Photo by @hookemhornstony

Andrea is our extremely talented and driven CEO, who you all have been introduced to many times before. She is all over our social media, showing you guys how to wear TIY, how to tie a TIY and documenting her experiences working as a small business owner. She is the wonder woman behind the scenes who makes TIY happen. Today is her birthday, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to give you guys an update on what Andrea has been up to. If you haven't had the chance to get to know our CEO, read our story on our website for an introduction.

So... lets catch up!

As of recent Andrea has partnered with both Lululemon Barton Creek, as well as the Side Out Foundation. If you are the local Austin area you can find Andrea in their store. She continues her private lessons, Beach by Dre, where she empowers the youth by providing training twice a month for free where she, "dedicates [her] time to spark joy, give knowledge and inspire others with a fun afternoon of training." She is in the process of establishing a non-profit that will help historically undeserved women, as well as trying to create a reusable Pro TIY container that would allow TIY to become even more of a eco-friendly hair tie. This year she launched the ambassador program which proved to be successful. When asked about her experience thus far creating TIY, she told me that, "Empowering women around the world with their hair tie has been an incredible thing to see." She went on to tell me about how when watching the Olympics and NCAA championship it was an exciting and gratifying experience to see TIY in many of the athletes hair. She described common experiences where strangers would approach her to say, "Hey, you are the hair tie girl."

That she is! Andrea is a powerhouse of knowledge. As I have worked for her it has been a privilege to witness her brilliance. Andrea is the essence of perseverance. She is on an endless search of knowledge, and as a result has accomplished many of her business and personal goals. There is no task too great that she is unwilling to take on, and everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing her can attest to this. Her drive and passion for TIY is endlessly impressive. She listens to each and every one of you, reads your reviews, and studies ways to create a universal hair tie for all. In her own words she told me, "knowing that I’ve packed those packages makes me really happy because there is a lot of love that goes into every single one of them." She is not only impressive for her work ethic, but also her kindness. Andrea benefits from the power of her positive mindset. She strives to make a better world through her work and personal life. She is searching for an answer for the environmental crisis that is broken and littered hair ties, creating a non-profit to help others and having free lessons for underprivileged athletes who cannot afford private lessons. Her kindness and positivity extends past her words and into her actions.

When asked what to expect from TIY in the future she told me she is, "looking forward to the new colors and to going to more events in person to connect with all those who use it." If you can, head to her instagram to tell our wonderful CEO happy birthday!