The Big Lie That Got Us Here

There was one big lie that Melissa Calrow told that got us to this point in litigation.

There was a claim made from Vieira's Bakery side to their previous attorneys that they had a burlap bag design similar to what we now consider their 'knockoff bag' and they tried to sow a disgusting story that WE had copied them.

This big lie is probably one of the biggest reasons we spent THOUSANDS of dollars, multiple cease and desists, and numerous sleepless nights on this issue very early on.

It was an absolutely DISGUSTING lie to tell in order to save themselves and intimidate us into backing down.

As women who grew up with nothing in poverty to immigrant parents, we have had to work extra hard, with very limited resources, to achieve what we have achieved.

When you have someone like Melissa Calrow come around and try to take your hard work away from you not only by STEALING, but also by LYING and trying to negate and dilute your work, there is a rage I can't quite explain that boils your blood.

I was so disgusted by this lie they told I physically vomited.

It was that disgusting.

Melissa Calrow knew the work we had put into not only building our businesses, but into the physical bag itself because that information was shared with her. She knew how the bag came to be and even how we hand glued burlap onto each plastic bag as we searched for a manufacturer.

She knew all of this, yet she thought she could get away with telling such a bold faced lie.

Can you imagine working hard, building your brands from scratch, making tremendous sacrifices, and committing to your work with utmost honesty only to have someone turn around and try to strip you of your work simply to protect themselves?

One of the reasons my sisters and I will continue sharing our story is because when you have the power to use your voice, it makes it a bit more difficult for people to trample all over you.

Now, if Melissa Calrow and Vieira's Bakery had been honest in the beginning, perhaps we would not be here right now.

Just maybe, the truth that they have tried so hard to suppress was the answer to resolving this without going to war, dragging an entire industry into this fight, interrupting our business, and preventing my family and I from enduring the pain and suffering that we have for the past two years.