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Now, a few decades later, her childhood dreams have become a reality. The Brewster mom of two is now the Owner/Founder of Falcony Handbags, a vegan line of handmade totes, satchels, wallets, and -- coming soon -- shoes.
Yoon said her mom's illness, and eventual death in 2011, propelled her to change paths. "Watching her go through this and having to say goodbye to her long before either of us was ready, made me keenly aware of how short life is," she said. "I remember thinking 'that’s it?' and being so upset that she didn’t get to finish; she didn’t get to do all of the things she wanted to do. I became laser focused on 'waking up' and living my life to the fullest."
And so, she did tons of research, talking with consultants and hammering her mission plan out with experts. Her fist sale was on Zulily in summer 2015 and she's now gearing up to launch a shoe line.
All products -- they are handmade in Mexico and sold online only -- are named after something unique, usually a woman's name, with a portion of profits going to Covenant House in Mexico and Amnesty International, which supports women around the world.
She said a note from a buyer battling cancer who wrote to say how happy a purse made her feel reminded her of her mom, and served as the "sign" she needed to feel confident in her new venture.
"That is one of the things we love most about making our bags so bright and colorful and unique… they can brighten up someone's day and remind them that they are beautiful and life is beautiful, no matter what! If you are sick, or having hard times, going through a divorce, re-finding yourself, or even if you are in a great place in life," said Yoon.
"We are all 'arrangements of creativity' and shouldn't let anything make us forget that about ourselves!"
Go to www.falconyhandbags.com/ for more information.
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