Bright Lights, Big City

PattyBlogCincySkylineOne of the hardest days of my life was the day my daughter decided to move out of my house. She was the youngest of my four children, and “empty nest” syndrome stung to the core. I had no significant other, and the house suddenly became unnervingly quiet. I did what I always do in unsettling situations and immersed myself even further into my work; although productive, this strategy is not always the healthiest approach.  

However, I’ve found in my life that milestones like these often produce the most significant growth. In my case, I made one of the boldest decisions in a long time. I decided I would move away from the suburbs to The Ascent, overlooking the breathtaking Cincinnati skyline and Roebling Bridge. This all happened before The Banks sector had even been developed, but I knew that change was underway and the city would continue to take off and grow substantially. Originally from Maysville, Kentucky, it was also nice to return to my native state, and wake up to the hustling and bustling view of Cincinnati every day.

Shortly after I moved in, I was soon re-invigorated. I remember shopping for some things for my new home at Bed, Bath & Beyond and stumbling upon several portraits of the Roebling Bridge. I thought to myself, People have to hang this picture to be reminded of the beauty of our city, and every morning I feel so grateful and blessed to wake up to this view right outside my window. This is a far departure from the quiet, empty suburban home I raised my family in and left for the city. You can find me on almost any weeknight peering out my window feeling far from alone with a city that is alive with moving lights and so many people.

My passion for our city has only continued to grow since I first opened the doors to Pure Romance in 1993.  I believe in the committed people working on city council and throughout our community who are working to grow Cincinnati and make it an even better place in the future.  There’s a contagious desire spreading for us all to do our part, and this was a big motivation as to why we made the decision to bring Pure Romance to the city’s core in Downtown Cincinnati. Pure Romance has been empowering women every day for two decades and we are ready to share this opportunity with the emerging talent in this sector today.

When I broke ground with my first office back in Milford 20 years ago, I would never have thought I’d be opening an office downtown present day. I didn’t see the city the way I see it now.  The development in Over The Rhine, The Central Business District, The Banks and beyond is so incredibly exciting to watch unfold. Just walking through Findlay Market still takes my breath away – there’s absolutely nothing like it in any city I’ve traveled to across the world. I feel so proud to be contributing to this growth through Pure Romance’s upcoming move.  Every time I travel, I feel prouder than ever telling people where I’m from and where our company is located. We look forward to watching this move take Pure Romance to the next level and providing jobs for the amazing talent available in Cincinnati.

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7 Comments

  1. Patty Gmach

    Super excited to see this growth for our amazing company. The change over the past 5 years I’ve been with the company has been great and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

    Pretty pumped by the idea that Patty B lives in The Ascent. When my husband and I were in Cincinnati for World Conference, we took a walk across the Roebling Bridge and I was very intrigued by the building. Even asked some people about it as we were walking. I even thought about what it must be like to live there. Now I have a little peak into it 🙂

  2. Janna Vukelich

    Congrats on the upcoming move! And what a beautiful view 🙂

  3. Melissa Messenger

    Congratulation Patty and Pure Romance!

  4. passionistaatlarge

    It is sooo exciting to see this growth!! Congratulations to our PR “Main Mama”!! Love you!

  5. Amanda Corey

    You are so Inspiring! Thank You for creating this amazing business and allowing me to “see what I can do”!

  6. Terri Tassie

    A very inspiring story! Congratulations Patty, and Pure Romance.

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