This week Clutch Bags NY was lucky enough to spend some time talking with April Dinwoodie. Not only is she a Clutch NY client, she is also a woman with more than one career. April is a successful publicity director and the cofounder of a nonprofit organization called Fostering Change for Children.
Keep reading to find out what motivates April to keep moving forward!
April at home with her Clutch NY mail bag
Why do you like living in NYC? New York is full of diversity. Overall, it has a great vibe. I grew up in Rhode Island which is pretty much just one note. Whereas New York is many notes. So I love it for that reason. What inspires you? Young people who have had tremendous hurdles in life, yet they manage to get themselves out of bed everyday and put a smile on their face. There’s nothing more inspiring to me than that. What gives you hope? More or less the same thing. Seeing someone breakthrough. When a person has something really challenging in front of them, watching them overcome it makes me feel hopeful.Â
What do you love about your job? I love the diversity of it. It’s something different everyday. I love being around people in the communications and publicity field; you just have to talk and be engaged with folks. So I enjoy that. What puts a smile on your face? Everyday. Just life… overall. And the work that I do with youth in foster care, seeing their hope and their development. Their lives aren’t always sunny and smiley but somehow there’s an inner fortitude that breaks through and it’s pretty wonderful and certainly does make me smile.
If you could give a piece of advice to women about their careers, what would it be? You don’t have to be everything to everyone and you don’t have to do everything. I think, as women, we put our all into everything that we do and sometimes that can be overwhelming. So instead do your best and know that you put your effort in and that should be enough. Just do your part and be proud of that.
Clutch it & go! April holds the eel skin envelope bag
Why do you buy Clutch NY bags? Well, I’m a little obsessed with them at the moment. They’re so simple and perfect. My dear friend, Laura, has created something super special. And I feel fortunate to have found them and to have something that’s made in New York that’s so well-crafted. So I absolutely love them. What is your favorite Clutch NY bag? Definitely the coin bag! It’s perfect; I use it as my wallet. And it’s so versatile. I can take it out with me from my bag to my wrist, from day to night. It totally works. I probably need another one… mine is pretty worn out!
What do you do to relax? I exercise, I run. I like to be outdoors. I like to be with friends and family. I meditate. I sleep. What is your motto? You get good by giving it. What is a piece of advice that you have held with you to this day? My mom used to say to me, “Bloom where you’re planted”. You know, stop complaining and looking around, asking “Why me?” Make the best of your situation.
About:
Nandhi is our Clutch NY blogger at large who spends her days observing and her nights reporting.  Imported to NYC from Mozambique, via McGill University, Nandhi dreams someday of becoming a screenwriter.  For the moment, she is keeping the Clutch NY audience up to date with what’s up today in fashion, trends, news and inspiration.