Breaking Free: How Losing My Job Set Me Free

By Lisset Verde-Sungur

There are moments in life that feel like endings. For me, it was the day I got laid off.

After years of working in education, I suddenly found myself staring at an empty calendar and a full day of uncertainty. No meetings. No deadlines. Just silence—and questions. What now? Who am I without this role? Can I still contribute something meaningful to the world?

What I didn’t know then is that losing my job would become the most liberating moment of my life. That unexpected setback cracked open the door to my true path—one rooted in creativity, culture, and purpose. It was the first step toward building Wuitusu, a boho-inspired brand of handcrafted Wayuu accessories, and reclaiming my voice as a bohemian woman with something to say.

A Seed of Inspiration

The seed had been quietly planted long before. As a young girl growing up in Venezuela, I read a novel about the Wayuu people—an Indigenous community in Colombia and Venezuela with deep-rooted traditions and matrilineal social structures. I was captivated by the central role of women in Wayuu society—respected, powerful, and wise. That image stayed with me like a whisper I hadn’t yet answered.

Years later, I stumbled upon a handmade Wayuu crochet bag and hat at a market. The craftsmanship, the color, the cultural pride stitched into every thread—it felt like a calling. I reached out to artisans in the Guajira desert and slowly started forming relationships. What began as admiration turned into collaboration. When I was laid off, that vision turned into action.

Creating Wuitusu: A Path to Liberation

Starting Wuitusu wasn’t part of a master plan—it was born from passion, necessity, and a hunger to create something meaningful. I began selling handmade Wayuu crochet bags and boho straw hats at Sunday markets, learning entrepreneurship by doing. Each conversation with a customer, each product we co-created with artisans, each moment of doubt I pushed through—it helped me grow stronger.

From local markets to a mall kiosk, and eventually to opening two retail stores in Los Angeles, Wuitusu has grown into more than a business. It’s a living celebration of bohemian fashion, Wayuu artistry, and female resilience. Our pieces aren’t just accessories—they’re statements. They’re wearable stories of empowerment and liberation.

And for me, Wuitusu is also a mirror. Through it, I’ve seen myself evolve from a cautious, conventional worker into a bold, creative entrepreneur. I now speak my mind freely and act with intention. I lead with both heart and vision.

Reinventing Myself

Before Wuitusu, I was used to shrinking myself into safe spaces—educator, employee, rule-follower. But through this journey, I’ve embraced the full spectrum of who I am: entrepreneur, designer, cultural advocate, and liberated woman. I don’t wait for permission anymore. I no longer see myself through someone else’s definition of value.

That’s been the true transformation: I’ve become a woman who trusts her instincts and builds from the inside out. Boho style isn’t just a fashion aesthetic for me—it’s a reflection of an internal shift. I’ve let go of rigid structures and embraced freedom, creativity, and soulful expression.

Crochet bags, colorful Wayuu hats, and ethically made fashion are not just our product categories—they are the vehicle through which I’ve reclaimed my power.

Doing Business My Way

At Wuitusu, our mission is grounded in cultural respect, ethical trade, and storytelling through design. We work directly with Wayuu women artisans, paying fair wages and helping preserve their ancestral skills. Our products are handmade—mostly crochet and woven—each one unique, each one filled with purpose.

We also support The Wayuu Taya Foundation, donating a portion of our sales to help provide food and resources to Wayuu children. This isn't charity—it's solidarity. It’s proof that business can be a force for good.

Wuitusu allows me to align commerce with conscience. A boho bag can be both beautiful and impactful. A bohemian hat can be a symbol of resistance, culture, and care. When you wear one of our pieces, you carry more than just fashion—you carry a story.

What Freedom Looks Like

Freedom, to me, looks like a woman who is no longer afraid of her own power. It’s about more than quitting a job—it’s about shedding the internal constraints: fear of judgment, imposter syndrome, the myth of playing it safe. True freedom is when your external world finally reflects your internal truth.

Freedom is also creative. It’s designing what I love, leading from my values, parenting with presence, and building a brand that feels like home. It’s saying yes to my voice, my ideas, my vision.

Today, I lead a company, not because I was given the chance—but because I claimed it.

Final Thoughts: From Loss to Liberation

If you had told me ten years ago that getting laid off would become the best thing that ever happened to me, I would have laughed—and cried. But now, I see that moment as my initiation. It cracked me open so I could rise as someone more honest, creative, and aligned with purpose.

To any woman at her own crossroads, I say this: the moment that breaks you might also be the one that sets you free. Start where you are. Trust what pulls at your soul. You don’t have to know the whole plan—you just have to begin.

Your bohemian journey is valid. Your Wayuu-inspired vision is needed. Your crochet creations and bold boho spirit have a place. Speak your truth. Live your joy. Let your voice—and your power—become unstoppable.

Connect With Lisset

www.wuitusu.com

@wuitusu