Journal of a Journey: From 9-5 to Founder, when everything changed

In my journal entries I want to speak to my fellow founders and independent business owners, to challenge the ‘perfection’ and unattainable standards the internet breeds. I also wish to share honest and sometimes embarrassingly candid accounts of my journey from the comfort of a 9-5 to independence and trust in the process.

The last few months have been a rollercoaster, filled with the highest and lowest moments of my life so far. If I could sum up the last few months in a tidy phrase it’d be ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’.

In June I married my best friend and partner of almost 8 years. It was a London wedding by the Thames in Greenwich, we were even on the Thames at one point being ferried from the Town Hall to the reception. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining. Our friends and family were around us and all of the planning and sticking to tight budgets had paid off. Wearing a dress my mother made by hand and dried flowers I DIYed into bouquets, I couldn’t have asked for more.

In July I celebrated my birthday and lost my job in the same week. A job I loved and will always cherish. A job I had been doing and growing with for almost 5 years. It was a shock and completely out of the blue. I didn’t imagine I would have ever leave and I was left lost and homesick. It’s only when things go wrong that I truly realise how much I miss my support network in Dublin.

I had always had a varied career in the jewellery industry; from making to marketing, photography to analytics. I always saw this as a negative. I would never be expert enough in any one topic to really progress in my career but I was never able to quite put my finger on what I was most passionate about. My holistic experience was what excited me. Following a project through from start to finish was what excited me.

So I decided the thing I had thought of for so long as a weakness was actually an incredible strength and needed to be shared. Being able to speak about many different aspects of small business, and the jewellery industry specifically, is unique to me. Being able to advise jewellers and brand founders on many aspects of their brands is a privilege I could finally embrace.

Despite the grinding fear in my stomach I registered &Worn Studio as a business, built a website, started an Instagram account. I reached out to people I had met over the last (almost) 10 years I have been in the UK jewellery industry. I am so lucky to have been able to build relationships and trust with some incredible people over these years. Often the jewellery industry can feel like a disconnected and intimidating place but sometimes community comes together beautifully.

“Ok this could actually work” I thought, so I jumped in feet first.

In September I jumped at the opportunity to speak live on BBC radio alongside Kassandra Gordon about our work on The Jewellery Collective. A social enterprise I have been working on for months which aims to build community in the jewellery industry and offer educational and networking opportunities. I thought this would be the most nerve-wracking experience, but speaking to a lovely host unable to see how many people are listening*. I still haven’t listened back to the recording.

Later in September I had the privilege of being part of an expert panel discussing best practice for communications and increasing sales at The Jewellery Collective Forum. The panel consisted of some incredible women; Susannah King and Kate Baxter as well as Gemma from Maya Magal, Giselle from Truffle Social and Nerissa, founder of Untld Project.

My aim going into the talk was to offer the crowd tangible and actionable advice rather than abstract theory. I am all about actionable support. With a lot of help from Rescue Remedy and a lovely time getting to know the other panel members ahead of the talk I felt much more comfortable and confident up on stage than I had expected to. I took some time afterwards to truly feel the pride I had in myself (something I think we are all guilty of neglecting sometimes) and I really want to do it again!

In October I hosted my first educational masterclass webinar with the inspiring jeweller and business coach Megan Collins. Even with the panel and radio experiences under my belt I was still incredibly nervous ahead of this, I am wondering if that feeling ever actually goes away?

Working with founders and designers like Anna Loucah Fine Jewellery, The Rock Hound and the newly launched, ethical and radically transparent brand, Considered Jewellery has been so exciting. I am looking forward to everything the future holds.

If someone had told me in June how much my life would change in 4 short months I would not have believed them. But now it’s all beginning to make sense. Although this is not what I had envisioned back then, I am so grateful to be in this incredibly privileged position to be able to share all the knowledge and skills I have gained with people who truly need and deserve the support.

There are so many inspirational and aspirational small business owners out there who will blaze trails if only they had a little bit of help. Are you one of them? If so, I am here for you.