Joelle Morrow has her focus set on the future. As an up-and-coming lingerie designer, she's overcome multiple setbacks on the road to achieving her dream of opening her own boutique but has yet to be knocked down, leaving her no time to think about...
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As October drew to a close and the city plowed full steam ahead into November, I barely found a spare second to relax, let alone attend a Knights game.
With one of the bartenders at Apollo's having been let go, I agreed to work a few extra shifts, and at the same time, my imagination seemed to go wild with ideas for new designs. When I wasn't working, I was sketching or stitching together my ideas piece by piece, not realizing a big day was approaching until it arrived.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened on the first Friday of November; I simply received my bi-weekly pay stub. But it turned out to be more than any old pay stub. With this cheque, I'd once again saved enough to truly start working towards building the business of my dreams. A lingerie boutique filled with attire for women of all shapes and sizes. One that would stock both my personal designs, as well as apparel sourced from other local designers I'd built relationships with over the years.
I'd been close before, having gotten to the point of placing a deposit down on a space I'd absolutely fallen in love with, but then tragedy had struck and the rug had been pulled out from beneath me, sending me tumbling back to square one.
It didn't matter though, because I'd bounced back and had full confidence that when I did hit the ground running, I would succeed.
There were still several hurdles standing in my way though, one of which was the location. Because while I'd already found another spot and had contacted the seller a month ago to let him know I was interested, I only had enough saved for a down payment. Which meant I needed to rely on a loan for the rest.
So, as soon as my cheque had been deposited into my account, I jumped into action.
Two phone calls later, after a repetitive string of music while I waited on hold with my bank, I managed to book a meeting early the following week.
In the days leading up to the appointment, I could barely contain my excitement. This was it. All my hard work over the past couple years—all the ups and downs—it'd all be worth it.
When the day of the meeting finally arrived, I woke up early despite having worked a late shift the night before. Going through my normal morning routine, I kept waiting for the nerves to settle in, or the moment I began to second guess myself, but neither came. Instead, I pulled on one of my latest designs, a pale pink set of lacy underwear with white and gold stitching, and felt confident in my own skin.
Over top, I threw on a cream blouse, a tapered blazer, and a pair of black slacks, looking every bit like the professional business woman I hoped to become as I headed out the door. Being that it was mid-morning on a Monday, traffic was a non-issue and I made it to the bank with plenty of time to spare.
The wind nipped at my cheeks as I walked across the plaza parking lot, my head down and a folder clutched tightly to my chest. When I reached the bank, I pulled open the glass door and patted my hair down, joining the short line which lead to the front desk.
