My backstory…
Despite my 5’2” frame, the sports world has always pumped my adrenaline to epic levels. During my teenage years, my plan was to become the commissioner of the NBA and there was no better place to start than with my all-time favorite team: the Los Angeles Lakers. At 17, I received the opportunity of a lifetime and joined the Lakers’ Corporate Sponsorship department where I partnered with the heads of globally-acclaimed brands to enhance their market share and visibility. By the age of 22, I was the proud owner of three championship rings, thereby proving that an MVP can indeed wear pumps to work. After my tenure with the Lakers, I explored a new realm of sports and joined the Angels baseball team. Soon after, I married my husband after a chance encounter on Halloween. It was then that my personal and professional life changed forever.

And the inspiration behind SEVI…
A few days before our wedding, my in-laws arrived from Turkey bearing gifts and love. My mother-in-law presented me with a basket full of linens that changed my life. In that traditional wedding basket was my very first pestemal [Turkish towel]. I loved using that pestemal so much that I found myself doing the laundry just to wash the one she gave me so that I could use it again. It became something that I used every day. I loved how quickly it dried off and that I could wrap myself in it. I used it to dry my hair, I took it wherever I traveled and was finally able to say good riddance to using hotel towels. And then it hit me… I have this towel that I genuinely love using all the time and I have no idea where I can buy one in the U.S. And so began the journey of starting SEVI by sourcing the highest quality pestemals.

And a pestemal is…
While relatively new to the US, pestemals have a long history throughout Europe and the rest of the world as the original toga depicted in ancient Turkish and Roman baths. SEVI pestemals are hand-loomed in Turkey’s eastern Black Sea and Aegean regions using traditional methods, which create ultra-absorbent and fast-drying towels that soften with each wash. They also take up less space making SEVI easy to carry and perfect for travel. Pestemals are refreshingly versatile and can be used as a towel, scarf, picnic blanket, swimsuit cover-up and so much more. There are endless fashion and functional possibilities!

The inspiration behind the name…
One of the first phrases my husband taught me to say in Turkish was “seni seviyorum” which means “I love you.” So in summary, SEVI is love.

Most exciting part about owning your own business…
Making each day my own and meeting so many new people along the way. I have made so many great friends and partners who share my passion for fashion and design. Most importantly, I am able to organize my day to include spending time with my family and friends who serve as my source of inspiration.

And the most challenging…
There are moments when you feel the weight of trying to manage so many moving parts. After working for such great organizations, I was used to having a team of people to work with on any given project. The luxury of having a marketing department, accounting department, public relations department, general counsel, human resources are gone for now as I embark on this growth phase of the business. Being a start-up feels like trying to be 50 different people while trying not to lose yourself.

And how to overcome the above…
Ask for help and get creative! I wish I could afford to hire all the best and the brightest and one day I will, but in the meantime I had to be willing to ask for help. Perhaps it is an inherent trait of being an entrepreneur, but you will be tempted to think you can do it all yourself and it just is not possible. Once you let that go, you will be surprised at the number of people you know and the wealth of experts within reach. I have been so overcome with gratitude for the support that my former colleagues, friends and family have shown me.

When starting a company, you must…
Have faith. There is really nothing more important than faith. Unwavering faith. You will be pushed, you will be tired, you will long for the days of getting paid every two weeks and the comfort of a good ol’ 401k, but you must have faith. Each person is unique, so there is no one magical answer, but before you start a company you must strive to identify what gives you faith. In those tough moments, which there will be plenty of, you have to return to that source of faith and not just regroup, but come back stronger.

And never be afraid to…
Do something you haven’t done before. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology, the vast majority of my work experience was in sports. Now, here I am in the fashion world working to build a Turkish towel company. I once read a quote that really stuck with me: “What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail.” That is what I ask myself in those moments when I am feeling afraid.

Best business advice received…
It’s from my dear friend and public relations counsel Farrah Parker. She once said, “In this journey to achieve an extraordinary life rooted in love and purpose, you must redefine failure. With each attempt comes a wealth of knowledge that you will use to embrace the next step. You will fall but simply be a master at getting back up.”

I love what I do because…
SEVI is a daily reminder of the beauty of life. Each day, I reflect on how marrying my Turkish husband led to this beautiful towel that I am sharing with the world. Every time I use my own SEVI, I think of how things happen when you least expect it. I love every twist and turn that brought me to this very moment. I am living in a dream where I have the ability to shape my future one choice at a time.