Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This is the million dollar question, isn’t it. We as women in business want to be successful whilst being a great mum and wife. You know, there is no secret strategy to having the balance. I think from the get go, you need to set boundaries for yourself with your “new baby”, your business. Set working hours and try to stick to them. Have lists, keep on track and delegate. I am so lucky – my beautiful family helps in the business – we really are a team. I do have to remind myself to stop working sometimes. It’s easy to let the good balance slip. For us it just works. My husband is amazing and will pitch in and help with the housework and cooking, etc. So for us, we just make it work – Love Nelli is part of our daily routine and we have fun working in the business together.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I think anyone with a new business that says they didn’t face challenges is telling big fat porkies!
There are so many challenges we face when starting a new business from scratch, that it really does sort out the driven from the dreamers. There are the usual challenges: finding the finance, getting your product right, building your website, finding a space to work from, but I think the biggest challenge we face is our own self doubt. You know, that little annoying voice in your head that thinks “can I really pull this off?”. That annoying little voice can have such an impact on your drive and self-belief it’s ridiculous. Having the faith in your idea and not letting anyone put a dampener on your drive is huge.
You have to 100% believe in what it is you are doing. You have to believe that your idea will work because if you don’t, then that’s it, you will become your own worst challenge if you are not 110% convinced you can do this. YES, sometimes you have to fake it before you make it, but that total belief in yourself needs to be there first. If you want it bad enough, you will make it happen.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Golly, there is so much I could say about this question!
In a nutshell, the pros are most definitely the rewarding experience of seeing your brand not only grow but genuinely help people. You know when you work for yourself, you truly get paid for your worth and work – you put the effort in and you will see the rewards, be it monetary or soul fulfilling. You get to design the lifestyle that you want. You will be busier than ever, but that’s because you have built your business in this way. It will be fulfilling and wonderful and terrible all at the same time.
The cons are different for everyone. For me, the hardest part about running my own business is I have to be the fixer. It’s up to me to fix anything that goes wrong. You can also get caught in the trap of not getting help in areas that you need to. It’s very easy to become a control freak and want to do it all! It’s just not sustainable to do this. Be prepared to ask for help and delegate. You have to also ride the wave of the good times and the bad. The good times in business can be oh so good and the bad times can be catastrophic. You need to plan for those times. Plan for a rainy day so to speak.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I love nothing more than a challenge to change my hopes and dreams into realities! I think most entrepreneurs would do the same. A goal is just a dream with a plan – right! So for me, my dream is to make sure that I have a beautiful range of clothing that is quality and ethically made, never mass produced and that will fit and flatter almost everyBODY. Fashion that fits! So right now, I am working on some new styles that I will excitedly bring to the table. My hope is that everyone sees our beautiful “Spoil Your Sister” program! This is a pay it forward type of program where we make sure we get our beautiful dresses to those that need it the most. Nothing makes you feel more beautiful than having a pretty dress to wear! I believe we all deserve to feel beautiful every single day!
Visit the Love Nelli website and check out their gorgeous clothing range. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
