“Nothing about starting a business in Uganda has been easy or comfortable. It has taught me that taking leaps of faith into the unknown is a scary yet exciting part of a life well lived.” –Courtney Poole
A life of adventure and pupose starts when you #JumpFirstFearLater. Shop the look here.
Our newest project is a celebration of fearless youth who move forces greater than themselves. We believe the most influential and world-changing people have the clarity to discover their purpose and the bravery to follow it without hesitation. For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a few stories from people we know who are living boldly, compassionately and fearlessly. We hope they’ll inspire you to jump first, fear later.
Meet Courtney Poole
We’ve known this talented and stylish lady since she was part of one of our first Roadie tours. In 2012, Courtney and her husband Laren (one of Invisible Children’s founders) moved to Uganda, where Courtney began her own design and craft studio called Rose & Fitzgerald. She now works with local artists to create beautiful products from indigenous materials.
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Nothing about starting a business in Uganda has been easy or comfortable. It’s hard to live abroad full-time, away from friends and family I love. I can’t tell you how many days I feel homesick and exhausted from the struggles that come with working in a foreign land with a culture so different from my own. Putting myself out there through my designs is also pretty scary in a competitive global marketplace where there are so many talented designers with far more experience than I have. But these risks and fears have given me strength, independence and confidence. They have taught me that taking leaps of faith into the unknown is a scary yet exciting part of a life well lived.
I know I need to take a leap of faith when I feel unchallenged and things are a little too comfortable. My brand was created to progress human craftsmanship in a distant corner of the world, but executing that has taken bravery. I have to be brave enough to step out of my comfort zone and design goods that I hope people will love as much as I do.
The biggest challenges I have go hand in hand with the most rewarding parts of my job, which are being here with my artisans each day and seeing that the company is working! These artisans’ lives are being changed drastically through this business; they are able to develop skills and confidence and are compensated fairly for their work and skill. We provide business support and production assistance, invest in new machinery, provide small business loans – and all the while, we get to watch their talent and dedication result in beautiful work. Watching these individuals thrive, forming relationships with them, and seeing their beautiful products come to fruition make all the struggles well worth it.
To anyone on the cusp of a bold, new move, ready to chase a dream and stretch their mind by new experiences, I’ll tell you this: it’s going to be both terrifying and amazing, but you should definitely pursue it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve doubted my visions, my designs and my abilities. But I’ve learned that you have to continue moving forward on your journey and don’t ever give up. I always tell myself, “The best is yet to come. Keep going.”
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Our advice: go pursue your dreams and don’t let anything — especially fear — hold you back. If you want to change the world, you have to jump first, fear later.
Follow Rose & Fitzgerald on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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