I was an attendee at a women’s conference in Charlotte, NC, this was the first time I had the courage to wear one of my custom-made designs. It was a suede hunter green slightly oversized vest. Gwendolyn Bennett, a woman I had previously met on the first day of the conference approached and asked where I purchased my vest? When I told her I made it, she asked if I would sell it to her? I initially thought she was kidding but I took it off and sure enough, she paid for it, took pictures of her wearing it and the rest is history. She has been one of my most supportive clients and has inspired many of my creations to date.

I’ve been a Georgia peach all my life, I grew up in the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia, and went to Fort Valley State University to major in Biology. Upon the completion of my degree, I had dreams of becoming a pediatrician however, while I waited for that dream to materialize, I attended Alabama A&M University and earned a Masters in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. Just before graduation, I was hired in the Atlanta, Ga area as a scientist in my field. It was during this most fulfilling period in my life, starting a career, marrying the love of my life and having our son; I lost interest in pursuing a medical career. However, this change only served to strengthen my passion for a creative outlet. I did not attend school with the aspirations of becoming a business owner nor am I a trained seamstress, I began making clothing with a simple idea in mind; to create silhouettes that flattered my figure (post-baby). Many women related to my developed aesthetic hence Courageous Creation was born.

Unofficially, Courageous Creations started in 2017, it wasn’t until 2019 that I had the courage to apply for an LLC. We specialize in unique ready to wear clothing for the everyday working career women, fashionable mom on the go, figure-flattering silhouettes and sexy sophisticated date nightwear. What set’s us apart is the custom treatment extended to our clients, which includes personal measurements and fittings. This solves the issue of ill-fitted clothing for women with curves rather they are a size two or twenty-two, we are all shaped differently, and our clothing should accommodate us at any size. I am most proud of the business commitment to serve the community by providing clothing for the Future4Hope foundation, Cancer Foundations and local college graduates with Wardrobe for Success.

The year 2020 was a learning year for Courageous Creations in so many ways. We officially launched our brand towards the end of January with a runway showcase titled: “Real Women Walking the Runway of Life”. This event jumpstarted a passion that I had privately been working towards for roughly a year prior to the runway. The pandemic ravished the world at large by March and left much of the world in total shock! Many businesses suffered tremendously, and Courageous Creations was no exception. I decided to turn our monetary loss into an opportunity to serve the local community. As with many goods and services, there was a shortage of face masks for first responders so I began making as many masks as I possibly could; taking them to the local fire stations, children’s hospitals, and nursing homes, producing over 100 masks! This was not only a lesson as it relates to business but also a very important life lesson. Adaptation can sometimes be very uncomfortable but if we are never pushed into these areas, we may never know our true strength!