A Day in My Life

7:00 - Wake up to my alarm ringtone which is Paradise by Coldplay - what a great concert that was!  I check my emails and Facebook on my way downstairs; my office is near the bedroom, so I find it hard to resist. The kids are old enough to get up themselves and, by the time I'm ready, they've been up for half an hour, dressed and breakfasted. And they have fed Lady, our slightly nervous but sweet cat.

7:45 - Packed lunches made, bags packed, we're out the door. First stop school. Then I continue driving against the rush-hour traffic to the gym. I am addicted (I think I'm not exaggerating) to spin classes, and travel a good 20 minutes to my favourite gym in Balgowlah. Yes, there are closer gyms, but this one is clean and modern; plus the instructors are awesome and I know a few people there, so I feel totally at home.

8:30 - I get my favourite bike at the front. Double spin class starts. I curse for the first 15 minutes. It hurts and I'm pushing myself to the limit. But I love it really. I have 1h45 to think, review and plan the day ahead. Physical struggle brings mental clarity.

10:15 - Spin ends and often I drag my sweaty-self to the supermarket downstairs. People actively avoid me in the aisles.

11:00 - Home, shower and put on a laundry load before starting work. Each Sunday night I prepare a To Do List for the coming week. It invariably includes sending press releases to the interior design media, following up on media requests for images and info, completing assignments for the business course I'm following, keeping up-to-date and active on social media marketing, meeting my web development team (which is constant as I slowly offer more functions and fabrics) deliveries and appointments.

I also have Bespoke Art to run, and at any one time I may have a painting or fabric design commission to work on. Or a simple upholstery job.

13:00 - I stop for lunch, which is often a quesadilla or noodle soup. BBC News 24 goes on and I catch up with what's going on in the Big Wide World.

13:30 - Back upstairs to work with a cup of tea. I follow up on chair orders or any requests that have come in recently. I have to be super careful that I don't mix social media marketing for My Bespoke Chair with personal Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blog reading. It's a fine line between useful work and gratuitous pleasure (though I'm not complaining that a vast part of my work includes fun stuff!)

14:30 - If I have fabrics to source or finished chairs to pick up from my upholsterers, I will dash out now. I take the van which has my logo splashed across the side; it's a very recognisable vehicle and I am often spotted, so I have to drive on my best behaviour! I was once pulled over by the police in a very prominent spot, and felt mortified that my precious business was being tarnished by my "criminal activity" (failing to wait the full 3 seconds at a Stop sign.......)

15:30 - I am queuing in the school car line. Back at home, I feed the kids, chat about their day and get back to work. They are great at doing homework without fuss and we are united in our toil. TV goes on once they are finished.

17:30 - Time to down tools and start cooking supper. So, as I chop and stir, the kids join me in our open-plan kitchen. This is when I fix myself a well-deserved G&T.

18:30 - My fabulous husband arrives home and we eat supper all together. It's a great time of day.

20:00 - Kids in bed, cuddles given, and I gravitate back up to my office. There is always work to do and I find very little time to watch TV. I have Downton Abbey (series 3) waiting for me, but I have yet to start it. Maybe because I know once I start, I'm locked in for the whole 8 hour series!

22:30 - Bed with a good book. I have to read to wind down. On holiday, I can get through 6 books in a week! My husband also runs his own business, so we often stay up late discussing the joys and horrors of being entrepreneurs. I sometimes dream about steady monthly pay-cheques and a predictable life. But ultimately, I love My Bespoke Chair and couldn't image doing anything else.

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8 Things I've Learnt

It's been 4 months since the launch of My Bespoke Chair. Here are a few lessons I've learnt:

• Starting my My Bespoke Chair is not the same as being in business with the Bespoke Art shop. For starters, and quite obviously, online is like being invisible. Customers don't just drive past and stop. The on- and off-line work load and diversity has delighted me, befuddled me, excited me and depressed me.
• My natural enthusiasm and impatience are a troublesome mix. Growth has been slower than I anticipated; when I put in 110%, I expect 110% straight back. But I am learning that success is a series of baby steps. 

"Timing, perseverance and 10 years of trying, will eventually 

make you look like an overnight success." Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter.

• Checking the metrics every day is as pointless as weighing myself every day. Some days are amazing, where site traffic has jumped and business is looking up, but some days are "fat" days, where things slump and my spirit falters. New Golden Rule -  check Google Analytics on Mondays only. That way, I can swiftly ascertain what's been working and what needs improving; 6 days of action, 1 day of contemplation and strategy.
• My love for My Bespoke Chair means that I work 24/7 and I seriously need to find a way to disengage and relax. But it's hard because:  

          a) It doesn't feel like "work". I love what I do.

          b) I like action; it brings clarity. Once I start a project or task, I cannot stop until it's done.

          c) My office is at home so work and family routines blend. If I'm not writing a Press Release I'm doing the laundry. During the school-run, I'm mentally running through the metrics and next strategy.

• It is perfectly possible to be a full-time mum and business owner and cook freshly each day. It takes 20 minutes to whip up a simple pasta sauce or a hearty salad with pork chops. No excuses. In fact, my favourite down-time is when the kids are doing homework in the kitchen and I'm preparing supper. A cheeky G&T helps too! Plus, it is my duty to keep my family healthy. 
• A steep learning curve is actually very addictive. Knowing and doing stuff that I didn't know or do before is exhilarating. 
• The business needs to develop further - more fabric choices, embed a short video on "How It's Made", offer a more sophisticated Gift Certificate range, widen the Gallery {Buy It Now} choices and offer a free Chair Design Service for customers looking for inspiration and advice.

But most of all, I have learnt that my motivation remains steadfast - to share the joy of designing, make it accessible and encourage people to say proudly "I designed this."


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