Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I opened the store after the boys started primary school and our home, the school and the shop were 10 minutes away from each other. It was perfect because the neighbourhood is so lovely and everything was a stone’s throw away. This was essential, because my husband had a long commute and didn’t really have much time or energy left to offer during the first few years of setting up my business.
I cannot say I had a lot of spare time, but I was able to be present when we were all at home. Thankfully, my boys were super active and happy to stay and do sport after school and I had the number of a great local childminder who got on super well with them and he was happy to stand in whenever I couldn’t collect them from school due to meetings with suppliers or when we held our late night events.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Owning your own business can be overwhelming as much as it can be rewarding.
The pandemic made me stop and realise that it was not sustainable to remain as a one woman band, I was doing all the jobs that big businesses have teams to work on. It felt great to have a few people helping me when we re-opened. It made me realise I wanted to grow the business and be able to have a team working on it with me. This was the drive when we decided to open our second store in the beautiful town of Dorking in the heart of Surrey a year ago. It’s our anniversary in November!
The growth process does not come without its toll, it has been the hardest year to date for me, and growing pains are a thing I still need to get used to. We went from a one woman band to having a team of 10 amazing ladies running two lovely brick and mortars and a gorgeous online store that seamlessly integrate. And this was done in record time, so I’m really proud, but the challenges don’t stop. The current climate is making us face our greatest challenge yet.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pros are definitely a sense of freedom and the opportunity to shape something to be the best you think it can be. I do believe we are making our little mark in the world.
On the other hand, it can also feel pretty lonely when you run your own business. You know all the things that need to happen and the work is never finished, so it’s easy to forget to pause and be present in other aspects of your life.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I realise that our growth journey can’t stop now. The current economical climate is so uncertain, we need to plan to withstand the turbulent times ahead and hopefully come out stronger and wiser.
I hope to be able to open stores in other lovely local high streets across the country and prove that it is possible to be a truly sustainable business. I’d love for us to become the inevitable destination for people that truly care. It would be amazing if we could replicate the joy I used to feel when I found those treasured little stores around the world. The joy of visiting a store where the people running it know exactly where things come from and how things were made and where you come out proud of your lovely find, knowing that you, or your loved ones, will cherish it for years and years.
Browse their beautiful range of ethical clothing, gifts and accessories on the Mia Strada website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
