On International Women’s Day I asked my Instagram Followers to nominate women in their lives who are doing exceptional things. Stephanie Stell who has become a friend and mentor nominated Roula Rallis and I was instantly drawn to Roula’s New England nautical vibes. I was intrigued and inspired to learn more about her process as a maker and how she juggles a full-time career, motherhood, and life as an entrepreneurial business women. Roula is the founder and maker behind Sewcilite a collection of handmade statement pieces that transform rope into conversation pieces for your home and wardrobe. Stay tuned for an exciting giveaway on Instagram next week!! Here is my interview with this amazing woman.
Tell me about your childhood, what kind of kid were you?
Growing up I recall being a shy child who loved to spend hours reading, drawing, dancing and playing pretend! Often I would do so quietly in my own world. I remember telling my parents I wanted to grow up to be a dancer or an artist.
So I guess that creative streak stayed with me into adulthood and helped guide me to the maker path! And as an adult I would still call myself a functioning introvert. I find it very hard to put myself out there on social media as part of my brand; it’s much easier to let my bags be the focal point.
How has your husband helped foster your business?
I graduated from college around 9/11 when jobs were scarce, so I went and got my business degree along with three part-time jobs. I was temping at Timberland, working part time at Mammalians Restaurant and working one day a week at Ann Taylor Loft. That one day a week is how I met my future husband; he came into Ann Taylor Loft with his mother one day, and the rest was history.
My husband is my number one supporter! Without him there is no way I would be able to carve out the time that I do during the week and on weekends to design and photograph my art!
Many times he helps me actually take the pictures I post, especially if they are of me styling one of my bags or videos of me working on pieces.
Can you share about the first time you made a rope piece, who was it for, & why you loved it?
In 2017 we moved into a new home that we had General Contracted ourselves. After designing our home I realized I really missed having a creative outlet. Even though I have chosen a non-creative professional career somehow I am always drawn back to a creative path.
So I decided to make myself a rope basket. It was more of a DIY project for myself for our new home. But I fell in love with the process and I couldn’t stop making baskets. I call myself a self-taught fiber artist because although I have some basic sewing skills I taught myself how to create new designs using clothesline rope as my medium.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your pieces?
I grew up on the coasts of southern Maine and southern NH. The ocean, and coastline is definitely my inspiration. I like to think that my aesthetic is modern coastal. I am drawn to neutrals with pops of blues. The patterns created by ocean waves and textures of rocky coastlines inspire my woven designs. I love creating textures and patterns with my pieces.
You are Juggling a lot with a career, family, and business, how do you prioritize?
Feels like 100 balls are in the air at any given time. The biggest being the balancing of my full time job, my family, and making sure I find time to take care of myself. I try to plan my days but you can’t plan for everything. My days are filled with a lot of multi-tasking, I am constantly switching gears. For example on my lunch breaks I try to answer Sewcialite emails, purchase materials etc. On weeknights and weekends I try to dedicate specific design times in between kid activities and family events. It’s never perfect I just take it day by day and sometime hour by hour.
What is next for you?
I honestly don’t know, I’ve reached a point where if I were to grow any more something would have to change. I would need to hire people to help me produce my items or cut back my hours at my full time job. Two things I’m not ready to do.
Unfortunately basket making isn’t super lucrative and with anything once you are under deadlines it becomes more work and less fun. Sewcialite began as a hobby before my first daughter was born and turned into a small business over the past few years. I feel like I am always trying to find a balance between the two.
It’s so important to have something in your life that you are passionate about, it doesn’t have to be designing, and you might be surprised that you may have already found it; it could be volunteering and giving back to your community, baking, cooking, gardening, health and fitness. Whatever that thing may be make sure it is something that will re energize, challenge and inspire you!
If you have any other questions for Roula please share them in the comments below.
♥Megan xo
I am big on goal setting; I love the feeling of accomplishment when I reach my goals. I also don’t mind when I miss the mark on a goal because it teaches me something about myself. Maybe the goal was too ambitious and I should have broken it into smaller bite size pieces, or maybe my priorities throughout the year changed. There is no shame in setting out to do something and not quite getting it done. While I title these “Resolutions” I feel like New Year’s Resolutions get a bad rap and are thought about as things to stop doing OR the empty goal to “Lose 10 pounds”, my approach is different and focuses on doing new things that bring me joy!
