Why I started a new bag brand: Girlfriend Material

💌 Written by Yoyo, Team GM

I graduated into the pandemic in 2020 — arguably one of the worst times to enter the job market. Opportunities were scarce, and I ended up in a traineeship that paid me 30% below market rate.

I hated it. I thought maybe it was just the company, so I switched jobs, hoping things would improve. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

Every Sunday night, the Monday blues would hit like clockwork. I woke up each morning wanting nothing more than to crawl back into bed. And at some point, I remember thinking: Life is way too short for this. Is this what the next 40 years of my life are supposed to feel like?

I had always dreamed of starting something of my own, but the idea terrified me. I was shy, timid — the girl who never raised her hand in class, never took on leadership roles. But I told myself: Even if I fail, at least I tried.

So, I took the leap.

The Birth of Good Totes

I couldn’t find a tote bag that was both cute and functional, so I decided that was my grand idea. I invested a little over $1,000 into my first batch of stock, signed up for Shopify’s $1 trial, set up a waitlist, and made a few silly TikToks a week before launch. Here goes nothing.

And then… it happened.

My videos blew up. Hundreds of thousands of likes. 3,000 people on the waitlist. It was beyond my wildest dreams.

We sold out in four minutes. To this day, I swear my dopamine was permanently fried that day. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once — I never expected it in a million years.

Fast forward four years, countless sleepless nights, and (probably) a chronic stress disorder later, Good Totes remains one of my proudest achievements. Going viral was luck, but growing a business took relentless effort, risk, learning on the fly, and literally faking till I make it.

To me, the story of Good Totes shows that anything is possible. Even if you don’t have an “overnight success” story like mine — and let's be real, I was insanely lucky — I truly believe it’s always better to try and fail than to never try at all.

Enter: Girlfriend Material

I think I have undiagnosed ADHD because my brain is constantly firing with new ideas. Somewhere along the way, I started upgrading my wardrobe and looking for my first “big girl bag.” But as a branding and marketing junkie, one thing stood out to me — why is everything so black and white?

The leather bag market felt so… boring. The same monochrome logos, the same sad beige aesthetic.

Beyond aesthetics, I struggled to find a bag that checked all my boxes. As someone who literally built a function-first bag brand, I wanted more. More pockets, more comfortable straps, more thoughtful design.

So last year, I took my second leap of faith.

And that’s how Girlfriend Material was born.

This time, it’s not an explosive viral success story (yet). And to be fair, lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. But I believe in this brand so much. I have a million ideas, stories, and products I can’t wait to share with you.

Girlfriend Material isn’t just mine — it’s yours. It’s built for the girls who get it.

So if you’re reading this, welcome to the journey. I’m so glad you’re here. 

XOXO, Yoyo