Greetings all,
Wow, tomorrow i'm part of the Experts on Tap at my daughter's high school - to chat about my industry, design, to impressionable & wide eyed year 10 students who no doubt have hopes & dreams of fame & fortune. I have no fear of public speaking but have warned the vocation teachers that my qualifications are in the sciences, i made up my own handmade sewing & design business from scratch in the last millenium. Please don't let them ask me which courses to enrol in at university or college or tafe or life!!
I am sure the accountants talking about accounting & doctors talking about doctoring all had clear paths to their careers. How do i talk about a career i moulded around the fact i had to create an job around a bunch of small children, at home, without help, moving interstate every couple of years, i couldn't do weekend markets & it was before the internet was in everyone's home/ phone/ workplace?? I know, i made it happen, somehow. I guess i'll twist it around to a discussion point on how to move with the times, be flexible & constantly developing, embracing technology & accepting your family situation. OMG, i can hear myself saying "it was so much harder back in my day" & pull up a rocking chair!! The world of 'commercial design' has changed, mums sewing at home & small scale handmade cottage industry has made a come back (500 years after it started)!!
I am sure the accountants talking about accounting & doctors talking about doctoring all had clear paths to their careers. How do i talk about a career i moulded around the fact i had to create an job around a bunch of small children, at home, without help, moving interstate every couple of years, i couldn't do weekend markets & it was before the internet was in everyone's home/ phone/ workplace?? I know, i made it happen, somehow. I guess i'll twist it around to a discussion point on how to move with the times, be flexible & constantly developing, embracing technology & accepting your family situation. OMG, i can hear myself saying "it was so much harder back in my day" & pull up a rocking chair!! The world of 'commercial design' has changed, mums sewing at home & small scale handmade cottage industry has made a come back (500 years after it started)!!
I really want to emphasise a basis of natural creativity, finding your own style, niche even & building on it. I am spatial so made all my own patterns for everything, saves risk of copyright or . . . copying!! Hope there is an lawyer there to chat about intellectual property & how someone can crush your dreams by stealing your unprotected idea. You also have to have a good dose of confidence, you are kind of showing your heart & soul to the world with what you create. You have to keep going forward all the time.
Keeping overheads down - i didn't start buying bolts until a few years into my business when i truly knew my style & what my customers would like. It's tempting to take out a loan & buy up big, but i say "selling out is a good thing, your clients will be hungry for your next range". Do small product runs, be exclusive & special.
Make, make, make - your own gifts, products for yourself & samples for sale to get a feel for what the market is after. Craft is no longer a dirty word, handmade is now cherished & small boutiques are really cutting into major department store sales these days. Keep fine tuning your skills & tweaking product ranges. Be careful to use words like "unique" or "original" unless you really mean "one off". If you're making dozens of the same thing, make each one slightly different - be it fabric, a small ribbon detail or size.
You're spoilt for choice these days for places to sell your products - etsy, MadeIt, eBay, FaceBook - all offer low cost/ low investment on line shops. Not to mention the endless stream of gorgeous handmade/ craft markets out there, for stall fee. Advertising - social media of blogs, FB etc are brilliant marketing tools. I believe THE designer should be able to present the best PR for their own business, especially for those "you are YOUR product" businesses. If not, there are plenty of fabulous companies who can help.
Getting into magazines/ published is such a thrill, once you're on their 'call out' list, it's the best glossy magazine free advertising you can get (free = cost to send them the products).
So as i put my 'key messages' together in my mind & worry about what to wear . . . i mean . . . what i should tell these girls, who might be overwhelmed at the thought of being 15 years old & ever confident about anything, versus those who diss me & insist they'll be the next Sass&Bide, i think i'll approach them from the good old Q&A session. I'll do an introduction about how/ when/ why i started to my journey to where i am now, where i want to go & then ask them what they want to know & how to grasp opportunities, if a mentor might help & who to trust or include in their business. I'm all about 'love what you do' but it has to pay the bills & be realistic about covering costs - or should i leave them dreaming??
So as i put my 'key messages' together in my mind & worry about what to wear . . . i mean . . . what i should tell these girls, who might be overwhelmed at the thought of being 15 years old & ever confident about anything, versus those who diss me & insist they'll be the next Sass&Bide, i think i'll approach them from the good old Q&A session. I'll do an introduction about how/ when/ why i started to my journey to where i am now, where i want to go & then ask them what they want to know & how to grasp opportunities, if a mentor might help & who to trust or include in their business. I'm all about 'love what you do' but it has to pay the bills & be realistic about covering costs - or should i leave them dreaming??
I have to do this 4 times for 30 minutes to 4 seperate groups. Should i take props?? If i feel i'm losing them, should i let slip my daughter in lowly year 7 was the cool one putting up the super popular "You're Awesome" posters to gain some street cred?? Wish me luck, teenagers are lovely & keen to learn that this is one career built on a lot of hard work, long hours & a dash of failure, aren't they?? Love Posie
