I don't know how many people actually know how I ended up being a small business owner, how I started painting denim jackets and how my life somehow fell into this path so I thought today I would talk to you a bit about my journey and why I believe everything happens for a reason!!!
Back when I was around 16, in sixth-form/college, doing my A-Levels and we were all supposed to be deciding what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives I was really struggling with my mental health and didn't have any hope for my future. The only thing I was really passionate about were the musicians that I supported but I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with my life!! I decided to go to university as this would delay me having to find a full time job and having to enter the 'real world' and as I was really into my music, I decided to study music and live events management!
Whilst I was at university, I realised that as much as I absolutely LOVED going to concerts and following (and meeting!) my favourite bands and artists, I didn't really want to turn it into a career and lose my passion for it! I was also really into fitness at the time so I thought that maybe I could become a personal trainer, that way I could be my own boss and still make time to go to all the concerts I wanted to go to and work as much as I wanted/needed to! I started my personal training course and worked on it on and off throughout my third year at university, however, by the time I was ready to start the final part, the company I was doing it with went bust!!!! I couldn't really afford to pay to start it all over again with a different company and, again, I decided I just wanted to keep it as a hobby rather than a career. I have also had an on and off again relationship with disordered eating and being obsessed with fitness and being surrounded by that 'fitness' lifestyle/community was not helping!!!!
So I moved back home after uni and started working in a local pub and hoped I would soon figure out what I wanted to do in life! After a few months I decided that I wanted to do a ski season over the winter but I applied to loads of different places and interviewed at a few and didn't get any of the jobs. A few months later, and really hating my pub job, I decided that maybe I should use my degree and try get a job in events management. I applied and interviewed at loads of places again, but again, didn't get anything!! So I stayed working at a job that make me feel like sh*t and tried to fill my life outside of work with things that made me happy!
Just over 2 years ago I painted my first custom denim jacket, inspired by one of those things that makes me happy- Captain Marvel! I then started painting myself more jackets inspired by other things that made me happy and art became more and more of a passion for me! I shared these on the internet and other people started to ask me to paint jackets for them!! This carried on as a 'every now and again' sort of thing for about a year but then as we are all aware the pandemic hit!! I decided to use my time on furlough to really work and improve my art! I also happened to come across small business tiktok in that time. Both of these things really inspired me to work on my business and to turn it into something bigger! I built on the knowledge I had gained from my university degree and taught myself more about business, marketing, SEO, copyright, art etc. and now nearly another year later, I am a proper small business owner!!!! Whilst I'm not currently earning enough to move out of my parents house, I started earning enough to quit my pub job and fully focus on the thing that I love!!!!
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason because everything that I've been through, all the good things and all the things I found happiness in, all the bad things and jobs I didn't get, all lead to where I am now! Without my degree I may have believed all the business and marketing stuff would be too difficult for me, without the PT company going bust I may have become a PT and then struggled even more, if I had got any of the events management jobs I may not have started painting any jackets and even without the pandemic I may not have turned it into a proper business!! Life truly is wild and even though it may not feel like it at times, I do believe that the universe has a plan and a way of working things out for us all!
Whilst I do now have another part time job alongside my business, I still believe everything has happened for a reason and everything will work out how it's supposed to!
I am so so so grateful for all the support I have received on social media as without it all, I wouldn't be where I am today! And whilst I still have ups and downs with my mental health, I know that things are only going to keep getting better!!
Sending you so much love, and if you've read this whole thing, thank you so much!!