Cousins Co: The Beginning Stages

Starting a business is not an easy feat, to say the least. When the three of us decided to drop everything and start this venture to say we didn’t know what to do is an understatement. This isn’t to minimize our passion or our strengths in other areas, but we aren’t entrepreneurs (yet). We wrote our business plan over the summer, filling in the blank areas with hypotheticals and estimations. To me this isn’t a bad thing to confess, it’s the truth; it’s what I believe makes Cousins Co so special.

I don’t characterize myself as a business oriented person. I know little to nothing about accounting, licenses, or Excel. I think talking about money and responsibilities can be uncomfortable. The three of us get frustrated because the idea of structure doesn’t really exist in our lives right now and our minds are unorganized. I thought these weaknesses would come tumbling down on me. I even told Jordan and my mom “I’m not doing anything. I don’t know what to do. And I don’t even know how to help.” I was feeling awkward and sometimes guilty because there were days when I truly had no idea where to even start. However, recently someone told me that this space of uncomfortability is where you will find your answers and clarity. Nothing has rung truer than that statement, for me. When you settle and become too comfortable it becomes easier and easier to lose creativity and drive. But when you force yourself to simmer in the bitterness of these so-called ‘weaknesses’ you quickly find that none of these things are lapses. Instead they become areas for growth, spaces for discovery, and moments of revelation.

I think it’s important to be honest about our experiences from the get-go because if Cousins Co. is one thing it’s real. We are real with our strengths, with our fragility, and in our mission. As we develop our brand more and more everyday, we always come back to the idea of purpose and truth. I believe this is precisely what has allowed us to get through difficult moments and come out stronger together. This week our goal was to inventory at least 30 items everyday, but we didn’t know what software to use or how to print out our price tags. That day we were so uncomfortable, it was as if we were putting together an Ikea dresser with no instructions (I know you all can relate to this feeling). But this day became our most productive when we put our minds together and found the pieces of the puzzle.

We are still at the very beginning of this process. The three of us are doing what we love and Jordan and I are grateful we were even given the opportunity to be a part of this. With the significance of social media and the convenience of the web it is pretty easy to create your own company. However, Cousins Co is not just a ‘buy now’ button. Cousins Co are three females who are piecing together what fashion means to us and why this should be important to you. So come along on this journey with us! We are confident that your wardrobe will reveal itself as more than just a closet, but as a means of self discovery.