The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Starting a business is entirely new for me, so the administrative side has been my big challenge, making sure that I tick all the right boxes. I had imagined that setting up a website would be super quick and easy to do, but I found that it took ages and my brain felt used up afterwards! Wesley’s biggest challenge has been building a shed and filling it with the tools he needs, on an extremely tight budget. It has largely involved sourcing second-hand tools and bringing them back from the brink of death with a combination of love, elbow grease and ingenuity.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
We’re right at the start of our journey, so I think the only con we’ve encountered so far is uncertainty: where will this go? What does the future hold for our little family and Peapod Play? For me, the biggest joy has been having this big project that we’re working on as a team. It has injected fresh energy and excitement into our lives and given us a focus that is quite apart from the usual work-supper-bedtime practicalities.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
When I asked Wesley what his dream for Peapod Play is, he said, “I just want to make more things!”. It’s not a grand ambition, but it’s at the heart of what we’re doing: acting on a creative impulse, and hopefully bringing joy to others in the process. I have a few dreams of my own: In the short-term, I hope to create a selection of toys that can be gifted to daycares and schools, because I really believe that all children should have access to simple, quality, natural toys. In the medium- to long-term, I’d love us to grow to the point that Peapod Play could be my ‘job’, enabling me to continue to stay at home with my little one (and perhaps a few more!).
Visit the Peapod Play website to shop their gorgeous range of handmade children’s toys. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
