Let’s go back to the beginning…

After getting on a bit of a roll with my blog and writing weekly, I’ve neglected it over the last few months. So to get back in the swing of it and to remind myself of how far things have come, I decided to take a look back and write about how and why I started this business.

I’ll be honest and say that running a business had never been a dream of mine. It’s unfair to say that Elsa Rose was started through desperation…it kind of was but it was my moment to try and I don’t regret what I did.

So in September of 2013, just over a month before our wedding, I arrived at my day job in a secondary school filled with dread for what to expect after 6 weeks off. Long story short, my life was empty. I spent my evenings planning lessons and marking and so did Pete. Our lives were school. And when you don’t hit the targets you predicted, the pressure gets worse. I had always been deemed as an “Outstanding” teacher, or at the very least “Good” so to be told I wasn’t good enough was a blow. It also wasn’t true; the expectation was unrealistic and unfair and I decided that I didn’t want to waste my life in a job that was making me miserable. I wasn’t the only one.

I handed my notice in, was offered another role and declined. It was a big step leaving my generous salary behind but what I got back in terms of clarity and peace of mind was more than worth it.

I can hardly believe that was six years ago. The first website launched and was a bit of a mess but it was a start. You know those reminders you get on Facebook where it shows your memories? Mine has been filled with some of the blogs and products I was sharing back then. They make me cringe a little but they were all stepping stones and lessons to learn to get me to where I am now.

The last six years have been a process of refining what I do. From selling gifts and crafts at markets to designing over a hundred cake toppers to finally settling where I am now and where I always wanted to be; designing and creating hair pieces and brooch bouquets, which had been my main aim from the beginning. I focused on what I thought everyone else wanted from me first rather than making my mind up about what I wanted to create.

Starting a business is like a discovery of yourself. It makes you question your very being, challenges your self-belief and, eventually, teaches you to stand tall and value your worth, which is so much harder than I imagined. I haven’t sussed it all out yet and I still have a long way to go but every time I doubt myself, something deep down tells me that I have the resilience to keep trying.

2019 was a very different year to others. It was a year filled with opportunities, photo shoots, magazine editorials and collaborations with some amazingly talented people. I am so grateful and I feel proud of how things have transformed.

I think sometimes we all need a little reminder of how far we’ve come don’t we? It can seem insignificant at first as life races on but a little bit of reflection puts it all in to perspective. So, lovely readers, tell me about your achievements from the past decade and big plans for the one ahead - let’s celebrate success together :)