Imagine My Surprise!

I was in my mid-thirties when Making It Big, the company I started in 1984 and sold in 2004, made its first million dollars. When we hit this benchmark it took me by surprise. There was a point where I could see it coming, but it was never my primary goal. My commitment was to clothe large and supersize women with fashionable, natural fiber, well made (in America) clothing at a reasonable price.  And I was driven to create a profitable company (because I knew that being profitable would empower all my other goals) that provided my employees and contractors with a good quality of life. I was committed to my customers and my staff. In the early years, I borrowed, begged and borrowed some more to keep the business moving forward. I never thought about how much money I needed other than what it took to service the debt and manage payroll, cost of goods, production and overhead expenses. For first five years I ran two businesses simultaneously because my other business supported me until I could draw my salary from Making It Big. I was motivated by my passion to serve plus size women and change lives; that’s what birthed Making It Big. I was very focused on reaching my overarching goals; it wasn’t about making lots of money.

The gifts I received from the ongoing success of Making It Big were multidimensional. Lives were changed. Supersize women were empowered because we solved a problem and created a new paradigm. Supersize women who were housebound were going out in public. My customers were able to go on job interviews because for the first time they had clothes that allowed them to feel normal and beautiful. Other companies were copying us, the greatest form of flattery! The gift of financial wellbeing resulted in no small part from maintaining a profitable business, having a fabulous product line, and providing excellent customer service. People, Product, and Profit are the three components of a successful business!