The Day I Chose Everybody

The Moment That Changed Everything

There was a morning when I woke up and realized I couldn’t keep trying to fit my life into someone else’s shape. It wasn’t a dramatic movie scene — just a quiet moment in a small room, a cup of coffee gone cold, and the steady hum of doubt asking, What if you actually tried the thing that scares you most?

At the time, I was working long hours sewing for someone else’s vision. Costumes, quick changes, deadlines. Beautiful work — but not mine. I remember threading a needle and thinking about all the little things I’d pushed aside: writing, designing, traveling, learning from cultures instead of just dressing them onstage.

And right there, surrounded by sequins and safety pins, I whispered the words that started everything: “Everybody loves everybody.” Not because it’s always easy — but because it’s what I wanted to believe.

Saying Yes to the Uncomfortable Path

People talk about following your dreams like it’s a straight, sparkling road. Mine looked more like a maze made of fabric scraps, shipping boxes, and coffee stains.

Choosing to do this alone was terrifying. I didn’t have investors or a business plan — just a belief that connection could be the foundation for a brand. I wanted to create a space that felt like community, not competition.

So I stitched what I knew: clothes, recipes, memories, and moments that felt human. I started writing again — about the places I’d seen while working at sea, the people who’d fed me, the lessons I’d learned from sitting quietly in other cultures. I didn’t know if anyone would care. But I knew I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

What Choosing “Everybody” Means

For me, choosing Everybody means showing up for the world exactly as I am — messy bun, unfinished plans, heart still figuring it out. It means believing that love is worth the risk, even when it feels one-sided. It means listening more than I speak, and learning that inclusion is a verb, not a tagline.

Sometimes it looks like sharing a soup recipe when I don’t have the words for grief. Sometimes it’s spending an afternoon mending old clothes instead of chasing new ones. Sometimes it’s just saying “I see you” to someone who thinks they’re invisible.

Every one of those moments is part of this brand. Part of me.

An Invitation to Begin

If you’re standing at the edge of your own beginning — scared, curious, tired of pretending — this is your sign. You don’t need perfect timing. You just need to listen for the small voice that says try anyway.

Everybody Loves Everybody isn’t a destination. It’s a daily choice to be brave enough to care.

From my corner of the world,

Erika

💬 Was there a moment when you chose a new direction — even when it scared you? Tell me your story in the comments or send it for the “Everybody Stories” feature.