The Journey To Gold Unicorn Decor

People

Feb 14, 2018

Growing up in a tightknit community, I was fortunate to possess a strong support system. I have a supportive husband and parents who would applaud my every action. This inspired me to stretch my limits and test myself. Passion fueled my success and this is exactly what propelled me forward to take chances that pushed my comfort zone. Risks were either met with a few days of disappointment, or greater opportunities which I only every dreamt of as a kid.

I would say that I have worked hard all my life, and I am a definite ‘go-getter’. Aside from being a mom to a beautiful energetic 19-month-old, I am also an Engineer who is pursuing a Doctorate, and continue to work as an Executive for a Global Bank. Like many, I had big dreams and desires, and I push myself to find the motivation to make it all happen. But like the many others who struggle with the challenge of “wanting to do everything”, I had to learn not lose my passion along the way of finding success.

Ever since I can remember I have loved arts and crafts, which evolved into décor as I got older. But starting as an entrepreneur in the decor field was a whole other venture. I knew that getting into the Décor business was going to be labour intensive. There was so much competition and I had serious doubts about whether I could keep up this undertaking given my already hectic schedule. But I love challenges, and while a part of me knew that the fear of failure to push myself past my limits would leave my dreams unrealized, my restless imagination overtook this fear. Often times, we don’t know what we are capable of until we try, and so I decided to take the chance.

Somewhere in my 20’s, I came to the realization that the world is full of infinite opportunities, but your life and career are finite, meaning that you have limited time to find what you’re searching for and make your mark in the world. The prospect of becoming an entrepreneur was one that I found to be incredibly challenging and also liberating.

But let me be clear when I say that no one goes from zero to success without breaking a sweat and without a doubt, the road to success is never smooth. In fact, it tends to be filled with potholes and at times, even sinkholes. Striving to succeed at such a young age definitely had its trade-offs. I failed many times along the way. I even dabbled in a few ‘get rich’ ventures as well as small business ideas which I could never bring to fruition. However, failure taught me in ways that success could not. It shaped me as a person, and made me more resilient. I found that failing is a better alternative than living with regret. I discovered that I would rather learn and grow and become successful through failing on the way to achieve my dreams, rather than regret not knowing what would have happened if I tried.

The name Gold Unicorn is derived from my daughter’s middle name Taniska, which means Goddess of Gold. I chose 'Unicorn' because believing that anything (even unicorns) is possible is really the mindset of successful entrepreneurs. I wanted to show my daughter that it is okay to pursue what you love doing and as long as you do your very best, that’s all that matters. I certainly don’t expect my daughter to follow my path, nor do I think that what worked for me would necessarily work for others. It is important to figure out what makes you happy at this present moment in your life and follow your heart. Do what you love and love what you do. It is often easier said than done, but unless you try, you will never know and there is no better day to start something new than the present.

Starting this entrepreneurial journey has led me to create new friendships, meet new people, and work harder than I ever have. I can now truly say that I love what I do. I believe that if you put your heart and soul into something you are passionate about, then it doesn’t feel like ‘work’ and it will eventually pay off. Upon starting Gold Unicorn, I certainly didn’t expect it to take off the way it has. I would say that I’m pretty lucky to have reached this level of exposure in such a short timeframe. There are many entrepreneurs in the industry that are very popular and admired, while others have to put on rubber boots and wade through the mud. I just took a chance, I had a vision and passion and with that, I started off designing small events for family and friends. After posting a few photos on Instagram, people quickly started contacting me to plan for their special events.

Don’t set limits on your unlimited potential. We all have dreams and goals. However, very few people actually achieve them. Many of us would rather live comfortable, bubble-wrapped lives simply because our threshold for discomfort is low. So how far you get in reaching your dreams is completely dependent on how good you are at overcoming obstacles. If you fail to push past your limits, then you will leave your dreams unrealized. Learn to work through any obstacles and you can make your dream a reality.

As for the future, for me this is only the beginning. I have a long way to go. I am still a work in progress as I try to figure it all out (#midlifecrisis). I hope to continue down the path of doing what I love, whatever that may be down the road. I do know one thing for certain; I will definitely continue to push my own limits. Stay tuned for more from the Gold Unicorn!

Gold Unicorn