Let me take you on a journey back to the beginning of this fateful summer.
4 months ago, I was at rock bottom. Or honestly maybe whatever's below rock bottom, I'm not sure I failed environmental science in high school. I was fresh off my spring semester of my sophomore year of college and was a basket case personified. The catalyst of this was getting my heart broken by one of the most miserable losers in all the land. Seriously, I once asked this dude to bring me flowers and he verbatim said:
"Why would I bring you flowers when I'm bringing you my d**k?"
A regular Prince Charming! But alas, let's not give this giant vermin anymore airtime than he deserves.
I became all of my biggest fears. I was an inconsiderate friend, a ghost of a daughter and big sister, and I spent more time writing obsessive "take me back" texts, than I did pieces of actual worth. I was also partying Motley Crue style on the weekends which is cool in theory, but in actuality is pretty depressing. I am no Nikki Sixx!
By the time May rolled around, I essentially Road Runner'd out of Tallahassee (Go Noles) and didn't stop until I made it back to the confines of Saint Petersburg, my hometown.
My dad, the always charming Sean Daly, is a journalist for ABC Action News, and had just done a story on a feminine wonderland called The Pink Closet Company. It was an adorable boutique located in Tyrone Mall owned and operated by a woman named Stephanie James. I was in dire need of a distraction and a summer job, and this seemed like divine intervention.
And just like that, I not only was surrounded by closet-worthy clothes and given the reigns to my very own blog, The Pink Diaries, but my boss happened to be the strongest, most self-assured woman that's ever walked earthside.
The Pink Closet Company, The Pink Diaries, and Stephanie James pulled me out of what felt like a never-ending slump, and for that, I'll be eternally grateful.
(But also shoutout to my therapist Michelle and a healthy dose of Wellbutrin! That certainly helped too!)
When Stephanie and I discussed what this final Pink Diaries blog would entail, a section of me essentially gassing her up and thanking her like I was Meryl Streep accepting an Oscar never came up, but I'm going to do it anyway. Not only did she give me a platform to connect with people, which has been my driving force as a writer from the start, but she's also just a badass. A mom of 6, a former nurse pulling 90 hour work weeks, a business owner x2, and an aspiring motivational speaker. For as long as I've known her, she has never stopped moving, shaking, and thinking. Which leads me into some very exciting news...
My boss, the lovely Stephanie James, will be launching a new online-only lifestyle brand called The Free Coconut.
Much like me at the beginning of the summer, the idea for The Free Coconut came to her at her lowest point. She was battling sadness surrounding the state of our country, anxiety as a small business owner, betrayal from former employees, and ultimately feeling like the business she had worked so hard to build was dimming who she truly was and is: a daring and free-spirited black woman.
Recently, The Pink Closet Company suffered a setback sparked by a marketing employee that we all loved and trusted. Disguised under a layer of bubbliness, blond hair, and a pink binder was really a liar, saboteur, and as we found out later, a criminal.
Not only was Stephanie dealing with betrayal within the confines of her business, but also the betrayal coming from our own government that was effecting her in a myriad of ways: a black woman, a mother of black daughters and sons, and a small business owner.
As she sat at the counter of The Pink Closet, a business that she actively built, she didn't see any of herself in it. Her biggest fear had come true, she had resigned her boutique to the "status quo" in an effort to cater to the mainstream markets of western beauty.
And just like that, her mind became rushed with new ideas.
She would move her family to a tropical country, a place that felt more like home. Somewhere her and her children could be young, wild, and free. Being that she had been working and mothering since she was 16, this move would give her the opportunity to do something she had never done: relax.
But alas, she is and will always be a business owner. However, she was growing and evolving, so her business would need to do the same.
And just like that, The Free Coconut was born! A lifestyle brand specializing in travel and vacation wear to celebrate and empower women of all sizes and ethnicities and encourage them to live life authentically, freely, and wildly. Wear the outfit. Book the plane ticket. Stamp the passport. BE A FREE COCONUT!
This brand represents Stephanie to a T, and as someone who has the immense pleasure of knowing her, she has a fervor and a tenacity to make this business everything and more.
And not to worry, I'm not going anywhere😉
The Free Coconut will feature a new blog called The Chatty Coconut! It will be all of the things that The Pink Diaries was, and so much more. Outfits to make you feel amazing, my hilariously disastrous travel stories, and always and forever a safe haven for women to be exactly who they are and say whatever in the world they want.
I will write for Stephanie James for as long as she'll have me, and that's a promise.
The Free Coconut has already begun unveiling content, with an official merch drop happening 11/28/2025 just in time for Black Friday and the holiday season!
But not to worry, you can carry a piece of The Free Coconut with you as we are doing an official Free Coconut tote bag giveaway! Follow the link below to claim yours now.
The Chatty Coconut will unveil on 8/17/2025 and will post daily!
But for now, check out The Free Coconut:
INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/freecoconutco/
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/share
The Pink Closet Company's doors will remain open and continue to serve as an adorably curated space for women through 2025.
But being that this is my final post for The Pink Diaries, always remember ladies:
YOU ARE ENOUGH.
With all my love,
Ava
The Author : Ava Daly
Ava Daly is a 21-year old creative writing student at Florida State University. Her most important virtues as a writer and more importantly as a woman are honesty & authenticity. She carries both of those traits with her throughout all stages and aspects of life. When not hunched over her computer writing, she can be found behind the counter of The Pink Closet Company serving up smiles and witty one-liners to all of our shoppers.
1 comment
Wonderfully witty as always Ava, what a joy to read your work. Keep em coming!!!