Want to know what a day in the life of a jewellery maker /small business owner/one woman show looks like? In this profession, no two days are the same. However, the days I work from the studio tend to look a little like this.
My days normally start with coffee. Loads and loads of coffee! As I will have to deal with waking up my 11 year old going on 31! And yes, typical pre-teen, rolling eyes and all! Thank God my 8 year old is already awake and dressed for school (and yes, I know, he probably slept like that!). And then the rush of feeding them breakfast, prepare healthy lunches for school (and yes, they have different tastes in food, so I have to be smart and creative even with what I place in those boxes for them). Meanwhile I get my breakfast too (hopefully) or else I might be cranky all day, and nobody can be creative and fun on an empty stomach. At least I can't. Then rush into the car and drive them to school. And that is my Mum (first) part of the morning!
Once I have done that, it’s off to my studio/kitchen for me! And here comes the harder part - to actually do my work while ignoring the other things that have to be done in there. Separate work life from home life is not always easy, but I am getting better at it. It's a constant balancing act.
After checking my emails, new orders and answer customer queries (if any), comes my absolute favourite part of the day – sending out goodies to my clients! But first I need to make them with love, pack them with attention and care and get them in time to the post office before collecting the children from school. And enjoy my lunch (preferably around noon, and preferably healthy too! Easier said than done.
In the afternoon, I focus on the admin side of the business, finance and marketing. And homework, and planning dinner! Finally, I print dispatch notes for any online orders and…put some washing on! Multi-tasking at its best.
Some days will be more administrative than others but it’s never the same from day to day which is part of the reason I love what I do, it’s always different and always new.
Some days are the same, some days are different, but I am so blessed to be doing what I love.
