Wow, Year 10!

 I’m actually speechless right now. So many thoughts, stories, lessons, experiences and blessings I have in my mind but for some reason I just can’t process it all to really get it out on paper. 

I’m so grateful to have Milano Di Rouge.

This brand truly changed my life while at the same time allowing me to change the lives of others. 

I always say true success isn’t about money, it’s about the impact you leave in the lives of others. I’m humble when it comes to my accomplishments. But I just want to brag about how Milano Di Rouge used me to help others. To help others change their mindset. To help others find the blessings 

How I was able to inspire someone to start the brand. How the brand stopped someone from taking their lives just by simply going in his drawer to get the pills that he planned on overdosing on but when he reached in the drawer he pulled out the Milano Di Rouge insert that read the Making dreams Reality quote I came up with in November 2013 (we’ll share quote at the end) 

He messaged me on instagram a photo of the insert next to a Milano Di Rouge beanie and said this quote just saved my life. 

How me sharing the story of how my mom struggled as a single mother raising to kids by herself and decided to go to nursing school allowed me the freedom to dream. I shared her story on my live about 3 years ago explaining how she made the sacrifice. She dropped out of high school in the 9th grade and decided to get her GED at the age of 28. After receiving her GED she went to college full time from 7am - 2pm and worked full time from 3-11pm to provide a better life for me and my sister. 

Proving our dreaming quote to be true…”it’s never too late to follow your dream. More powerful than the will to win is the will to began.”

Earlier this year I received a picture message from a woman in a cap and gown holding a nursing degree that said something along the lines of ‘I did it” thank you for sharing your moms story because it inspired me to not give up. And then I scrolled up and saw that she left an unread message three years prior (my dms are really full so I don’t get the opportunity to read all of them) responding to the live I did that said something a long the lines of “you don’t understand how much I needed this live. I was ready to give up. I’m a single mom too and hearing this message just gave me the push I needed to continue.

Or how my post in general inspire others. I received a message from a girl that read “You don’t understand what watching your page did for me. I’ve been addicted to pain pills for 3 years and feel like it’s been destroying me. We’re the same age and watching you and what you’ve accomplished just gave me hope. Crying as I write this, I’m simply saying to you THANK YOU!!!!!! For giving me the hope to get my life back!” I messaged her some empowering words and some advice. But I just wanted to share how Milano di Rouge, has been a vessel to allow me to help change lives. I’ve intentionally shared my journey so ppl can be inspired and to show what entrepreneurship really looks like, the struggle, the sacrifice, the dream. 

I’ve been vulnerable on my social media so ppl can understand that I’m just like them, I go through things but I show them how I get through them as well so they can know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And I share my story on my upbringing and who I am so they can know that if I did it, they can do it too. 

 I saw this quote on my friends Zach instagram, it read “Hate to make it look easy, it’s not! love to make it look possible, it is!” That’s a quote to live by. 

 But back to my story. 

I never started Milano Di Rouge to make money. I started Milano Di Rouge to make a difference. Initially it was to make a positive difference solely in my life but by making a difference in my life I was able to help others do the same, by the grace of God.

 I want to thank everyone that’s shared this journey with me; Czar, my mom, my sister Nunu, my team members both past and present, family members, friends, lawyers, accountants, supporters, customers, followers and even doubters (those guys keep me motivated to keep going).

When I count my blessings I count you twice and I mentioned this before but I pray for you every night. 

I want to leave you with 10 things I’ve learned along this 10 year journey.

    1. If God blessed you, please be a blessing to others.

    2. Be kind, make someone’s life better simply because you’re in it. Even the grocery store clerk, compliment her/him on his service or give a stranger a compliment, say hi to a homeless person let them know that you see them. Stop pretending their invisible.

    3. Learn to unlearn somethings. 

    4. Don’t be afraid to try, It’s ok to try new things. 

    5.  Don’t let the opinions of others stop you from doing what God called you to do.

    6. It’s ok to fail, try to fail fast and use your failure as a learning lesson because the next time you try you won’t be starting from scratch you’ll be starting from experience

    7. Your Mindset play a big part in your success               

    8. Try to find the positivity in every situation

    9.  Remember why you started

   10.  Invest in your personal development

    Be a good person, Good ppl need good ppl.

    With Love,

    Milan Harris