The kindness of friends
The best thing about starting a business when you're in your thirties, as opposed to being in your twenties, is that you have lots of helpful friends and friends of friends who really know what they're talking about in their various fields of expertise. We were stunned and very grateful to so many people for generously giving up their time to help us, with only the promise of potential glory and perhaps some free vintage inspired maternity clothes, should they at some point be required. This is a photo of me and Johanna at my friend Alanna's flat. Slouched and staring at a projected screen image of our website, deciding on the palette or lay out perhaps.... Alanna is a very old friend school friend and her input was huge. She helped us with all our branding and hosted many an evening like this, not only introducing us to a brilliant designer but providing pizza and wine to boot. From make-up artist to photographer friends, to friends in finance or fashion or ones who had also started up their own businesses, everyone said "of course" when we asked if we could pick their brains. We had lots and lots of coffees, drinking in all their much needed and much appreciated advice. We really would have struggled to get anywhere without them. So, thank you. And Alanna is now pregnant, so thankfully we can repay her.