I love working with other entrepreneurs on developing beautiful branding images for use in social media, websites, and advertising. My latest branding project was with Susan of Whimsy Daisy Designs, and if I must say, the session is so beautiful!
Susan and I met when she orchestrated a handmade goods market at the Squamish Yacht Club few years ago. Back then, I was just dipping my toes into the photography business, and was focused on hand-making teething rings and accessories for babies, after welcoming my daughter to the world. Susan was warm, and creative, and funny – I was nervous and unsure of what I was doing there amongst all of these wonderfully talented creatives, and her welcome stayed with me all of these years later. She creates beautiful home decor pieces, and also offers some personalized creations – you can check her website out at www.whimsydaisy.ca and read more about her work below!
Q: How did Whimsy Daisy Designs come about? The who/when/why/how behind the business?
A: Growing up, I had always been involved in the arts. I was a band geek and played the clarinet, sang in the choir and was always involved with the arts on some level. I love being creative and so most of my hobbies stemmed from this passion. Over the years, I had dabbled in sewing, and really got into it when we moved into our house here in Squamish giving me a clean slate and space to make my own. An unexpected “inspiration” was our new dog, Daisy, who we adopted when we moved to Squamish. She came with a note from her foster home saying she liked to eat blankets and anything fabric – and she sure did! As a result, I then had to up my sewing game and invested a lot of time learning as much as I could and it was so easy to fall in love with this craft as well as all of the endless, gorgeous fabric choices that came along with it! Side note – my business name honours the memory of my late dog Daisy who inspired me in the first place!
Since 2011, I had been a stay-at-home mom to my twin boys, and in 2017 finally took the plunge to start my own business. Friends and family had always encouraged me and I really had the desire to start my own business, and felt a home décor based business was a natural progression of my passion, so I jumped right in. Running my own business meant I could still be there for my kids while having the flexible schedule that my family needed. It also provided an opportunity to put to use the knowledge, skills and abilities that I had developed, as well as tap into the skills I had gained in my former career. Planning and organization are so important when it comes to running your own business, and I am so happy that I have those in my tool kit.
Q: What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy, and how do those influence your work?
I love the outdoors – not hike for a day and camp in the backcountry for a week kind of love – but I love hiking, and we ski and board as a family in the winter too. We have a boat and so that is a huge part of our lives. I love being near the ocean as much as possible – it just instantly grounds me and brings me peace, and at the same time, it brings me clarity, which of course helps with the creative process. Some of my best ideas have come to me when I have been enjoying a quiet moment with the sea.
Q: Tell me your favourite thing about your work.
A: Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day operations that we forget to take a step back and see what we are capable of and acknowledge what we have accomplished. There have been so many rewards along the way (and more to come each day), but the number one reward for me is the connections that I have made with my customers and fellow makers. I have had feedback from customers who have told me that what I had made for them has brought them so much joy, and one customer told me that she could just tell that I pour my heart and passion in to my creations and that she was drawn to my products for that very reason. To hear those words, gives me a great sense of pride and confirms that I am exactly where I am meant to be. It gives me the push to keep going.
Q: How do clients reach you?
A: On Instagram at @whimsydaisydesign
On the web at www.whimsydaisy.ca
Look for me at Bespoke Market April 29, 20 and May 1st – My first market of the season!
Q: What else would you like to share about your business, or entrepreneurship in general?
A: Owning a business is a challenge in and of itself. Some days there are struggles with ordering supplies, or equipment malfunctions or simply struggling with what to post on social media. Overall though, my biggest challenge has been believing in myself and facing my fears. It has been a process over the past few years, but I feel like I am finally in a place where I am confident in my abilities and that the biggest cure to my fears is to just do it. We all tend to get caught up in our thoughts and stuck in our ways and I find that positive self talk and finding what motivates you is the way to push past our self limiting beliefs. I cannot thank all of my customers enough for supporting my handmade shop. I do a little jig of joy every time and order is placed. It truly means the world!
Check out more of my branding work over at my Portfolio
Is it time to get your website and social images updated? Send me a message!
