Someone asked me if there would be more than one Green Couture store, if we’d have multiple locations?
I hadn’t thought about it much to be honest, although my husband is certainly keen.
I guess if you can do one, you can do two!
Do you believe that you ever reach the end of a dream?
I wonder if they keep evolving, extending… you reach the end of the initial dream & then it extends into a whole new chapter, a new direction.
A future challenge for me is to get other people involved in the Green Couture dream, to employ staff & have volunteers. Living out your own dream or vision is one thing but the ability to pass that on to others so they are able to embody your unique culture is another challenge entirely.
One thing is certain; the adventure always has new challenges!
So much to do! A lifetime sometimes feels too short…
I’m sharing my thoughts about the future with you in the hope that it stirs up the dream in you.
What is it that you’ve always wanted to do?
It may not be about having your own business, it might be learning a language, travelling, buying a house, creating something… why not do something today to head in that direction? You just need to take a step.
I’d like Green Couture to be in a position of influence in the local (& wider) community. Not for the sake of having attention & certainly not attention on me, but to be known for believing in people, loving people, a business that invests into it’s community & helps people in need.
I am keen to continue my search to source beautiful things for the store, perhaps extending this overseas. I’m looking forward to seeing The Local Creative ‘family’ grow & to continue to support those creative people out there who make such unique & lovely things!
I’d like to develop relationships that further enable us to fund/bless/give to projects that help people reach their potential…
It’s been so nice chatting these past few Fridays; be inspired to pursue your dream. You can do it! Believe in yourself… there’s more in you than you know!
You can follow me at my blog if you’d like to stay up to speed with the Green Couture adventure. Pop in to the store & say hello if you’re in Albany, Kate
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Images – Krysta Guille Photography, Lumiere Art & Co, Pony Rider
Cushions & wall dots available at the Green Couture Store
Today marks the end of the second week of the Green Couture ‘in the flesh’ store being open. I also have a Green Couture on-line store – this went ‘live’ in January this year.
The on-line store was another of those steps that happen along the way to the dream being realised.
Who knows that starting your own venture requires investment?
Lots of your time, your effort, your money…
On the subject of finance, ‘The Wait’, catch up here (if you missed last week’s post), also resulted in finance being available to launch the Green Couture website, the on-line store & now the physical store… it’s all about the right timing! Don’t try to make things happen at the wrong time!
It’s so easy to get distracted. I was having coffee with the lovely and wise Amanda Viviers earlier this year and she said something along the lines of ‘don’t compare what you’re doing with what other people are doing’.
Inspiration is great but not when you lose track of your own idea & start trying to recreate someone else’s dream, becoming a rip off of someone else, not the true version of you & what you’re meant to achieve.
If you’re building something stick to your vision; check regularly that you’re on track…
Don’t get sidelined by someone else’s dream…
Don’t be afraid to make adjustments, do something different or entirely can an idea, you can always go back to the drawing board if it doesn’t feel like the right fit.
Being able to adjusting things as we go is very freeing. We don’t have to be slaves to what we’ve put in place, what we thought it might look like.
When something doesn’t work out how we might have envisaged we can
re-set…
re-think…
re-adjust…
One of the things I enjoy about Green Couture is people. Relationships you’re your suppliers, clients & neighbouring businesses.
The myriad of different people you come into contact with who were all there doing their thing before you started your business but now your worlds have collided.
Opportunities!
to relate…
to be-friend…
to influence…
to be kind…
Life is rich!
Hope your Friday is going magnificently,
Images – Krysta Guille Photography, Best in Park, Empirical Style & Ziporah
Dog accessories, wooden pendant lights & towels available at the Green Couture Store Online
Let me introduce another brilliant young creative in my world. Her name is Cassie Fox. I came across a new creative business that Cassie had launched around 6 months ago at a SPARC gathering and was super inspired at the level of excellence in its execution.
