Today we’d like to introduce you to Merve Mataraci Orsek.
Hi Merve, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Nearly 4 years ago, we moved to St.Petersburg – Florida from our home country, Turkey. I was born and grow up in the largest city in Turkey, Istanbul. The city and what it had for me was my whole life until then. I finished my bachelor’s degree in dentistry in 2009 and worked as a dentist in Turkey for ten years. It was not an easy decision for me to leave behind our friends, family, and my career working as a dentist.
In 2019, I started a new journey with my husband and our little daughter in this beautiful sunshine city. I knew that every decision is a new beginning and I’m here to embrace it. When we started our new life, I was spending my whole time with my little daughter who was three years old back then. The adaptation period was not easy as it looked from afar, especially for kids. We had no family members nor no one else to call or meet for a chat.
I tried to do my best for myself and for her to not feel alone in this new environment. After a while, I felt like I had to do something that makes me happy and keep me busy. I’ve been a hard-working woman as far as I can remember. Working physically or mentally makes me feel alive. Unfortunately, I have not been able to work as a dentist because of the accreditation process between the two countries. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to create a small business and start selling jewelry and home goods online just before the pandemic. During those days, online sales were rising and I put in my effort and created the brand ‘MyAprils’ which I named after my daughter’s name in Turkish. I had no idea about e-commerce or marketing, however, I put a lot of effort both into educating myself in those areas and branding my business. I’m designing and create highly decorative and versatile products for homes. I’m also creating remarkable jewelry & accessories for those who are looking for unique pieces.
I’ve been also interested in designing living spaces, decorating them, and DIY projects for our homes for years.
Lately, I’ve been working on interior design projects and a real estate career to combine my areas of passion to bring joy and comfort to people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was not a walk in the park, but we did our best to achieve our goals. I had some struggles to keep going and even thought about giving up at the beginning. Because nobody did know what they should expect from the future back in the turmoil of 2020. It was also challenging to be alone in a new country with the support of your friends and family, just like a deer in a wild.
I had some tough days when I couldn’t find my way. I had to overcome that feeling by keeping my mind occupied and invested in my areas of passion. That motivation helped me to jump into this journey despite the very little I knew about this business. It was a challenge for me to improve myself and reinvent my skills, too. I learned to do time management and work consistently. It definitely took some time to find out how to handle all these things together and put them into practice as an owner, manager, producer, photographer, and so on.
We’ve been impressed with MyAprils, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
‘MyAprils’ was born and became a part of our journey in 2020, which was a tough year for all of us.
Our product range has been developing in these categories for two years; Jewelry & Accessories, Towels, and Home Decor.
Modern stylish jewels are mostly designed and crafted by my family members and me. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings are one-of-a-kind unique pieces in silver, gold-filled, and gold-plated products. Handwoven beaded bracelets are very labor-intensive products that we spend most of our time and also the most rewarding ones in terms of the satisfaction they provide. MyAprils has a minimalist style for everyday jewels and also vintage-looking remarkable pieces in the jewelry category.
I am very happy to meet our customers with MyAprils Towels. I’d say that you might have heard the name Turkish Towels which are made of 100% Turkish Cotton and traditionally loomed by many local artisan women in Turkey. I am very proud of the fact that Turkish Towels are recognized for their high quality and are used in many homes all over the world. Their authentic and harmonic designs give a sense of luxury. Hand towels for the kitchen and bathroom are our most selling products. They are used as hand, hair, and face towel in bathrooms, tea, dishcloth, or decorative towel in the kitchen, and also used as gym, travel, and guest towels. MyAprils Turkish Towels are versatile and have a decorative taste. Turkish peshtemal towels are used as bath towels, beach towels, pool, and yacht towels. Very useful as a lightweight towel at the gym, hammam, sauna, and spa. These foldable easy-to-carry towels are suitable for travel, vacation, camping, and outdoor activities. Thanks to their exclusive style, Turkish towels also can be used as a sarong, pareo, beach cover-up, scarf, or hair wrap, and even for baby care.
Decorative home goods for the dining room, bedroom, and living room convey a feeling of luxury in our houses. Cotton throws and blankets are highly decorative useful products as a sofa cover, or as a nice throw for a home or patio. These are a great option for your loved ones’ as holiday gifts. MyAprils pillow covers are breathable and soft cotton canvas fabric cushion covers that perfectly decorate your living room, bedroom, or patio. You will have a cozy corner and feel the freshness of our cotton products.
Nowadays, my brand attracts people’s attention and keeps growing. I am so glad to see that ‘MyAprils’ has taken on its way through online sales and branding in many online marketplaces and on our website.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
I am so grateful to create my small business with the magnificent women in my family who have believed in me all the time. They are my biggest supporters and teammates. My mom & mother-in-law & my auntie are creators and masters of designs. Their ability, knowledge, and experience are my treasures.
They give me their hands from thousands of miles away. My husband is a man of action and he always encourages me to grow the business. My two kids are great helpers with photos and packaging. So you can say we are a small local family-owned business. The ideas and efforts of these wonderful hearts are very important in creating and growing the brand ‘MyAprils’.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.myaprils.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myaprilscom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myaprilscom/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/myaprilscom/