If you want to get in on the goal setting this year please share your 2019 goals in the comments below to help inspire others or email them to me directly at 
DO 4 SPA DAYS This has been a staple resolution for me over the past few years, I mean who doesn’t want to accomplish spa days?! I also find that by writing it down and setting the intention I receive the support of friends (who want to join in the fun), my spouse (who helps me with watching our boys), and family (who often buy me spa Gift Certificates for Birthday’s and Holidays). I had no problem getting this one done, check, double check.
52x CORE WORKOUTS If you want to start a new habit focus on a small weekly goal BUT frame it as doing something 52x. By setting the goal as doing something 52x you can always catch up if you miss a week or a month, or six in my case. After I injured my knee 
START A BLOG I try to do something each year that scares me. For 2018 starting a blog was that thing that scared/excited me. I have learned SO much this year and never could have imagined how much fun this adventure would be. My biggest surprise was how many amazing people I met through this work, it’s not always the easiest to put yourself out there day after day, but the new friends and old friends I have reconnected with made it so rewarding.
VOLUNTEER 4X AT MY BOY’S SCHOOL Stick to no more than 5 goals, write them down, and focus them on different buckets of your life. Think about all areas of your life that are important, for me it’s: Family/Children, Me Time/Relaxation, Creativity, Sports/Fitness, Friends, and Volunteering, I try to make sure my goals play to each one of those areas. After you write them down, ask your family for support, and go get it! It also helps to make them “SMART” Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound. I put my volunteering goal on pause this summer when I couldn’t walk or drive but this fall I refocused and got it done! I even took it a level further and spearheaded a volunteer program at my boy’s school that is launching in 2019. If you are a fellow MVS parent look for details in the near future.
CHARGE MY IPHONE M-F 5-8PM Reflect at the end of each year on where you succeeded and where you missed. I give myself permission to miss, and generally I accomplish 4 of my 5 goals which to me feels pretty darn good. This was my second year failing on this one, I definitely improved over 2017 but still used my phone more than I would have liked when the boys were home from school. This seemed to be the goal that resonated the most with all of you, so I might recommend framing up as a 52x opportunity so if you have some off weeks you can still re-focus and make a change.
Using this same methodology here is what I want to accomplish in 2019:
Fast forward to today and each week I style an inspired look for the workplace. My goal is to help you look and feel your best. Two months ago I met this women and she has changed the way I think about clothing and shopping. Elissa is the owner of the amazing 
Carcoat Comfort How many of you work in a freezing cold office year round?! Enter the cozy carcoat, it feels like a warm hug all day long. This one has the most exceptional detailing along the sleeve and pockets and I topped it off with the ADA wrap belt to define my waist and give the coat more polish. If you haven’t noticed I wear A LOT of navy pants. I wear them instead of black in most cases, because I personally find it pairs better with the color pallet in my closet. I also wear these Tory Burch gold flats on repeat because they literally go with everything and her updated version is way more comfortable than the original reva flat I previously wore. The other thing I’ll point out about this look is that it does not have my usual pop of color. Normally I add a splash of color to keep things lively and fun but between the detailing of the coat and belt I didn’t want to dilute the look by adding color.
Bell Sleeve Sweater This is another work to play look for me. This sweater has become a staple of my weekend wardrobe for fall so I enjoyed dressing it up for the office by adding a collared chambray shirt underneath. The fun tassel necklace is my hit of color and a basic grey tailored pant from Banana Republic is the perfect backdrop for the look.
We will all face obstacles and setbacks in our lifetime. I am sure many of you reading this post have faced far worse than my 
I hit rock bottom within the first week. We had family in town to help, we needed help and BAD. It was a typical active Saturday in the Lil’ household, there were trips to the playground, and to the bike path, only I was not on them, my family came and went on that gorgeous day and I sat alone, on the couch. I was stewing and thinking of the long 6 months ahead, which seemed like an ETERNITY! I decided that if I could just get a book from the library I would be OK sitting because at least I would be productive. Since I couldn’t walk or drive, I needed someone to bring me a book, I texted Bob a couple titles and asked him to grab one for me. That book become my sole focus and lifeline. When no book came home I was DEVASTATED, and my family was perplexed, I don’t typically read so why was it the most important thing in the world?? I couldn’t walk, go to the bathroom by myself, or shower but all I cared about was that silly book.
My second lesson is that I actually do have patience (I am shocked to write this). I am the person that starts multi-tasking the minute I get an automated teleprompter to the point where I end up missing the buttons to push and start pressing zero and asking for an operator. I don’t have patience for wasting time, and always look for the fastest most efficient way to do things. With this injury I had no choice but to be patient. Following my surgery, I had to spend twelve long weeks with a straight leg (right in the middle of summer). I hobbled around slowly instead of at my brisk long legged pace. I was forced to learn patience as I waited for my body to slowly heal itself.
