We’re looking forward to introducing you to Abby Schirmacher. Check out our conversation below.
Abby, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I start my day by making my bed, tidying up my space and listening to a podcast while I get ready. Lately, I have been listening to a mix of podcasts that will teach me things and also make me laugh. Some that I love right now are Girls Gotta Eat, Skinny Dipping, The Psychology of Your 20s and Brooke & Connor Make a Podcast. I start every weekday by listening to The Headlines by the New York Times to quickly get caught up on current affairs. I walk to work everyday to start the day by getting steps in.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a 24-year old Colorado Native living in Denver. I Co-Founded The Curio Cabinet, a digital magazine platform covering fashion, music, beauty, lifestyle and more in Denver and beyond. In addition to telling stories about local creatives, The Curio Cabinet is dedicated to supporting women in our community through charity events and by managing the press efforts for Color of Fashion, a local nonprofit that is diversifying the fashion scene in Denver.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my mom has made me who I am today. She passed away from pancreatic cancer when I was 18 and the grief that I live with along with my fond memories of her have made me the passionate, driven and motivated person I am today.
My mother’s curio cabinet was the focal point of our household. It was where her most prized possessions and collectible items were on display. Her unique sense of style and love for vintage pieces inspired me to embrace a love of fashion and to show up as my best self through what I wear and the clothing and accessories that I collect. Alongside Co-Founder and fellow fashion lover Jordan McClendon Garcia, I started The Curio Cabinet to showcase the facets of my community that deserve to be highlighted.
The Curio Cabinet started as a nod to the family members we’ve lost, but it lives on and continues to grow because we believe that family is at the core of our relationships as humans. Family symbolizes both where we came from and how we evolve as individuals. While you can’t pick your family, there are chosen families in many shapes or forms. To The Curio Cabinet, our community is our family.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Grief and suffering the major loss of my mom has taught me the importance of loving myself and others as wholeheartedly as I can. Grief appears in different phases of life and in different ways and is a harsh but loving reminder of the people we’ve lost. It has given me the grit to move forward despite the hole in my heart without my mom. It has also shown me the power of finding meaning within myself and using my skills to pay it forward by loving and supporting those around me in many ways, shapes and forms.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would say that the people in my life matter to me the most. I am naturally an extrovert and also a connector—I crave the presence of likeminded, strong-willed people and am passionate about making connections with people who build me up.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Losing my mom resulted in a sense of loneliness that I grapple with everyday. She was the person who understood me the most and I yearn to understand who she was, even though I wasn’t able to ask questions I want to ask now and learn from her as I get older. This grief that presents itself as loneliness has taught me that the only thing I can control in life is myself: my actions, my emotions and my reactions. Grief has given me a sense of independence where I look at other people in my life as an addition to who I am, rather than a completion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://curiocabinetmag.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriocabinetmag
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-curio-cabinet/
Image Credits
Main image: Victoria Glidden
Image with craft materials behind 4 girls: Roxanna Carrasco
