Journal / The beginning

It was all
about us.

First, to my husband and my two daughters: I’m sorry. I spent so much of these past two years in my studio or travelling to another doctor’s appointment. It wasn’t an easy time for you, and I know I wasn’t always there in the way you needed me. Thank you for staying beside me.

To my parents: You are both creative, and you gave me so much of what I needed to find my way in this world. You taught me not to stand by, watch and keep quiet. Quite the opposite: you taught me to have ideas of my own and to speak up.

To my bonus mum, Danièle: when you wanted to wear the earrings I had made from concrete, my confidence grew. You have a wonderful eye, and I know that kilos of gold would never impress you just because they are gold. You value the idea, the courage and the person behind a piece. So when you chose to wear mine, it meant the world to me.

Monopops started when I wasn’t feeling like myself. There was pain, one doctor’s appointment after another, and a lot of time spent trying to get better. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I began making earrings.

I played with colours and shapes because it made me happy. For a while, that was enough. I didn’t know it would turn into Monopops.

Fernanda was the one who made me think of making jewellery in the first place. She is still my right hand today, the healthy one. Tom gave me his ideas, his patience and the guidance I needed to bring this website to life.

To Françoise, Carole and Phillippa: thank you for still being here with me. I know I can be a lot sometimes. You’ve seen the difficult days as well as the colourful ones, and you stayed. That means more to me than I can say.

To the wonderful new friends who stood by me through these past two years: Tanja and Patrick, Priscila and Everton, Coach Fabricio and my dear Debora. I will never forget how you were there for me. You came into my life during a difficult time and somehow made it brighter.

To Laure: thank you for our summer by the sea. You made those days feel lighter, brighter, and unforgettable. You lifted me up again and again whenever I needed it, and I’ll always be grateful for that. And just so you know, the Head of Marketing position is still open. It’s waiting for you. :)

To Coach Pascale, Caroline C., Dani, Martine, Caroline K., Pascale, Steffi and Marlène: thank you for being part of my life while Monopops was taking shape. And to the doctors and smartest physiotherapists who helped me through that time: you are part of this story, too.

To the women who fell in love with my earrings from the very beginning: thank you. You were the reason I kept going with Monopops. Your feedback gave me the courage to make the next pair, and then the next.

That’s why I never sold those first earrings. They belong to you, and only you. After all, I made them with my left hand. :)

I made the earrings. We made Monopops.