I started building websites in elementary school — my friends and I would create fansites for our favorite celebrities (at that time, mostly Disney Channel stars). In middle school, I used code to customize my Tumblr themes, and I illegally downloaded Photoshop to make edits for my favorite books. I was also an early adopter of social media and — you guessed it — ran multiple fan pages in my day.

Fast forward to college — I wound up at the University of Michigan, where I studied theatre producing and marketing. I got super comfortable behind the scenes, supporting what were, in my mind at the time, the "real" creatives on stage.

Then came 2020, when the pandemic turned my life and everyone else's upside down. Graduating with a theatre degree just as the industry reached a standstill sent me into a whole post-grad spiral. In this chaos, I found solace in design, crafting portfolio websites for my theatre school friends.

One day, while I was scrolling on TikTok, watching videos of people recreating Harry Styles' outfits, I had a lightbulb moment. Wouldn't it be so cool if people could emulate Harry's style with vintage and secondhand clothing? And wouldn't it be even cooler if I could combine my passion for thrifting with my love for fangirl culture? The idea for End of June Vintage, my Harry Styles-inspired online vintage shop, was born from this lightbulb moment.

Until this point, I didn't think I had the creativity, focus, or professional knowledge needed to start a business. I also got plenty of doubtful comments from my friends and family, which made sense considering the specificity of my idea ("Really? A vintage shop… inspired by Harry Styles?"). I was driven forward by pure delusion a deep intuitive feeling that my incredibly niche idea would connect with the right people.

As it turns out, I was onto something. My first TikTok went viral, and I launched my shop with over 600 people on my email list, selling over half of my first 50-piece collection. End of June continued to grow over the next couple of years, and I've now sold over 600 vintage pieces and even released my own sustainably-made merch. More recently, I was featured in Alternative Press (click here to read my feature). This honor will forever remind me of the power of following a creative idea, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.

While it might seem a little woo-woo, I wholeheartedly attribute End of June's success to the fact that the brand aligns with who I am. I once believed that starting a business meant masking your true self behind a professional facade. My journey taught me that building a brand that reflects your genuine personality is the key to connecting with your true community.

Learning how to build a brand lit me up like nothing I'd experienced before, and I quickly realized I didn't want to do anything else ever. Additionally, I've always felt called to collaborate with entrepreneurs and small businesses. I also lose myself in design work (something I used to call obsessive perfectionism, but since being diagnosed with ADHD, I now recognize as hyperfixation). All that, plus my newfound passion for authentic, personality-led branding, made me realize that brand and web design was the perfect career for me!

I spent the next two years honing my design skills, learning how to run a business, and connecting with clients. I officially launched my studio in August 2022, and now we're here! My journey has been anything but linear, but these days, I'm living the dream.