Gold Dinosaurs & a Cup o'Tea
Some days you walk into work and decide that today is the day. Its the day to make a change. And that change is a new website. And that's just what happened to Adrienna & I. We walked in one day, and one of us said to the other "we really need a better website," and the other said, "yeah probably a good idea," and then the other said, "okay we should try Squarespace," and the other said, "sounds good let's find a template we like," and then the other (most likely me) said, "ew, I don't like that template... you always pick the worst ones," and then the other said, "well fine you pick one then," and well I could go on for a long time but this blog post isn't really about our mundane conversation and the makings of a website but rather a point so much bigger than the decision and experience of making new website. Nope, this blog post today is all about the perks and well, downfalls of being an entrepreneur and owning a small business.
Once upon a middle school day, I dreamed of being a graphic designer who worked at an advertising or marketing firm... and look now I sort of am. I get to design our website, business cards, street signs, advertisements, information pamphlets and so on. But not only do we get to design marketing tools but we have full freedom to design things however we want and to brand Ivory & Beau however we want even if it doesn't always make sense (insert gold dinosaur here.) And it's awesome and I love it. As a business owner you have full freedom to represent your business however you want, whether you're a funky quirky bridal boutique that is all about being fun, laid back and exciting or a (fill-in-the-blank here with adjectives that you like) shop... you can do whatever you want. Owning your own business gives you the full freedom to become a company that you believe in, that fits with your personality and feels right down to your core and your heart. We work so hard to make sure Ivory & Beau is just that. Everything in our shop is a representation of us and what we stand for (yes, there is a reason behind us not offering bridesmaids dresses and a reason there are gold dinosaurs hidden throughout the shop and a reason that we carry the designers we do), and that, my friends, is one of the very best perks of being a business owner.
Another perk of being your own boss is getting to work with people you really like and hire who you want. I can't even describe to you how much fun we have at work. Now I'm not going to lie, when Adrienna and I first partnered up we did not know each other very well. And at times we may not be the easiest people to work with but damn do we work together well. To sit next to each other for over 730 days now basically and still not be sick of each other? That's nuts... I mean I can't even find a guy to date that many days in a row, if we're being honest here. So it goes without saying I am beyond thankful that Adrienna and I found each other, and I honestly believe it was fate that brought us together and I say that in the least cheesy way possible. We make up for each other's weaknesses. We are the ultimate team I truly believe it. We complement each other so perfectly. Then we have Nic, our kangaroo from Australia, who contacted me randomly one day via e-mail to shadow me while visiting the states who after meeting quickly became one of my best friends. Now back from Australia for a year and a half working for us and rocking every minute of it so much that we are trying to find a way to keep her forever. And McKenzie, the girl with the amazing hair, who lets me call her "Baby McKenzie," and laughs at our jokes whether because she actually thinks we are funny or not I have yet to figure out but it's all the same to me. The girl who works so hard and does all the little tasks to keep us on track and to make sure our customers are feeling the love. Together we hustle, we work hard all while keeping a smile on our faces.
One of my top favorite parts of owning Ivory + Beau though is getting the chance to be creative. I can't even tell you how excited I get when I am working on a design proposal for a client who is open to new ideas. When a bride gives me a color palette, a Pinterest board and a few words to describe how they want their wedding day to look and feel then gives us the reins in designing the details of their wedding? That is by far my favorite part of this job and in those moments my job transforms from feeling like a job to feeling like a privilege of getting to help clients put together their wedding day designs. It's so fun to spend hours working on finding the perfect floral combination, the perfect vases, the perfect ribbons and whatever other crazy arts & crafts projects we can think of. Every year I feel that Adrienna & I get more and more courageous with our ideas and less afraid to show clients our ideas, because the worst that could happen is they will say no, I don't want a teepee escort card display or no I don't want a test tube chandelier as hanging centerpieces. But the best that could happen is they say yes, and then we get to make the ideas in our head a reality.
All that being said, there are of course things I don't like about being a business owner... such as, having to work on a Monday when Mondays are my day of recuperation, relaxation, TV show marathons, and snuggly naps with my cats; figuring out and paying one of the bajillion taxes you get hit with as a business owner; our inability to just keep the damn store cleaner and less cluttered; the internet failing because we have 534893 tabs open and then everything stops loading and then iHeart Radio turns off and then there's awkward silence until 1 out of 4 of us starts singing very loudly and obnoxiously; having to use a fancy cake plate because everybody used all the paper plates and there's no more left for your taco lunch leftovers; and so on. Yup, boss life is definitely a rough life.
Anyway, hope you all enjoy our new website! Our goal was to make it more streamlined, easier to navigate and of course prettier - any suggestions much appreciated! And thank you for reading our blog, stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post that is all about how the Savannah wedding industry has changed since 2012. #shoptalk & I'm out.
{Photo Credit} Apt B Photography