How a wallet saved me...

I grew older and I grew wiser. Thank goodness!

A few short years ago, in 2000?, I figured out what I really needed in life. My discovery led me to see all the clutter and materialism in my life. I couldn’t believe how much stuff I had accumulated that I really didn’t need. This discovery was quite a rude awakening and honestly a shock to my system. Looking back, it was just the shock I needed. I was then able to see the many accumulations of things here and there…were actually a burden on me. Not only, did it affect my physical space but my very thoughts. I learned that a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind and eventually a cluttered reality.

In the midst of all my stuff, I began to envision a pared down lifestyle, not exactly extreme minimalism but a minimalistic approach to stuff. I decided baby steps would be my best strategy. Otherwise overwhelming paralysis would set in. I needed to quickly make a simple, easy change to begin the slow death to my old habits. So the first thing I attacked was my wallet. My wallet was in dire need of a transformation. In that moment, when I looked at my wallet, I immediately saw it as a metaphor for my life: a clutter of things. Besides the 3 c’s (cash, credit cards & more cards), I had a boatload of receipts, just a ridiculous amount that I carried back & forth daily. It looked embarrassingly messy and bulky. For whatever reason, I hadn’t noticed it before and this was the first time I really saw my wallet.

I was excited to buy a new wallet that was fun and unique. I didn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, just simple and easy. Little did I know this search would become darn impossible! After searching high and low and becoming highly frustrated, I had a lightbulb moment. Since I have a background in the apparel manufacturing industry, I was determined to design and create my own. Thus, YaYwallet was born; a fun-filled fashion wallet/card holder that keeps me organized, and clutter free…so yes a wallet saved me and turned me into an entrepreneur with a new business in the process.

YaYwallet has proven to be a good design with good performance, fun, functionality and uniqueness. My projects at Nike, particularly with the NFL uniforms, really increased my confidence in solving design/technical challenges and enabled me to put forth the ingenuity to create a wallet that was easy, minimal, and functional. I have created a fun new concept of ultra slim wallets that both men and women can embrace and incorporate into their daily lives without worrying about bulk.

What does a REUSABLE bag really mean?

There’s no denying reusable bags are here to stay and have quickly become the norm - the new Must-Have item. But what does reusable really mean. I decided to check the dictionary for a precise meaning. Merriam-Webster dictionary states reusable means “Capable of being used again or repeatedly.” Would two, three, or four times be considered reusable; I would say it certainly does. In fact, most of us will use our reusable bags countless times, especially if it’s a good quality bag. I would also add that being washable should be part of the definition. In my world, a reusable bag is capable of being used again and again and capable of being washed repeatedly (Washing your reusable bag reduces bacteria levels to almost nothing). I recommend doing your own research and drawing your own conclusion.

Many reusable bags in the market aren’t necessarily much better than plastic bags when it comes to performance. Quality construction does matter. If your bag is of subpar quality it will most likely tear apart after a few uses. And if it can't be washed, it will need to be tossed due to possible health hazards. Tossing your bag prematurely (after a few usages) really defeats the purpose and ends up being more costly for you. After all, reusable bags are supposed to be an environmentally sound alternative to plastic and paper bags, but unfortunately sometimes profit comes first thus cutting corners on quality.

I asked myself...Hmm, what can I do about it? How can I contribute? After being in the apparel industry for over 20 years, and handling many complex and challenging projects such as NFL uniforms and medical devices for NASA, I challenged myself to make a high quality, reusable bag. Out of this challenge, YaYbag was born. I wanted YaYbag to have similar characteristics of its sibling, YaYwallet. YaYbag has the look of a casual chic bag rather than a boring grocery bag; it’s fashionable and makes a great conversation piece. YaYbag is a multi-performer (limited only by your imagination) and washable too. It’s constructed with the same care and attention given to the NFL uniforms; no cutting corners, just made to last. Yaybag is fun to show off and comes in a huge selection of prints – from funky to sexy to downright hilarious.