It’s a pretty common question: “What does the name ‘Carry Courage’ mean?” Or, “Why did you choose the name “Carry Courage?”

I get the question often enough that I thought it fitting to write about it. Plus, it is one of the things I am most passionate about, so I also love to talk about it.

Courage is defined as:

the ability to do something that frightens one:

"she called on all her courage to face the ordeal"

Or

 

strength in the face of pain or grief:
"he fought his illness with great courage"

 

So what does that have to do with sustainably sourced handbags? Allow me to explain. :)

 

You’ll see the “COURAGE” badge attached to all the products Carry Courage makes. The most simple answer is, I want every customer to be reminded to be courageous each time they pick up one of my products. 

 

 

Why?

 

Because having courage is not only a guiding principle for me as a female founder but it is a virtue that I hope to inspire other women to carry with them. Pun intended. 

 

I truly believe that when inspired women choose to be courageous in fighting through fear to pursue their dreams, it starts a chain reaction that makes the world a better place. 

 

I’ve been inspired by the many courageous women in my own life, and their boldness is partly responsible for motivating me to start my company back in 2018.

 

The founder’s recollection + inspiration

As I’ve written about before, it was a huge endeavor of courage for me to start my company. I found myself in a tug-of-war with conflicting desires.

On one hand, I had a comfortable job. As jobs sometimes go, it was becoming less enjoyable over time.

On the other hand, my discovery of a passion - sewing - and my realization of a need I could fill with that skill had me extremely excited about the possibilities. 

Enter the conflict. Should I stay in a stable job that paid the bills, that I had fallen out of love with? Or should I take what was starting to feel like a calling and do something with it? 

Have you ever felt a similar tension? If I had to guess, I’d say you probably have.

Finding and spreading courage

After a series of twists and turns, living with this mental friction, I decided to take action. I started Carry Courage amidst a boatload of doubts and uncertainty. I knew that I had to at least give it a try, or I’d always be asking, “what if?”

There is certainly a lot more to the story, but those are the high points. :)

 

 

Despite fear and the looming unknown, I took a chance. After taking that leap, and thinking a lot about the concept of courage, the name of the company came to me pretty naturally.

A reminder for you

From the COURAGE badge on my products to the way I conduct myself for my family, friends and customers, it is my goal to remind all those dear to me as well as many I’ll never meet in person, that having courage is a choice we can make every day. 

From the little things - such as choosing a piece of fruit over that slice of cake - to the bigger things like dealing with that earth-shattering diagnosis or stepping out in faith to pursue a big dream - courage is available. It’s what I hope you will think about when you look at that Carry Courage bag on your shelf. 

My wish is that you can find a way to stare down your fear and choose courage today. 

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Warmly,

Marisa