Debbie Russell and her love for Blue Flamingos
It’s in the Bag….. Currently these few words sum up my life.  But that wasn’t always the case.  Events of our lives definitely change and define us.

A key defining moment for me was when I met the man of my dreams and started working on my “perfect life”, well what I figured was the perfect life.  Husband, kids and the whole package.  After we got married, we decided that when we had kids I would be at home with them, so when I was almost due to bring our first baby into the world I resigned from my 16 year career in retail. As I gave up work at Edcon I was ready for my new role as full time mom.  After the birth of my first child we struggled to get pregnant again.  Finally after trying everything, we gave up hope of having a second child and focused on finding delight in the one we had been blessed with.  God clearly had other plans because as soon as we gave up trying, daughter number 2 and shortly after that number 3 came along.  My girls were my whole world, but somewhere along the line I had sunk into a deep dark hole and couldn’t see the beautiful picture I had once imagined my life would become.  I tried a couple of small businesses while also being mom, but the time wasn’t right.

Crazy_Rio_Debbie_Russell

My next defining moment was when my marriage broke down and I got divorced.  My whole world fell apart, and suddenly I was faced with taking care of myself and my 3 kids.  Something I had never done before!  I didn’t have an income or job and was totally dependant on my husband, who was soon to become my ex husband.  Anyhow I managed to find a half day job which fitted in with the kids and life continued.

Until, without any warning I got retrenched.  The panic I had felt before and had managed to suppress, began to rise again. I started doing freelance work for a couple of small clients but I was battling to make ends meet.


About a year after being retrenched a friend of mine and I decided to try our hand at starting a business together.  Welcome Blue Flamingo Bags and accessories into my life.  Starting a new business can be a huge challenge.  For my friend and business partner Nicky and I it has been a Journey.  We have done things we never thought we could and push the envelope every day trying new things.  Doing what we love!  It has been 2 almost years now since we first started our business and some days are still hard.  But the good out ways the bad and our business is growing everyday.

So my take away to inspire other ladies out there is – never give up!  Because things might not always turn out the way we imagined or hoped.  But, life is more a journey than a destination, so it’s “in the bag”!

Blue Flamingo Bags and accessories.
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