Right from the start, I wanted to balance work with being there for our children – they are really at the heart of everything we do.
That was really tough because I had to acknowledge that I had a finite amount of time and couldn’t do it all. I’ve seen so many women in the same situation – we often beat ourselves up because we can’t do everything – but those expectations can be unrealistic.
I took a hard look at where my skill sets lay and what I most enjoyed. I realised that the part of the job I loved most was building the client relationship. I loved listening to people, getting information and working with clients to create something we were both excited about.
So I made a giant leap of faith that the business would keep on growing and took on a team of three designers. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The people that I now have on board are all very talented and I feel very fortunate that they have come into our lives.
I now not only have a better work/life balance at home, but the odd thing is that by pulling back a little, it has opened up so many more opportunities. Initially my business was in and around the Wairarapa, but now I get inquiries from all over the country.
If I reflect on how starting my own business has affected my family, I think the children have benefited from both parents working – not just materially – but as a life lesson. They can see that life isn’t necessarily all play time – if you put in the work, there is a reward. I talk about what I am doing with them all the time. I realised how much this was getting though when I saw my eldest daughter, Bella’s school workbook. They had been asked to say what they wanted to be when they grew up. One of her friends wanted to be a vet, another wanted to be a politician. Bella had written, “I want to have my own business.”
Becks Tosswill owns and runs Farmers Daughter Design Studio, designing everything from signage to websites and magazines. She and husband Richard live with their three children on their farm near Gladstone in the Wairarapa. Recently they won the Supreme Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards – Greater Wellington. You can find Farmers Daughter Design Studio on their website, Instagram and Facebook.