So I wanted to ask her a few questions around Shop Talk; launching a creative business and introduce you to this world changer. I am sure when you check out her page that you will be as inspired as I am…
Hey Cass,
Let’s introduce the Capture Life readers to your world with a few quick, one wordish answer type of questions…
Favourite colour; Light blue
You drink your coffee; Green….in the form of tea!
Favourite internet community;99u.com Insight on making ideas happen. BRILLIANT!
Now for a bit more detail about your new creative business and adventures…
Tell me when did your dream for IZRA begin?
Versions of it have existed since I finished high school in 2007. It has done a LOT of evolving, but it came out of a desire to connect kids with something bigger than themselves. There are BRILLIANT support services out there, but many of them have very broad target demographics and their branding and messaging has to appeal to all of those audiences.
I wanted to create a brand specifically for young people; in their space, in their language and using the channels that they frequent. The idea was to create a voice that was counter to so many of the messages in those spaces, connecting them with the good things that sometimes don’t seem as appealing or relevant.
What has been the biggest hurdle in setting up a creative business?
There have been several challenges, but a big one has been my own brain!
A lot of people had opinions about whether I should even try and do something like this, as well as the way I should do it.
Particularly after launching, I had quite a hard time not fixating on the less-than-encouraging opinions that people felt very free to share, which is really draining when you are stepping out of your comfort zone in so many different ways. It was such an eye-opener for me in terms of the environment I had developed for my creative work. While I had put so much time and energy and resource into this dream, by focusing so much on what others thought of it all, I was creating a pretty hostile environment for this new and fragile thing to grow.
Also, my need for perfection can be a bit of a pain. I had to learn very quickly that although it may not look like the big picture plan I have in my head yet, you have to start somewhere and there is no shame in giving things time to grow!
How do you refuel creatively after launching such a huge project?
I love reading about and listening to people who are doing much bigger and more effective things!
Also, just being creative without an agenda or time restraints. I can be rather intensely purposeful, with everything needing to produce results or be ticked off a never-ending to-do list. So sometimes just baking or painting or writing for no reason other than because I feel like it, is really cathartic.
Why bother with young people?
Because I remember so clearly what it feels like and I think I’ve spent quite a while working through some of the negative self concepts I formed in high school.
I wasn’t very good at managing my thoughts and the way I spoke to myself in high school, so when I faced the challenge of moving cities and schools in term 2 of year 12, my world kind of fell apart. It sounds really dramatic now, but I had no friends, I started failing all of the subjects I had been topping and I just couldn’t see things getting any better, ever, and I wanted it to be over.
Because I get what a vulnerable and emotional time of life this is, I want iZRA to connect young people with a community that says, ‘it’s ok to feel that way, but that’s when you need to ask someone for help.’
I want iZRA to say, ‘no matter how it feels, you’re never alone, you’re never the only one who feels like this, and it doesn’t have to last forever.’ If this can prevent some young people from feeling alone or trapped, then I’d be stoked!!
What do you believe about the next generation?
I believe this generation of young people are incredibly smart and generous and sensitive. They face very different battles to young people even 5-10 years ago. Yes, in our Western society they have unprecedented privilege, access to information and opportunity, but there are so many more voices fighting for their attention and offering labels to define them.
Developing a healthy self-concept has always been a challenge, but doing so with a million seemingly unattainable standards being broadcast to you day and night, really complicates the issue.
This is why our overall brand message is about ‘being free’, but our school presentations focus on ‘mental toughness’ and how to build emotional resilience. There is nothing free about being controlled by your emotions or things like depression, anxiety or bullying. We believe that learning to determine the thoughts you give ‘airtime’ to is crucial, so that when challenges in life do come, you’re not trying to deal with those challenges, plus fighting a battle in your mind as well.
How can people find you and your adventures?
Our website: www.izra.com.au takes the form of an online magazine with articles, interviews and content kids send in.
