In our 10th year, we had the opportunity to expand our Bowfish Studios concept and create a sister company called Bowfish Braid Co to bring the love of mermaids to an older demographic. We were able to try out bringing our concept to a different location, and we hope it'll be the first of many!

You may have noticed that our space in Staintons by the Sea evolved over the summer. In true Caitlin fashion, I had to redesign and rebuild our setup twice. Back at the store, I ripped out our Studios desk and had to repair the floor. Of course, I failed the first time and had to redo it lol. But I nailed it on the second try. Clearly, I'm trying to build a second career as an epoxy floor installer.

We also hired an amazingly talented organizational + leadership coach to help define our corporate structure and build a strong foundation for our team. For anyone who wants to bring their business to the next level, I highly recommend Nunzi Consulting Co.

Another big thing to happen in 2022 was one of Oliva's major projects for the year. Olivia designed our custom gift bags and printed them using alege ink, which helps remove CO2 from the atmosphere!

Also, a big shoutout to all the moms who attended our newly added seasonal photoshoot. To beef up our website, we started shooting all our apparel on models ourselves, and we couldn't have done it without all the kiddos (but mostly their moms, lol).

As I complete our recap of our decade in business, it has not been lost on me the countless number of people who've shown up to support Bowfish in so many different ways. The support is heartwarming and makes me feel so fortunate to be a part of this amazing community. If you were to have asked me in 2013 if I thought I'd still be in OC today, I would have been quick to respond with a "No." But what has kept me here and kept us growing are the people of OC. From the customers to our team, the city administration, and the amazing business owners in this town. I owe the success of Bowfish to all of you. Thanks for ten years of amazing memories and friendships I will cherish for the rest of my life.