"Our bags are a fashion statement because they are one- of-a-kind and have a beautiful story to share," Mavis says.
EVOLUTION, NOT PERFECTION When asked about lessons she's learned while running her business, Mavis says, "I learned that perfection does not exist, and the definition of success is evolution. We must always be evolving and innovative in our business." Some challenges she faced that required adaptation came from the recycled raw materials she uses. "It took me seven months to perfect the first bag, the Less Pollution Convertible Handbag, and now it is our best-seller!" She says that working with recycled plastic is hard because it doesn't bend like other fabrics. It's also difficult to get a consistent color during recycling because they avoid using toxic chemicals that would make the color uniform. She's embraced the uniqueness of her products, seeing these issues as design features, not flaws. So each bag is one-of-a- kind and is woven by hand, not by machines. "Our bags are a fashion statement because they are one-of-a- kind and have a beautiful story to share," Mavis says. She is also proud to say that she started her company with $285 and is self-funded. As she says, when she had nothing, she realized that she had everything. The impetus for starting the company came in 2017 when she ended up in the ICU with heart trouble after a run and stayed in the hospital for a week. Realizing she would not be here forever, she decided to start then and there to follow her purpose and vision.
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