👋 Bonjour!! 👋
So in my endless quest to find decent content to put on my website as blogs and on my social media, I asked you guys if you had any questions for me to answer, and there was, so i’ll answer some here and also do an IGTV too!
Why did you started Squiffy Print?
Squiffy originally started as a side hustle to earn a bit of extra cash! I was then sacked from my full time job and it made me work even harder on my Squiffy project. I’m neither ashamed at being sacked, nor am I going to slag them off, but certain things happen in life that you just gotta navigate with the best will and intentions! I massively believe everything happens for a reason, and after I was laid-off I was picked up by an old horsey-mate when I needed some work, and she gave me some hours working in her small but extremely busy business. This is when it dawned on me you really can do whatever the hell you want in life!! If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re probably right!
Fast forward a bit, and within a year I was that busy I had to work on Squiffy full time to meet demand, so i made the jump to being totally self employed!!
What are your inspirations?
I am so inspired by everything, I think its the entrepreneur in me that sees opportunity everywhere! I love not only the design aspect of my work, but I also love watching Dragon’s Den, and hearing about how people have build up their businesses from nothing. I also LOVE Richard Reed’s podcast with Holly Tucker: Richard and few uni mates set up Innocent drinks, and eventually through trials and tribulations, sold out to Coca Cola. They came very close to losing it all too. There’s a line I think you have to cross if you want to be successful, and mindset has a lot to do with that too.
What does sustainability mean to your brand?
This is a fabulous question, I think all businesses now have a responsibility to Planet Earth and the next generations to take responsibility for the carbon foot print, waste and sustainability levels of their day to day operations. Especially as I am within the ‘apparel’ industry, things such as using organic grown cotton for products uses less water than non-organic. I have also placed myself in the market so my products may seem a little more expensive than the H&M’s and Primark’s of the world: my t-shirts, sweaters and hoodies are not fast fashion. I use water based inks so no nasty chemicals are used to wash off equipment. All my stuff is printed to order so there is no waste from excess stock. I am now working on a minimal approach to my packaging - so all information will be printed on the outside of a paper envelop so there will be no tissue nor inserts, just simple and easily recyclable minimal packaging.
And here’s some random questions……!!!
What was your fave thing to do growing up?
I was a pony mad kid, I would spend as much time as I could at the stables!
When you were a child what did you dream of becoming when you are older…
Blue Peter presenter, Vet!
What is your fave topic to talk about
At the moment (and this is actually really sad) but Facebook adverts!
what do you like doing so much that you lose track of time
I love looking on Pinterest, but I have to be careful I don’t get sucked into a ‘pinterest hole’ - 1 hour on Pinterest is probably the equivalent to 3 in real life! I do love being outside in the fresh air with my little lad & dog (and Jamie when he's not biking!) 😂😂😂
what would you do if money wasn’t an issue?
I would give George Clarke all the money he needed to build as much modern social housing as possible! Having a stable and permanent home is really important for the growth, development and mental health of kids. Many people are stuck in temporary accommodation which isn’t an ideal environment for thriving in. In fact it can make matters worse and I feel the government need to step up to the big-wig property developers and address this situation. Can you name any areas where council houses have been built recently?!
If you had 5 mins and the WHOLE world was forced to listen, what would you say
“Roll up, roll up, come get your personalised and lovely t-shirts from Squiffy Print” - haha!!! To be fair, once upon a time it would have been something to do with politics/Brexit/Trump, but I think people gotta figure that out for themselves! Up social housing!! 🏠
Thanks for tuning in folks, until next time!
