. This particular app is similar to the Photobooth on a macbook where it does things like make you fat, give you a big nose, etc. This time I used the mirror feature on my fiance and couldn't stop laughing at the outcome.
Doesn't it look like a bucktooth piggy with a moustache and no eyes? HAHAHA! This is my simple smile of the week. :)
By the way, I signed up on Tumblr today! 
http://herrohachi.tumblr.comfollow me! i'll be doing giveaways and things there soon! ;)


tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

My First Tweet-Up

Those who have been following my blog for a while now know that I used to strongly dislike Twitter. In fact, I vowed never to sign up on Twitter because I didn't want to get updates about what people were eating and what time they woke up that day. In April 2010 though, I gave in and decided to give it a shot. 9 months later, I'm so into it that I actually even attended my first Tweet-up! A tweet-up is a social gathering of people in your area who are on Twitter.

It was fun b/c everyone was wearing different masks to fit the Masquerade theme... I brought my authentic mask straight from Mardi Gras '06 in New Orleans! It was such a cool but nerdy experience. As soon as you walk in, you register and they give you a name tag with your Twitter handle (@herrohachi) on it so that once you are mingling with people, they can add you on Twitter right then and there. haha! It is the only place I've ever been to where EVERY SINGLE PERSON had their Blackberry or iPhone out the entire night so they could tweet about what was going on and who they were meeting. It sounds boring but it was a lot of fun being able to meet those you've only been talking to on Twitter!

It was great meeting people but I must say, the highlight of my evening was getting to try Lobster Mac & Cheese for the first time EVER! Thanks to Samantha for introducing this dish to me!

Have you ever attended a Tweet-Up? If not, would you?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Bungee Jumping? Check! (well... almost)

Exactly 5 months from today, I will be tying the knot!
Before getting married though, a stagette is in order! (aka bachelorette, hen's party.. what do you call it in your country?)

My bridesmaids & i originally planned to party in Las Vegas the month before my wedding but I really couldn't get myself to spend hundreds of dollars to fly to Vegas and only stay for 1.5 days! =\

At the beginning of this week though, I got an email that the Groupon of the day is 50% off Bungee Jumping in Whistler! I decided that this would be a better alternative for my party - it'll be fun for all, a once in a lifetime experience, and something I can cross off my bucket list! Besides, I can't do things like this with my husband-to-be b/c he doesn't understand why i would pay money to jump off a bridge. hahaha!

For those that don't know, Whistler is about a 2 hour drive away from Vancouver. It is where part of the 2010 Olympics were held.


<--- photo from www.whistlerbungee.com

What is one daring thing on your bucket list this year?


side note: i restocked sizes for my Engrish Menu & "I'll Shoot You" tees! Check them out here & here.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Cheap or Thrifty?

 Oh hai! 

I've missed you guys, but i'm back! The reason I was away for a little while was because I was busy prepping for my first big show! (One of a Kind, Vancouver) I really had to get creative with this show because my space was only 3 x 3 (where i'm normally used to at least 8 x 5) but with the help of IKEA and my dad, the end result was not too shabby! :D

On to the title of this post... I'm a pretty thrifty shopper, I like to think I use my money wisely and wait for most things to go on sale before I make a decision to buy it. I'm definitely not cheap and that was confirmed this weekend when I met the definition of cheap. This person actually tried to bargain with me to give her a $2 item for $1 (50% off!). Yes... It wasn't a big ticket item or anything.. it was selling for $2. TWO DOLLARS. Now, I understand in Asia, bargaining is a normal thing to do and I've had my fair share of it when I lived there....but this was a high end show! *smh*

Have you had experiences with overly cheap people?

I'm glad my shows for 2010 are over, i'm ready to relax! This weekend, my fiancee and I are having our engagement photoshoot and then the next day, my family and I fly out to the States for Christmas vacation with our relatives! Woohoo! Since we're heading to the States, i'm offering free shipping to those (in the U.S) who place their order by Friday... order will then be shipped out on Monday. Shop here!

9 days till Christmas!

MIA

 I'll be a little MIA for a while as I try to accomplish all the things that need to be accomplished this month!
My little fingers have been busy.... 
making Christmas cards for friendsfolding several hundred t-shirts and pulloverspacking/preparing for a family trip for Christmasplanning for the upcoming wedding... it feels like just yesterday when i got engaged but now time is slipping away!!! 6.5 months left!   I wish there were more hours in a day. -_-
P.S - for those interested... i've got an important notice/announcement regarding Herro Hachi in 2011. Please read here.
What are you busy with this month?

My Stuff on TV!!! + A Giveaway Worth $700+

Last October, I had the opportunity to contribute to Kelly Nishimoto's Anniversary Party Gifting Suite. Kelly Nishimoto is a television host and fashion designer based in Los Angeles, CA. She is best known for her cute booty pants!

Click on the screen shot below to watch the video

my stuff shows at about 1:55 !!! :D

Lots of super awesome prizes to be won!! The total value of the gift bag is over $700 USD! The contest/giveaway is only open to U.S Residents though :(

Enter giveaway HERE!