The Origin of Misfit Ladies
2023 – The Restlessness Begins
I need to start my own business. This thought took over my mind in mid-2023 when I turned 50. It grew stronger until it became a certainty—I will start a business! I knew it would involve products, but I had no idea what kind. Several factors led me here: immigrating at 45, starting over in a new job market, and realizing that in a new country, time is not on your side. At the same time, hitting 50 made me reflect—how many more years will I be employable? Add to that my desire to use my creativity and design skills for myself. No offense, but after 30 years designing for others, I wanted to use my talent for me—and why not make money doing it?
This restlessness kept growing until I called Adri and said, Do you want to start a business with me? I don’t know what it is yet, but I know it’ll be different. My initial name idea? Just Different—heavily influenced by Apple’s iconic 1997 Think Different campaign. She didn’t even hesitate—she was in!
The Universe Conspires
Old college times!
The universe moves in our favor when we take action. I first met Adri in the '90s during my first year of design school in Rio. We weren’t close, but we crossed paths over the years. Fast forward to 2020—she arrived in Vancouver at the start of the pandemic when everything was shut down: jobs, rental contracts, everything. We reconnected, and something clicked—instant match! Adri stayed with me for a while, and that’s when a deep friendship was born. The rest is history.
A Perfect Match
When Adri said yes, she had her own reasons. She was juggling two jobs—working as a care aide in a senior home and as an environmental monitor on construction sites. She missed being creative. But beyond that, she had a restlessness of her own—a deep desire to support women in vulnerable situations, something she had experienced herself.
And just like that, our partnership was born, soon evolving into Misfit Ladies.
Celestial Alignment
Did I mention the universe conspires? Just as we were brainstorming what business to create, a friend who works in card manufacturing introduced us to an opportunity: using our artistic skills to design custom decks.
At the same time, Just Different was no longer an option—it was already trademarked. But Think Different was still in my mind. Those words from the Apple manifesto kept echoing:
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Then it hit me—every woman who made an impact was called a misfit at some point.
And just like that, Misfit Ladies was born.
The name fit like a glove—not just because Adri and I have lived unconventional lives that defy society’s expectations of women, but also because it inspired our first collection: The Misfits—a tribute to the trailblazing women who changed the world.
January 2024 – Latin Pitch Fest
When 2024 began, Misfit Ladies was still just an idea. But then, once again, the universe conspired, and we found out about Latin Pitch Fest, a competition supporting Latina women entrepreneurs in Vancouver. We looked at each other and, like Thelma & Louise, we went for it!
In just one month, we registered our company, designed our first mockups, built our brand positioning, and created our business plan. But as Gen X women, we know one thing—mission given, mission accomplished. We delivered everything on time and made it to the Top 5 finalists!
And that’s how Misfit Ladies officially launched in January 2024. A lot has happened since, but that’s a story for another post.
Now, tell me in the comments—when was a time you had to tap into your resilience and strength?