Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This is most definitely not easy! I feel that all women really struggle with this from time-to-time. I have two little ones currently aged 4 and 6 and, although they are now becoming a little more independent, there is nothing like having their mummy by their side. I try to switch off from my business between 6pm and 9pm every evening as this is the time for spending with my husband and kids. Sometimes when we are very busy or have a major launch, I will find myself working overtime and I often feel guilty about this. But lately we have found a solution that seems to work quite well for us: The kids stay late with me at the office, getting to watch cartoons and eat pizza, and they love it! My 6-year-old son also loves to do small tasks for us around the office and often finds himself making quite a bit of pocket money during the school holidays, which is a win-win for everyone as he loves to help and also loves saving money. So not only does he learn about hard work, but he also gets to develop the wonderful habit of saving money.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Oh gosh! There have been so many that I don’t even know where to start! Being very hard on myself is probably the biggest challenge I face on almost a daily basis. Wanting everything to go smoothly only to find that nothing goes to plan is super tough and challenging. Designs often don’t come out right and delays up to 5 months have even occurred as we waited for finished products to arrive. I don’t know if these challenges have been overcome as they often come up again and again unexpectedly, but that is the challenge of running your own business and brand. It’s extremely rewarding, but also very hard work. But I wouldn’t be doing anything else.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
There are definitely lots of pros and also lots of cons when it comes to running my own business. One of the biggest pros would definitely have to be receiving the amazing feedback of happy mums who are constantly telling us how much they love their purchases and how thrilled they are with the service we have provided them with. It makes me so happy as I strive to create a business that brings good to the world. The other big pro is seeing my creations come to life and also having the opportunity to improve products and create something that I can really be proud of and that makes our customers happy. With each small win I’m further motivated to keep going.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I have big dreams for Karibou! Creating new exciting collections on a weekly basis is a definite goal. Selling them worldwide in hundreds of stores is another. My goal is to make Karibou not only unique and exciting, but also affordable for families everywhere. We also have big plans to help families in need as I’d love for our business to make a difference in the world. We are starting out with the Karibou Kindness Project, which we will be making announcements about very soon!
To see their full range of beautiful products at the Karibou online store, check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
