Tag: entrepreneur

Break the Bias – International Women’s Day 2022

This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme is #BreakTheBias.

On 8th March and beyond, this campaign aims to “Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.” I think these points are so important and pride myself in being a female in a male-dominated industry (graphic design), so I often share my journey and achievements on social media to hopefully inspire other women to join this industry.

FMM interview

This year, I was asked to speak to FMM Collective (a Croydon-based marketplace in which my greeting cards are stocked) about my experiences as a female business owner/entrepreneur. We discussed whether I have come across any bias or challenges because of my gender and/or ethnicity.

…as a female, I don’t think we are taken as seriously in entrepreneurial positions as men unfortunately. I’ve had the question “How’s your little business going?” or when I say I design greeting cards and gifts, I’ve had a response of “Awww Bless!” which both come across as really patronising.

Leanne Creative

I think it’s so important to make female professionals visible and love that days like IWD highlight the work we do in a patriarchal society. If young girls can see the success of women, it can inspire them to enter fields that they might have previously viewed as closed off for them. #representationmatters

My advice for other female entrepreneurs would be to, of course take inspiration from others, but focus on your own journey to avoid comparison. 

Leanne Creative

Happy New Year!

Here's to a fruitful 2022. Read what my plans are for this year.

Who else can’t believe it’s 2022 already?

2020 and 2021 both seemed to go by quickly and slowly at the same time and now we are in 2022, still feeling a little confused about what the future holds in terms of the dreaded virus, work and lifestyles! Despite this, I am determined to make as many plans as I can and stay positive, so my first post of the year is my way of putting my goals and plans into the universe and working towards making them happen.

2022 goals

Develop new and personalised products

I was fortunate enough to get a Cricut Explore 3 for Christmas! It’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time and I know that it will open up my possibilities of creating personalised items and expanding my range of products in general.

I can’t wait to start using it and if you have any suggestions of what you’d like to see in my collection, please get in touch.

Collaborate with more brands

Building connections, relationships and friendships are great ways to learn, achieve and grow as an entrepreneur and business owner. I hope to meet more and more like-minded people and build innovative ways to expand together.

Create more videos

I’d like to build on my YouTube videos and become more active on TikTok, so it’s time to get out my ring light and regain my confidence in front of the camera. I’ll be producing fun and entertaining videos and finding ways to incorporate my love of dance into them. Who knows, I might end up being a TikTok sensation!

Review my service prices

As a graphic designer and illustrator, I’m constantly learning new skills, developing existing skills and updating my tools in order to produce relevant, high-quality and impressive work.

Over the past few months, my skills and efficiency has improved after training, practicing and purchasing tools to allow for more styles of illustration for example, so this will be reflected in my new rates. I still promise a friendly and professional service but with more detail and features! Exciting!

Avoid burnout

Sometimes we need to say “no” in order to make time for recovery. Last year, I often worked until 2am and started up again early in the morning, so I want to make sure that I factor in some down-time and not take on too much, in both my personal and professional life.

Now it’s in the universe, here’s to a successful, fun, inspirational, educational and love-filled year ahead! What are your goals for 2022?

Being an introverted entrepreneur

Leanne Creates blog header

Growing up I was a very shy and quiet child – a classic introvert. I enjoyed playing with close friends and family but felt very uncomfortable speaking in front of people I didn’t know or large groups. I would happily play by myself and found large gatherings where I had to say hello to aunty, uncle and great-aunty’s second cousin quite daunting! 

Fast forward several years and I’m much more confident. I enjoy meeting new people and seeking new experiences, however, my introverted tendencies do pop-up now and then. I’m grateful for them as I find myself being more productive and happy during these times. I feel more than content when taking time to myself or with a partner and escaping the bustling city-life for something more calm and isolated and I’ve found that being this way has helped me grow as a creative and well-rounded business woman as well. 

In this blog, I explore what it’s like to be an introvert determined to be a successful entrepreneur and how I’ve made it work for me.

What is an introvert?

Introverts are often labelled as shy, reticent and reserved. We tend not to seek out special attention and social engagements leave us feeling exhausted at times. Society often sees these traits as flaws and mostly rewards extrovert behaviour – think Instagram and Love Island – but I know that introverts have so much to offer the world, albeit behind the scenes.

We may not be the life and soul of a party or the loudest in the room but we tend to be extremely thoughtful, reliable and strategic problem-solvers, who are good at building strong and meaningful relationships. As Caroline Castrillon, a Forbes contributor said, “Introversion is often misunderstood… it can be an advantage if you follow the right strategies.” 

A study showed that qualities that make a good CEO include:

  • Being relationship masters; building good relations between clients and the business
  • Reliability; being able to stick to a plan and be there when needed
  • Decision makers; the ability to make a decision with conviction and speed
  • Adaptability; being able to rise to the occasion, whatever is thrown at you

As mentioned above, introverts tend to excel in these qualities and so there is no reason why we can’t be successful employees, business people and entrepreneurs. After all, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and J.K Rowling didn’t do too badly!

Making it work

I love being a graphic designer/illustrator and enjoy going to events to promote my work but some may say that being reserved is a hindrance to my growth as a business woman. I disagree – it’s just a different route from extroverts and I strongly believe that I can make it work whilst staying true to who I am. 

My sales style is probably more personal; I find doing the ‘hard sell’ technique quite difficult, so striking up a conversation with people and getting to know what they are looking for is more comfortable for me. It allows me to really listen and build genuine connections with my customers and I find that they are more likely to invest in my brand this way. Don’t get me wrong, I know when it is necessary to grab opportunities that lie outside of my comfort-zone, but don’t beat myself up about not being the centre of attention every time. 

As Ghandi said “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

Stepping outside my bubble

In January 2020 (on my birthday), I definitely shook MY world and stepped outside of my introverted comfort-zone! I was blessed (and brave) enough to have the opportunity to speak about my greeting cards and gifts on BBC Radio London with Aurie Styla! Me… on the radio… speaking to thousands of people… I know right! It was a crazy experience that I am extremely grateful for and shows that I can and will step up to the plate when the feeling is right!

I also dance which has taken me on amazing journeys, performing in front of thousands at venues such as Wembley Arena and Hammersmith Apollo. Dance allows me to really take hold of an extrovert persona where I can portray huge amounts of confidence (and even cockiness at times) which makes me wonder… am I actually an ambivert? An ambivert is someone who possess both introvert and extrovert qualities depending on the situation.

Just doing me

At the end of the day, us humans are complex beings. Whether introvert, extrovert or ambivert (or anything in between) we are all just making our way through life, doing the best we can to make it work for us!

Have conviction in your goals, make a plan, stay true to who you are and you’ll be able to build a business in your own way, in your own time… maybe just a little quieter than others! 

Check out my small-business; illustrated greeting cards and gifts, here.

Written by Leanne Armstrong