false 2009-03-02T23:28:23-08:00 <p>Since childhood, I&rsquo;ve had an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit, matched only by my fervor for fashion and the environment. In college, I divided my free time between interning with an environmental nonprofit and designing clothing for my friends. I felt fulfilled by these hobbies, and decided to bring them together to create a business. Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion was born. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately, I had little encouragement. At that time, the green movement wasn&rsquo;t exactly popular, especially in the fashion industry. My peers were settling into well-paying, stable jobs, while I spent every waking hour behind a hand-me-down sewing machine. Friends and family bombarded me with pleas to give up and get a &ldquo;real job.&rdquo; <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I refused to abandon my dream. I networked incessantly, learned accounting, website building and marketing, researched sustainable fabrics, and traveled to trade shows on a shoestring budget. Sadly, I was turned away by most buyers, who gave me praise for my design work, but chose not to carry eco-friendly clothing for fear of being stereotyped as earthy rather than chic. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>One day, feeling particularly defeated by the rejections, I decided I was done.&nbsp; While walking down a busy street, arms bursting with garment bags from a day of pleading with boutiques, I fell. Literally. Line sheets and fabric swatches scattered in every direction. Suppressing tears, I slowly stood up and dusted off my dress (which was one of my designs, now tainted with dirt and pigeon droppings). Then something magical happened. People began to stop &ndash; not to laugh or stare &ndash; but to compliment me on my dress. These random strangers loved my work, pigeon poop and all. When I explained how it was eco-friendly, their enthusiasm grew. I realized at that moment that I really could do this. I told myself that from now on, when I felt overcome by tribulations, I would remember this day, and I would use whatever adversity I faced as motivation to work even harder. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Today, my designs are carried by boutiques worldwide, featured in fashion and environmental magazines, and recently, were exhibited at Chicago&rsquo;s Museum of Contemporary Art. It wasn&rsquo;t an easy or quick process, and I am still learning, but I did it. I did what everyone said I couldn&rsquo;t do. Owning my own small business continues to present new challenges, but the simple concepts of hard work and perseverance remain key in helping me reach my goals.</p> dBMIJmwrqqllvkab8P4pmk false false false true true 2009-06-04T17:49:54-07:00 0 true 1 false false false 1 2 Passion, Perseverance, & Pigeon Poop 2010-02-01T06:25:24-08:00 passion-perseverance-pigeon-poop crnTrSwqGqllvkab8P4pmk Mountains_of_the_Moon_Melissa 1084 0 dY1Ghod6ZhRBWr3AL8abBw