I’ve been working on Fidget-Wear for years—more than a decade, really. The designs started over 12 years ago, but the idea of turning them into a real business, of putting them out into the world, has only taken shape over the last four or five years. As I took business classes and introduced the concept of Fidget-Wear to others, I kept hearing the same thing:
"It’s your story. Your authenticity will be what makes Fidget-Wear something special."
And, to be honest? I resisted that idea.
I’ve never wanted to be “the face” of anything. I might be one of the most camera-shy people on the planet. I hate the spotlight. Virtual meetings make me uneasy—I try to keep my video on, but most of the time, I cave and turn it off. I’ll gladly drive an hour each way just to have a 15-minute meeting in person rather than sit in front of a screen. I’m working on it. I’ll probably never love it, but I also believe in pushing ourselves into the uncomfortable—that’s how we grow. That’s how we learn.
So I had to sit with this idea: Is my story really that important? Does Fidget-Wear need my story to move forward?
Here’s what I realized.
Fidget-Wear Isn’t Just My Story—It’s All of Ours
The more I introduced Fidget-Wear to people, the more I heard their stories. “My grandson…” “My daughter…” “My husband…”—that last one surprised me at first, but I’ve heard it more times than I can count. Fidget-Wear may need my story to start, but it won’t be my story that carries it forward. It will be yours.
The hoodies, the designs, they aren’t just products. They are meant to be part of something bigger. Each one will collect stories as it goes—hopefully being part of many stories throughout each of your own personal journeys. Fidget-Wear isn’t about one story; it’s about all of them. And I love that.
We’re all in different boats, but we share the same ocean. The waves will come, but they won’t hit us all at the same time or with the same intensity. Some we’ll roll with. Some will overturn us, and on those days, we may need a hand from another boat. Some of us will have sunshine at the same time others will be facing hurricanes. I might be able to share a paddle with you, and maybe it’s enough. Maybe it’s not. But the one constant is that we’re all in the same unpredictable sea, together.
More Than a Hoodie—A Community
I share my stories because I want people to understand where Fidget-Wear comes from. It’s not just a hoodie. It’s not just the other designs I hope to bring to life. It’s about connection. And those connections? They will be what builds Fidget-Wear into what I dream it can be.
Not just a product, but a community. A village.
I have so much to learn to take Fidget-Wear where I envision it, but I’m taking it one step at a time. And, like anything in life, there will be waves. I’m as ready as I can be.
Fidget-Wear is for all of us—the parents and teachers whose hearts ache when they can’t find solutions for the kids they love. The parents trying to find their own calm in the chaos. The kids who just want to fit in, to feel normal, to find friends, to feel loved.
And you know what? I just now finally found the words for one of the things I want Fidget-Wear to be. – I want it to be so many things my ADHD brain will never settle on just one.
I want Fidget-Wear to be the supporting actor in your stories.
Like me, it’s not meant to be in the spotlight. It doesn’t need center stage. It’s just happy to be along for the ride.
These stories I share? They’re just pieces of Fidget-Wear’s journey. But the real story—the one that will matter most—is yours. I hope you’ll share it. Because those stories? They are just as much a part of Fidget-Wear’s journey as my own.