Our bodies are made to move. I have always been an extremely active person. As a young girl, I was involved in too many recreational sports to count. I played Field Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse in High School. In college I rowed for a year (not the sport for me!) before deciding to play lacrosse. After college I worked at New Balance for 10 years where I picked up running and enjoyed many road races. Being active is in my blood, it’s a way of life, and one of the many reasons we moved to Stowe where we can enjoy hiking, biking, and skiing all right outside our back door. To say I was devastated that a silly pick-up game of Soccer sent my activities to a screeching halt would be a serious understatement. I always thought that I ran to maintain my weight and health, it was the debit/credit system that allowed me to eat what I wanted. What I learned is that exercise feeds my soul, and is what makes me happy. It is my sanity saver, the way that I cope when life gets stressful. So I was completely lost at one of the hardest times in my life to not have that outlet for my stress. As soon as I could walk unaided again at 12wks, my spirits lifted. I had never considered myself a walker but to move in the sunlight and great outdoors was heavenly – life was exponentially better.
It truly does take a village. There are SO many people that I have to thank for standing by me through this injury. First, my husband who took on the role of caretaker and 100% of the household/kid duties. My parents for driving 1.5hrs to pick me up for physical therapy appointments and countless doctors appoints. My physical therapist who pushed me just the right amount when I needed it most. My best friend, who I called at my lowest point, and she sent me the most amazing/hysterical monogrammed fanny pack because I shared my frustration of not being able to carry anything while on crutches. My co-workers who all pitched in to help form a shuttle service to drive me to and from the office. And many many others who organized meal trains, called to check-in, and offered their support and re-assurance.
When I looked back over the photos in this post, I feel like I am looking at another person’s life. I know it probably sounds dramatic (and it is) but I feel like I wasn’t alive, I was floating through the summer watching everyone around me living while I looked on as a bi-stander. Illness and injuries will take their toll on all families but I choose to come out of this experience stronger. Stronger for learning about myself, and stronger because I won’t take for granted being able to do the simple things in life like walk, or care for my family. I am ready to shed this experience and live again, not just watch the days pass me by.
I recently had the amazing opportunity to attend the Network of Executive Women (NEW) Leadership Summit in Chicago. NEW is a women’s leadership organization serving the retail, consumer goods, financial services and technology industries. It represents more than 11,000 members from 850 companies, in the U.S. and Canada. I feel so fortunate to have spent 3 days focused on my development and want to pay it forward by sharing what I learned at the summit with all of you. In business, we often start with an executive summary before diving into the details, so without further ado here are the top 4 things I want to accomplish walking away from the Summit:
This summit had a heavy focus on money and the concept that unless you are financially independent you will never have true empowerment. To me it was an uncomfortable, but important topic, something that is typically taboo but if discussed it will help us to begin to close the Gender pay gap. Depending on what source you believe, on average, women are paid ~20% less than men. Key note speaker 
Mentorship is something I am well versed in 
Another key theme of the summit for me was perfectionism. I have always viewed that as my personal brand and something that brings me great pleasure, but I had never stopped to consider its impact on the people and team around me. I am the person who obsesses over every tiny detail. A Christmas tree is not just a tree, it is a masterpiece with a color theme (red/Silver ONLY of course) and an intricate method for decorating, first the lights, then silver ribbon, followed by white snowflakes and all the shiny red/silver balls. The last touch is our assorted sentimental ornaments placed just so to give our tree a subtle unstructured look. But I learned at our conference that perfectionism becomes a trap later in your career when you need to rise. Early in your career you will be promoted for being precise and accurate, but as time goes on this habit makes it harder for you to delegate and will cause extra stress on yourself and your associates. That Christmas tree looks good now but as time passes my sweet little boys will want to add their personal touch and if I don’t let go of this vision of perfection I will be left decorating a tree on my own. This will be a work in progress for me and something I know I need to work on if I am going to rise in my career and in my life- this was a BIG ah-ha moment for me.
The last lesson I learned is that you need to bring your “whole self” to work. I am a Mom, business women, a blogger, a sneaker & Coffee connoisseur, an athlete, and creative mind; I am diverse in thought and skillset. If I am only bringing the mom and business women to the office then I am bringing less than 50% of myself to the office and therefore I am not bringing my full value. I am proud of what I am doing with my blog, the drive it displays and the creative outlet it is affording me and yet I don’t share that with my co-workers. My hope is that with time I will learn to bring my whole self into the office and share with my team both the triumphs and challenges.
Lil' Vermont Adventures 