We had the recent honor of being asked to chat with Voyage LA, a publication dedicated to showcasing the stories of some of the most inspiring individuals in Los Angeles.
During our conversation, we discussed the idea of "Success and Showing Up," which, to me, means much more than just being physically present in a particular situation. It's about embracing all of our unique qualities and traits, whether they're silly or serious, logical or creative, wise or exuberant. By doing so, we can show up as your most authentic self and establish genuine connections with others.
One recent moment that stood out to me was when our daughter April and I were playing around with hats this summer. We had an absolute blast being silly, trying on a litany of hats and embracing the fun of the moment. As the father of a teenager... it was a memory for the books, and it served as a reminder to me to always show up as who you truly are, rather than trying to be someone you're not.
Here is an excerpt from the interview:
Success for us is showing up every day with the best balance of who we are as individuals and as a couple. For us, it's literally in our name, Restrained Whimsy. Creating and maintaining the perfect balance of fun, laughter, and possibilities in coordination with grounding, reflection, and pivoting. And since we opened at the end of October 2019 ... we would be doing LOTS of pivoting and laughing to survive the pandemic. Which we did.
Balance is important to both Brian and I as neither one of us wanted to be lost to the other person’s vision or personality, nor did we want to overwhelm with just our own idea. We knew our strength was together both as individuals and a couple. The real trick is to keep talking, listening, and understanding where each of us is coming from. This doesn’t make for quick decisions, but when we do finally make a choice, we were resolute with where we were headed.
Being on the same page means that the store is heavily curated and we only have items we have tried and love. Every book is read, every bath bomb tried, every chocolate tasted, and every candle burned to make sure we can stand behind endorsing it and assuring guests that it is going to be incredibly well received as a gift for someone or for themselves.
Another key to our success has been remembering that you cannot expect to grow and also stay the same. You must make room for growth. I love to create the experience so that it is fresh and exciting every time a guest arrives. Brian has the natural business strategist instinct that is always looking to the future and how to manage growth. This is key because without that hand of wisdom, pivoting could end up looking more like a very beautiful spinning circle.
We believe that when you walk into the store, you should see yourself without looking too hard, that you should find a spot that makes you smile and feel a little lighthearted. You should feel balanced childlike energy.
In the end, we believe our success comes from being true to ourselves, family, friends, and guests alike. It is a journey we all take together and are better for it.
If you're interested in reading the entire interview, I've included a link to our conversation with Voyage LA here for you to read.
Be you, unapologetically!