“My happy place is creating.”
THE PROPOSAL
Dressed in a faux fur bomber and combat boots, Becky sat across the table from Bridget over sushi and a bottle of Cab on a cold December evening. This seemingly ordinary dinner then turned wild. Nervous and excited, Bridget popped the question, “Will you be my partner in creating an ethical fashion business?”
“It was the best moment ever! I was already so proud of Bridget and excited for what she was doing. I didn’t have even a sliver of an idea that she was going to ask me that,” says Becky.
And thus began a tradition of sushi, wine, and business planning that has been the cornerstone of building NOVAA.
A BABY ON THE WAY
On a lazy night while visiting Bridget in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, Becky is asleep (I like to think it was in a hammock hanging from a coconut tree), when she dreams she gives birth to a beautiful baby girl. In her dream, she names the baby Nova. When Becky wakes up the dream of Nova fades away into her subconscious - but not for long.
Later that day, Bridget and Becky take a break from strategizing how to start their business, and pop into a local surf shop. They stumble in with their sun kissed skin, happy to be listening to the up beat reggae tunes and looking around at all of the beach inspired treasures. Something immediately catches Becky’s eye and she B-lines to a long silver necklace with a hamsa charm and amethyst stone. She couldn’t explain why she was so drawn to it, but looks at the tag and sees that the necklace is named “Nova” - it hits her!
“Bridget! I had the weirdest dream…!” began her unassuming story. “THATS IT!” Replied Bridget.
“Right then and there we named our fashion baby ‘NOVAA! In retrospect,” they both agree, “we knew the name would come naturally. Like a baby, it just comes when it’s ready!”
THE VISION
“The core of the business has always been to empower women through ethical manufacturing practices, but the business itself has been ever evolving. We’re constantly getting closer to our goal.” It’s exciting and invigorating when your vision starts to grow. It develops and changes in ways you never imagined, Becky reflects.
The True Cost is a documentary that shows the atrocities occurring everyday in sweatshops. It formed Becky and Bridget’s mission from the very beginning. “I cried within the first ten seconds,” Becky says, “It’s horrible. This is what fuels our battle to combat these monstrous ‘fast fashion’ companies.”
RESILIENCE AND FEARLESSNESS
“I’ve fostered resilience and fearlessness in myself since I can remember and they come to play in a lot of my career endeavors, especially NOVAA,” says Becky. “Starting a new business is tough, and when things don’t go as we’ve planned, resilience and fearlessness inspire me to stay enthusiastic.”
Everytime you achieve a goal you should celebrate it, no matter how small, Becky believes. “We celebrate every single victory. Even the smallest things… that’s what makes it so fun. From getting our first online sale to finishing a weekend pop-up shop, these mini victories have continued to push us forward and inspire our path."
LIFE HACKS FOR STAYING CENTERED
On staying centered, Becky’s mainstay is meditation. Every morning for 20 minutes (at least) and every night as a reflection, she’s sitting upright following her breath. “Meditation is my number one thing right now for sure. It lifts the veil of daily life so I can get into a creative space and think clearly. There’s an app I use called Insight Timer - it’s a gold mine of meditations."
BECKY'S 3 FAVORITE THINGS
RABBIT HOLES
Intellectual rabbit holes are a necessity in Becky’s life. “It’s a really important thing for me. I need to set aside time for myself to go off and get lost on adventures of curiosity. It’s good for creativity, and I believe that creativity comes through you and not from you, so by allowing your mind to journey, you're calling in more enriching ideas.”
LATIN BEATS
“Latin music makes me happy - especially the classic stuff. I want my life to be one long, ongoing fiesta!” Becky says one of her personal goals is to learn all of the Latin dances: tango, salsa, bachata, merengue… “When I was living in Costa Rica last summer, I picked up music from all over the country and created a playlist I listen to all the time.”
RECYCLING
“Ever since we started NOVAA and learned more about sustainability, I’ve been on a heavy streak of recycling. It breaks my heart to see animals in the wild living among trash. I’m always happy to hear about big companies taking steps to be more conscious of the environment, like Starbucks completely removing plastic straws from their drinks.”
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