But why would you work in a flood zone?
But why would you work in a flood zone?
A question I often ask myself…but then I remember the story and how I got here.
For anyone watching businesses in flood zones packing up their shops in preparation for potential flooding from Cyclone Alfred, you may have been wondering to yourself “but why would they even have a shop where they know it might flood.”
It would be a fair question to ask.
So I thought some of you might be curious about why I’m setting up shop again after recently packing up everything…
Life, and small (ethical) business is never straight forward as I’m sure many of you know.
In 2020 I decided to take a year off to have a break from my business (which I pour myself into) and also to teach myself surface pattern design to make my own fabric prints. I never predicted or intended the following years to be so wobbly as a result.
I had my time off and was ready to return, so I sent off my first collection to new manufacturers, when the 2022 floods hit. At the time I was sharing a studio space at Corinne’s property in the hills of Northern NSW.
It had flooded there before but nowhere near this level. It took us completely by surprise and we lost the space when the water picked up the entire building and put it down 4 meters away.
We moved our set up onto her verandah and I started looking for affordable spaces to rent. I had hardly any budget as it was the end of my time off and I hadn’t budgeted for a studio move.
Then my new manufacturers ghosted me.
Where was my order?
After weeks of calling them they finally picked up the phone and told me a very long winded and manipulative story about how their business was struggling and they didn’t have the people to finish my work.
So, it took 6 months for this order to be completed. Then, it wasn’t up to scratch and I had to send it back to be fixed.
This order I had arranged to get me back trading again and earning an income was delayed by about 7 months (compared to the usual 3-6 weeks a production run takes). Not that I knew it would be this long, as the manufacturers kept telling me it was going to be finished “any day now.”
So, here I am picking up the pieces after the flood, paying for a new studio space, waiting for my income stream to return and what do you know, the beginning of perimenopausal symptoms begin to set in.
Excuse me, where did my confidence go? The confidence I completely rely on to continuously put myself and my work out there.
Where did my ability to cope with the stress go? The strength I need to get through this time?
I don’t know, but its gone.
In a haze of poor mental health and taxed ability to make decisions, I pushed through and launched my Metamorphosis range (as made to order because I now couldn’t afford manufacturing) but because I’d lost my confidence to really get behind these pieces with my marketing, the sales fell flat.
In fact the entire year of 2023 fell flat.
At the time, I thought it was a change in the market. My stuff wasn’t relevant anymore. Or, my stuff was…just crap…thanks perimenopause. Basically, I’d completely lost my mojo due to poor mental health.
So, I jumped at the opportunity to close Gwyllem and put myself full time into Dalee Ella Prints, the collab range I’d created with one of my besties, Dalee. As a team there was enough energy and confidence between us to make it work.
Goodbye Gwyllem.
But my symptoms got worse and worse and eventually in early 2024 I got to the point where I couldn’t hardly work at all. I was very lucky to have Dalee to keep things running in my absence.
I sought help and luckily found a wonderful health team to support me to navigate my way out of the hole that I’d inching down for the past couple of years.
It’s been a combination of medicine, supplements and practical life steps to get my financial situation back on track to be able to afford both a commercial space and house to live in, as it became increasingly evident that living in a caravan without some basic amenities was impacting my daily stress levels and contributing to poor mental health.
As soon as my mental health began to improve I could see all my options again, my confidence came rushing back in and I could see how I could do both Dalee Ella prints AND launch my own line again. So I set to work on that.
Did that. Hello Storyline clothing.
It went great.
Then…
It was Dalee’s turn. Her hormonal symptoms escalated very quickly and suddenly I was in the position of needing to take on work she couldn’t do.
It was A LOT. I was barely capable, but somehow did it.
This was the moment that Dalee had a huge insight into her health and the toll that running the business was having on her. It wasn’t the right fit and her body was letting her know.
So, late last year we began to discuss either closing the business or me taking it on.
I love what we created together SO MUCH and felt excited to be in the drivers seat. The option for her to step back and just create the art while I take on the running of the business seemed like a great possibility - so we went for it!
I began all the administrational detangling of dissolving the partnership and merging the two businesses. Built a new website, started new socials, sorted out the studio for the rebrand.
It was a huge amount of work and it also went great.
Slow Fashion Australia launch went awesome and I could see, yes, this is going to work. Once I finish the merge set up, this is going to be a doable amount of work and I will be back to making a decent income again.
So my partner Sam and I took the plunge and rented our very first house together! This was less than three weeks ago and literally a day before the cyclone / flood predictions started hitting the news.
So we dumped our stuff in the house and went down to the studio to begin packing it up.
Did that.
Didn’t flood. Yay.
Now I’m slowly putting the studio back together while I keep the online going as best I can.
During the flood scare I applied for some new studio spaces. More expensive studio spaces. I felt queasy doing it for the extra financial burden, but I knew that if it flooded, I probably wouldn’t be able to move back there for some time. And I need to keep going.
I have seriously considered renting a more expensive space to avoid the stress and disruption of a future flood scare.
But after packing everything up - kind of like a trial run - I can see that with a detailed flood plan it probably doesn’t need to be as stressful or chaotic next time.
If it does flood again within in the next couple of years, yes I will have to face the results of that. Its a considered gamble.
Right now, spending more money on a commercial space feels like way too much pressure after such a touch-and-go few years.
I’ve finally figured out how the current space can operate smoothly and I just don’t have it in me to figure out a new space right now.
My nervous system needs a minute.
I can work towards finding a new space in a couple of years.
I’m so glad to say that overall my mental health is PRETTY GOOD! It’s not back to where it was beforehand, but I know that by the end of the year of living in a house, trading business as usual, I will be in a better spot.
So this is my extremely long winded answer, to my own question of “but why would you work in a flood zone.”
Days where I feel overwhelmed I have to remind myself of this story.
Tell myself it’s okay.
I’m doing absolutely EVERYTHING I can to dig myself out of the hole and I’m making huge progress.
I’m actually very proud of myself.
Even though some days I seriously consider getting a job instead.
I know we all have our stories, and hearing others can be helpful, humanising and reassuring. We all go through things and thats just life.
I hope you’re going okay.
Sending love
Clare xox
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