What has been your proudest professional achievement so far?
My proudest achievement has been watching Fighting Eel grow into something far bigger than I ever imagined. We started with women’s clothing, and now we’ve expanded into men and boys, home, and even travel. It is becoming a full lifestyle brand that touches every part of our customers’ lives.
To see our prints on families, in their homes, in their suitcases as they travel the world…that’s something I never dreamed would happen when we were sewing our first samples. And now, having my own daughter work alongside me in the business feels like the most meaningful full-circle moment. It reminds me that we didn’t just build a brand, we built a legacy. That evolution, that growth, and the love our community has shown us is what I’m most proud of.
How do you define success for yourself?
For me, success isn’t a title or a dollar amount, it’s freedom. Freedom to create. Freedom to take risks. Freedom to be with my kids when they need me. Freedom to build a career that doesn’t force me to choose between being a mom and being a business owner.
Success also feels like alignment. When my work feels like an extension of who I am, when my team feels supported, when our customers feel seen and beautiful, that’s success to me. It’s the quiet moments more than the loud ones.
What motivates you on the tough days?
My kids will always be my biggest motivation. Knowing they’re watching how I show up in the world pushes me to keep going, even when things get hard. And my team motivates me too. They show up with so much heart and loyalty, and I want to match that energy for them.
But the truth is, this doesn’t really feel like a “job” to me. Fighting Eel is my passion. It’s something I wake up excited about every single day. Even on tough days, there’s always an idea in my head I want to bring to life, a print I want to design, a new product I want to create, or a concept I can’t wait to share with our community.
There’s still so much I want to build. More collections, more lifestyle pieces, more experiences. That creative spark keeps me going. The vision is bigger than the challenges, and that’s what gives me energy on the days when most people would want to quit.
What is one risk you took that really paid off?
The biggest risk I ever took was starting Fighting Eel. At the time, the store I was working for, agnès b., was closing, and it felt like the universe was nudging me toward something new. My business partner at the time was also my roommate, and we both worked at agnès b.
I had a background in fashion, she had a background in photography, and one day we just looked at each other and thought, “Why don’t we start a clothing line?” We had no real business experience, no roadmap, no investors. What we had was passion, timing, and a whole lot of willingness to work hard and ask every question we could along the way.
It was scary because we were stepping into the unknown. But it was also incredibly exciting because we believed in our vision even before we knew exactly what it would become. Looking back, that leap changed everything. It led to a brand that has lasted for decades, expanded into men, kids, home, and travel, and become a true lifestyle brand.
It led to stores, countless collections, and most importantly, a loyal following.
That risk, taken at a time when all we had was heart and hustle, has paid off in ways I could never have imagined.
How do you balance work and personal life—or do you believe in balance at all?
Honestly, I don’t think about “balance” in the traditional sense, I just do it. It’s part of my everyday life. I live it, breathe it, and have built a life where my work and my personal life flow together.
Fighting Eel doesn’t feel like work to me; it’s something I’m passionate about,
something I love creating, sharing, and experiencing every day. Because it’s part of who I am, it doesn’t feel like a choice between work and life. It’s all
intertwined, and I’ve learned to embrace that rhythm rather than chase a perfect balance.
