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It’s so funny. American Dreamers sounds like such a big title! When I hear it, I think…Thomas Edison, JFK, even Oprah! People whose dreams and accomplishments we can’t imagine life without.

I certainly never started out trying to become an American Dreamer. I was just a little girl hanging out underfoot in the kitchen while my mom bustled around trying to make great dinners for her busy family. But somewhere along the line, as I watched my mom work so hard, and I watched all those dishes pile up in the sink (and guess whose job it was to clean them…Mine!), maybe a seed was planted; dream seed.

Of course, it took a long time for that seed to blossom into temp-tations. It wasn’t until many, many years later, when I was visiting a handcrafted stoneware factory, that I started thinking about how much something like this would have helped my mom. Not only was it beautiful, but it was unbelievably practical and versatile.

Even then, it wasn’t like this Eureka moment or lightning bolt of inspiration. More like this pesky little idea that simply would not go away. Until one day, I actually sat down on the floor of my kitchen with my mom, Gail, and we pulled out all the different dishes we used for prepping, cooking, serving and storing.

Seeing that mountain of kitchenware – so like the mountain that piled up in the sink when I was little – that’s what finally convinced me I was onto something. If I could offer every home cook the chance to spend more time with family and less time dealing with dirty dishes…well, who wouldn’t love that?

Having the idea was one thing just the beginning for me. Turning it into something real…that was much harder than I ever dreamed it would be.

I was blessed with a lot of support along the way – both personally and professionally. But it wasn’t always easy. As a designer, I put so much of myself into every pattern. So it’s hard not to feel personally attached. Early on, I needed to accept that if a piece isn’t well received, it’s not a personal reflection on me. That was a tough, but important lesson.

Building a business is a huge undertaking that requires a lot of sacrifice.  In the beginning that meant a lot of time away from my family and my friends. And relationships in my life definitely suffered because of that. On the positive side, that effort helped me find a whole new family – my temp-tationistas!

In many ways, I am the classic example of no work/life balance. But I also have something bigger driving me.  I can’t explain the drive, the pull of this brand – it’s infectious not only to the collectors but for me as a designer.  Which is really great, because no matter how much I put in, I always feel like I’m getting even more back.  That’s what keeps me going.

The biggest lesson I have learned along my journey is that the only true measure of failure is to quit. You need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going. Because tomorrow is another day, with plenty of opportunities to shine. And if you give up, you’ll never have the chance to find that out.

So, does temp-tations make me an American Dreamer? I’d say it’s the path that brought me here that does.   Because no dream starts out with the perfect model. They start with the pesky little idea that just won’t leave you alone. Having the courage and determination to pursue them. That’s what makes the difference.

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Liam Bourke from Orthaheel

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Jamie Kern from IT Cosmetics

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