Our instagram is where we interact and continue our key brand messages through daily posts: @iZRA_au
What next?
Ahhhh….good question! I of course have big plans of how I want to see iZRA’s influence spread far greater than just Mandurah and Perth, but at the moment, I am pretty focused on consolidating the progress we’ve already had.
In the short term, we’ll be expanding our merchandise line soon and looking into producing some short videos around the key issues we address such as bullying, anxiety and depression.
Thanks so much for your time and your passion for the next generation Cassie. I think your creative project is amazing and you are even more so.
During August I have a group of guest writers, embarking on a creative series one day a week, throughout the season.
One of the new series that we have developed is called; ‘Shop Talk; I launched a creative business! What next?’
The intent is to help our readers who have the dream to start a creative business or who have already embarked upon one with some tips from people in the industry.
To get us ready for this new series in August, I thought I would interview some amazing up and coming creative business owners in my world, starting with the amazing Lauren Hack.
‘Interior stylist, Lauren Hack, established Laurén Interiors in 2009; with a vision to introduce Perth to an international quality of interior decoration. Laurén Interiors’ interior consultation brings together the perfect balance of style & comfort. Lauren’s philosophy is to create timeless interiors with a unique artistic touch.’
Not only is she supremely stylish, she is delightfully down to earth and passionate about creativity and people.
Welcome Laurén Interiors to Capture Life.
A quick introduction for our readers Lauren to your business and your creative passions;
In one wordish answers tell me about the following…
Your favourite colour; Tiffany blue & Gold
You drink your coffee; Often!! (totally hooked!)
You are bookmarking; Elle Decor and all things E L L E R Y
Favourite interior piece in your own home; my treasured wrought iron arched mirror (reminds me of an arched window in a parisian penthouse!)
Local hometown favourite; The glorious ‘Plane trees’ lining Mounts bay road…my favourite
Your Hero’s; My parents
Brand most inspiring you lately; Saint Heron (compilation CD from solange’s record label)
Tell me when did your dream for this creative business begin?
It all began at the tender age of 10! I would draw pictures of console tables with lamps on them, redesign my neighbour’s front yard (haha), I would pay more attention to my friends houses, then on the games we were playing! Taking in the det
ails of what details made the space ‘work’ and also wrote in my journal, at the top of my dreams list, that I wanted to ‘have a business as an interior decorator’ one day…
I knew that’s what I wanted to do so then I simply set my mind to it!
What has been the biggest hurdle in setting up a creative business?
To be honest there have been a few, but the biggest has probably been the ‘business’ side of my business. I feel completely in sync with and passionate about the creative side of my work but was never trained in business and didn’t necessarily have anyone to show me the ropes- so had to learn as I went and it has taken a lot of courage at times in dealing with different business-related circumstances.
How do you refuel creatively after a long contract has been finished?
I am such a visual creature, so when I am lacking creative inspiration; I head straight to my local cafe, take my iPad and a bunch of the latest interior magazines and sit with my coffee soaking up the goodness of any interior images I can get my hands on!
I always feel refreshed and inspired after a good soaking session like that!
Favourite project to date?
There are a few, especially as I often form a close attachment with some clients, particularly as renovations can be a long process…
My favourite to date is definitely one of my most recent projects, a charming federation home in South Perth, which we renovated in the Hamptons-chic style.
My gorgeous client has been so easy to work with and has very similar taste to me, so it’s been a dream to work on!
I loved the video vignette you recently released about this project. Let’s have a look at your newest project together…
Lauren, I just want to say thanks for sharing your passions here at Capture Life. Your video and your pursuit of excellence in your business is really inspiring.
Follow Lauren on her youtube channel linked above to be notified when her new video’s in this series are available.
If you have a creative business and would like to be featured as a part of this new series ‘Shop Talk’ contact Amanda at info@amandaviviers.com and watch out for our series starting with a guest creative business owner every Friday in the month of August.
