As I close up shop, I wanted to share a few numbers and greatest hits. Here goes:
SKUs designed and produced: 92
Women artisans: 284
Girls supported: 595
Countries: 16
Mexican States: 5
Indian States: 3
Sales outside movie theaters: 52 (at least that is how I remember it from the Girl Rising days)
Instagram Posts: 1,965
Session M sessions donated: 1,406
New lifelong friends made through the business: 8 (you know who you are!)
Celebrities we chased after: 7 (Lady Gaga, Emily Blunt, Olivia Wilde, Audrey Gelman, Jessica Alba, Michelle Williams and a super famous brunette who subletted a friend's apartment whose name I can't remember, but I swear she is famous)
USPS trucks I chased after in my slippers: must be over 50
Chiapas pom pom sales this year and last: almost $2,500
Shredded boxes taped together with products coming out of the holes I received from all over the globe: more than I would like to remember
Friends I talked into modeling for me: 11 (plus my daughter, who didn't have a choice since the company is named after her)
Favorite love note from a customer ever: Suzanne. Her note alone kept me going a few months, and I am moved again by it reading an excerpt of it now. Thank you Suzanne!
Above: the moment when Agustina, who speaks almost no Spanish, with effort said "gracias por visitarme" and burst into tears. And I burst into tears. And everyone laughed and I gave her a hug.
And THANK YOU to all of you without whom none of this would exist.
First and foremost, my husband Chris, the photographer, videographer, design consultant, Photoshop wiz, constant inventory schlepper, info card printer (he told me I should include in this list how many times I WhatsApped him in the middle of a meeting to ask him to send info cards to the printer), hand holder and chief cheerleader. Thank you for believing in me and in this crazy project no matter how exhausted I got or how broke it made us. The fact that the brand video the amazing Kristen Williams and Katie Nave Freeman made for me made you tear up says a lot about how invested you became in this project - and it really belongs to you.
The friends and family who lent their talent and dollars to Catrinka:
My parents, who believe in the best version of me;
My kids, who put up with me giving a lot of myself and my time to what I came to refer to as my 4th child - when we sat with Agustina this August in her modest home in Chenalho and you politely ate her chicken broth even though you weren't hungry because you know that I love her that meant the world to me. And especially to Caterina for lending her nickname to this whole ordeal, appearing in countless videos and photos, and making me the "I love what you make" drawing that gives me hope and faith every day when I walk into my office;
Alexis Maybank, the badass entrepreneur I am very lucky to call my friend and one of my favorite people in the world;
Rich Begany, the rock star product photographer who always made time in his studio for me, and managed to underbill me by about 1000% without making me feel bad about it;
Tara Abrahams for inspiring this Project in the first place with her film Girl Rising, and supporting us right through her today when she is changing the world at Glamour;
Ana Paula Fuentes, for being perhaps the most inspirational woman I know, and showing me - with such generosity, grace and good humor - her world, which I dream of being a part of;
Kristen Williams, who sought me out and lifted me up, in more ways than she will ever know;
Lulu Hall for being my most loyal customer and always making me feel better about everything;
My mother in law, Marianna Cayten, for her fierce feminism and unwavering support;
Laurie Michaels, who believed in the vision and lent me the capital to make it happen;
Jodi Susman, for appearing at just the right moment and injecting Catrinka with a year's worth of positive vibes, love, creativity, and serious hard work - and bringing her fabulous family and friends in on the action;
Kim Black, Kristy Schultz and Ellen Fish, who fired me up;
Carolina Castillo, who always has my back and once gave me the amazing gift of a Wonder Woman thumb drive with the entire website translated into Spanish;
Meg Koglin, soul sister;
My sister Katie, who always believed in my dream and shared the love (she may have the single largest collection of Catrinka products west of the Mississippi);
Elaine Borgonia, who got inspired, organized her girls education club and started having sales to raise funds to support the Catrinka Girls Project (>$1,400 to date!);
Megan Bradley, the bride who carried and gifted Catrinka on her wedding day, and who managed to casually articulate for me - in a way I never had - why it is that I do what I do;
All the Catrinka Ambassadors, especially Laura Caro-Ruiz, Katie Chang, Monica Chandra, Elle Olejniczak, and Galadriel McCollum;
Amy Nicole Heck, for contributing her design talents and her patience;
Joellen Nicholson for always being up for a Catrinka chat, keeping an eye out for opportunities, and lending her talents to everything from styling to modeling;
Evelyn Cook, who I never met but was my single best customer;
Michelle Vawer, Hannah May and their crew for making me / Catrinka look good and feel even better;
The crew at Kip Tik and Labbe who made things happen with great good humor;
The extraordinary leaders and passionately mentors of Redmi who created the Catrinka Girls Project from scratch and administered it with tenacity and creativity, and the incomparable Angel Del Valle whose dedication inspires me daily;
And Sumana and Amisha, without whom this Project would never have existed.
Hasta pronto.
Megan