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'We all have a Wonder Woman within us' - Unknown.

Together, we are the future.

What motivates you?

Nothing motivates me more than positive change and growth. These days I’m not overly concerned with increasing our turn-over but I am obsessed with doing things better. We work on constantly tweaking each part of the business and I love nothing more than finding a new system, app or partnership to take us to the next level. This obsession with change and growth is part of my personal life too. If there’s a new book, eating fad or trend then I’m usually jumping on board too! It’s what keeps life interesting.

What inspired you to start?

Freedom! I really wanted a life where I could combine my passion for small business with the flexibility and autonomy of running my own show. I firmly believe in life balance and I could never understand the rigidness of the traditional 9:00 – 5:00 mentality. I wanted to write my own rules and to have a life full of fun and travel plus good old hard work!

What is your advice for women wanting to start a business?

Stay lean. You really don’t need that fancy office or embossed business cards. Start selling and keep your expenses low. I know it sounds like common sense but looking back at my 15 years there were so many things I invested in which I really didn’t need. I’m a big believer in the bottom line and protecting it. Also, develop a group of business owner friends. They will be your support and saving grace over the years to come!

What obstacles and challenges did you face?

How long do you have? So many challenges over the years, some which I can talk about and some which are still too raw! Running your own business is not for the faint-hearted. Cash flow at one point was a huge issue. I had to develop nerves of steel otherwise I would never have any sleep. This also coincided with the birth of my daughter so it truly was a challenging time. Over the years I think I’ve faced pretty much everything from manually moving 75 pallets under the sun to falling off a tall ladder at a trade fair. Then there are the bigger challenges that come with growth from managing cash and suppliers to updating systems and increasing staff. The point is there will always be obstacles. There is not much now that can faze me – I know there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and you just need to go on that journey to get there.

What is your favourite quote?

"Dreams don’t work unless you do."

What motivates you?

Gosh so many things!! Building something for my family and my team, my love for colour and home, when people tell me I can’t do something (oh yeah, just watch me!), spreading beauty to the world, giving people the inspiration to be adventurous with their home, giving relevance to handcrafted techniques to ensure their survival, rewriting what it means to be a wife/mum/woman, being courageous.

What inspired you to start?

The inspiration was twofold… I have an incredible love for interiors and textiles and places/things that emulate soul and home. I have always been drawn to colour and texture and the beauty of handcrafted pieces because they’re so intentional. They didn’t just get spit out of a machine; rather, somebody crafted it with their hands, often using hundreds of years of skill and knowledge to be able to use that very technique. This love inspired me to start Sage x Clare and to celebrate these crafts, while also giving it a renewed and relevant look. I was also inspired by my wish to be fulfilled in all aspects of my life, even when children eventually came along, which they did. I come from a law background but couldn’t foresee how a career in law was going to also allow me to be there for my kids and family in the way I wanted to be. I witnessed my Mum largely sacrifice her career for my sister and I, and, perhaps selfishly, knew that I wasn’t prepared to do that. I wanted to create a business and workflow that would allow me some flexibility to ebb and flow with the needs and demands of life. I’ve had to work incredibly hard for many years to create that, but it’s finally starting to come to fruition.

What is your advice for women wanting to start a business?

Absolutely do it… we need more women starting a business because that’s largely going to change the culture of workplaces if their run and led by women. But also, be realistic about what starting a business means, particularly in the early years. You’ll likely work harder than you’ve ever worked, you’ll likely have less balance than you’ve ever had, you’ll likely have many moments where you might question whether it’s worth it. If you can stick at it though and stay true to your ‘why’, it’ll be worth the push.

What obstacles and challenges did you face?

So many! And continue to do so on an almost daily basis. We design everything in-house but everything is made overseas, mostly in India. That brings an incredible amount of challenge and complexity to my business (and that’s tenfold with Covid!) and has also meant I need to adjust for the cultural dynamics that exist there. I distinctly recall not being taken seriously in the early years and despite travelling there on a regular basis to build relationships with my suppliers, I would sometimes need Chris (my husband) to put in a phone call from Melbourne to explain what’s what and simply repeat my own words… it was frustrating at times and I felt disempowered. I’ve come to realise there are some things I alone can’t change so I accept them for what they are but work on my own solutions/plans that will allow me to move forward. It was also challenging, when the business was in its infancy, to negotiate with my family and my husband that the work that I do is important and deserves the respect of other ‘paid’ work or the needs of others. For a good few years, we reinvested everything back into Sage x Clare, which meant I didn’t earn an income for my family. So that, coupled with the perceived ‘flexibility’ of running my own business, tended to mean that if the kids got sick or anything came up, it would fall on me without question, regardless of what important meetings or photoshoots etc were scheduled. It’s taken years for us to reformulate this successfully as a family and to also challenge each other’s assumptions of how this might look. It’s different for everyone but I think we’ve found our recipe for success now.

What is your favourite quote?

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt

What motivates you?

My motivation is the love and pride that I have for this company that Olivia and I have built together. There is nothing more exhilarating for us than having our ideas, stories, and designs come to life via our product.

What inspired you to start?

It all started with a nursing chair that we designed and had manufactured locally because we couldn't find a nursing chair in the UK that was both functional and contemporary. What began as a creative project soon became an in-demand product with all our friends, so we went for it.

What is your advice for women wanting to start a business?

You have to be passionate about what you are creating in your business. It's a hard slog with lots of highs and lows, and if you don't have the passion for what you are doing to see you through the rougher days, it would be easy to walk away.

What obstacles and challenges did you face?

Too many to list! Everything from how to manufacture, how to wholesale, how to run a business and most importantly, how to take something that was a creative project and turn it into an actual business

What is your favourite quote?

'If you believe it'll work out, you'll see the opportunities. If you don't believe it'll work out, you'll see obstacles' - Lisa Messenger.