Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
My number one priority is my family. So whatever happens, they’ll always be first. But I am lucky enough to have a great lifestyle, a very supportive husband and inspirational kids. I consider myself privileged. I live in a superb environment and in a very safe country. What luxury! I really do feel blessed and thus more inclined to provide a quality shopping experience for my clients.
The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The loneliness of working on your own, missing being part of a team – the interaction with colleagues, the exchange of ideas.
Also, when I moved to New Zealand, I was very determined to stay away from technology and social media. I left the workforce and took a real break from all that. But when I started my own business, I could no longer do that. I had to use technology, re-learn again, immerse myself into the social media as it is a big part of how people do business nowadays. So it has been a learning curve for me, with a lot of frustration but luckily a positive outcome. I am a person that puts relationships (personal and professional) above anything. I like and want the human contact. I need to understand my clients, understand their tastes, their needs and their wishes. I want to build a clientele that I know well, that I appreciate and that will be totally satisfied with their Maisey Road experience.
Understanding a new industry takes time too. All my working life has been spent in International Organisations. Barring a brief passage at the JP Morgan Bank many moons ago, my professional contact with the commercial world has been pretty much non-existent. So here again, the learning curve was quite… steep! Getting to know a new industry can be tricky sometimes. And not doing it in a corporate environment creates challenges too. Despite it all, the fashion and retail industries are quite a fascinating world. And I am glad I took that road.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Pros: being free to do and go where you want; carrying on your dream; meeting very nice people and being able to engage in real human contact.
Cons: not to have the support of an established structure; the financial burden.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My aim is to offer a great service so that it matches the quality of product we have available. I believe this will allow us to establish a clientele based on mutual trust and understanding.
The clothes are more than good enough to sell themselves. I aim for Maisey Road to become “THE” place to go for your special occasions. Adding accessories, shoes and looking for more interesting brands to widen the styles on offer is also on the cards!
To see the whole range, visit the Maisey Road website, and be sure to follow Maisey Road on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news and offers.
