I would like to be known as an intelligent woman,
A courageous woman,
A loving woman,
A woman who teaches by being.
-Maya Angelou

For us international woman’s day is day we celebrate sisterhood…

When we stopped and thought about international woman’s day this year we actually realised that 99% of our brands we represent are actually owned by women. Many started at the kitchen table with babies at the side…and now are internationally known, others decided to take the leap and change careers. Quite often being self employed brings flexibility and can make life easier when bringing up kids, but from experience I think the hours definitely can be longer as we try to fit more in the day. All of the woman behind our brands come from very different backgrounds, situations and experiences.

It always fascinated me a woman’s drive to succeed whether in bringing up her children or within a career. I have always wondered if this ambition is amplified early in girls if they have positive role models to guide them.

For me growing up, i was lucky enough to have an amazing role model for a mother. I watched her endlessly doing domestic duties, while still working full-time. She would prepare dinner before going to work, hang the washing out at night and yet still have the energy for 4 kids and my father. These times were the 70’s…and just what most woman/wife’s did.

When everything was done domestically, my Mother and Father would head to the workshop and spend hours in there together, working on all sorts of projects. I loved this about my father, teaching my mother how to use tools and build functional objects. They absolutely loved being in the workshop together. She was actually amazing at working with wood, (and a lot of other creative pursuits) a few of her pieces of furniture still adorn my home.

My fathers willingness to share his skills, ended up being more valuable than any of us could ever have imagined…He died suddenly at age 51 of a heart attack. Family life certainly changed rapidly after this. With her skills she had had learnt, maintenance around the house was always done by her unless it was out of her abilities. Up until recently, (she’s now 83) her workshop is a little quiet, with projects. Arthritis
unfortunately means she cant hold tools safely anymore, and she’s a little frail on the feet. But the workshop is still there, filled with her tools.

International woman’s day for us, is about celebrating having positive female role models in your life, what ever your age may be. As a mother of daughter, i hope to give my own daughter what my mother gave me, the belief that you can do it, even if you fail, theres always a lesson to be learnt for when do you succeed.
Thank-you to all our female owned brands/businesses that inspire us everyday in what we love doing and if we fall sometimes, to get back up…

Let’s celebrate our beautiful woman run brands and businesses below. 
(click to explore their brands)

xx

More of our Women run business