Givesie - Where it began and the story behind it all...

Hey friends!

Hope everyone had a wonderful fourth of July with family and friends! Although, everyday — particularly on this day, I remind myself how blessed I am to be living in a country where I have the freedom to dream big, stand up for what I believe and pursue my craziest endeavors! So thankful for all of the men and women who have and continue to serve this nation and beyond thankful for my family for all the sacrifices they made coming to the USA from a third world country to give us a better life. I stand here today, because of you. Forever grateful.

That being said, I wanted to take a few minutes today to share with you my story about Givesie and how it came to be. Growing up in a traditional Pakistani family, I was raised to work hard for what I wanted and never to give up when challenges arose.

My parents worked three jobs when they came to the USA, in order to build a life for my brother and I. There were many days, nights and holidays where we didn’t even get to see each other because of their work schedules. If dad had a night off, mom would be at work, if mom had a day off, dad would be at work. Many holidays consisted of pick-ups and drop-offs at the grandparents.

Their work ethic was exceptional and it was continuously instilled in us. My dad would always say “you have to fight for what you want, it won’t just be given to you.”

In many traditional Pakistani families, children are encouraged to pursue careers in the field of medicine, law and engineering. Following this path is considered prestigious, respectable and a guaranteed successful life. With this mindset, I figured I would pursue a career in law, and after taking a few college classes as a pre-law major, I knew this wasn’t for me! Although it did take some soul searching — I decided I wanted to take the nonconventional route and pursue my love for the field of design and fashion, as well as my passion to give back to those in need. (We’ll get more into detail about this below.)

Initially, I was afraid to have this conversation with my parents, I wasn’t sure what they would say or how they would feel about me shifting my career path? Would they be ok with this? Are they going to think this is a waste of time? So many thoughts and emotions filled my mind, but I knew I had to stand up for myself! Surprisingly, my discussion with them wasn’t as intimidating as I had imagined. They were quiet, had a look of uncertainty on their faces, asked a few questions throughout our talk — but at the end, they said that they only want what’s best for me and what makes me happy is what makes them happy.

I felt such a relief after attaining my parents blessing and getting them to understand where I was coming from. I was even more motivated to prove myself, take charge and achieve my goals. Though my journey to Givesie took a few years after college, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in business and economics, met my husband, got married and worked at Morgan Stanley for a couple years — I finally took the leap of faith and went back to school to obtain my MFA in Fine Arts with a very supportive husband and family. Hence, the idea of Givesie was born!

Givesie is a play on the word “Give” and “Onesie”- Each Givesie baby bodysuit is made of 100% organic cotton with a snap-bib. For every piece purchased, a portion of the proceeds is donated to local charities in Portland, helping families in need. I’ve always had a love for children and there has been a part of me that has always wanted to work with kids and give back to those less fortunate.

Even though, my husband and I have struggled to start a family of our own, I find it comforting working with children and moms. Hearing other success stories related to infertility gives us hope that we will one day be able to enjoy the journey to parenthood…it’s only a matter of time.