The Art of Saying 'No!'

This sounds like quite a negative post but really it is a positive one. So often when you have your own business, especially so if you work on a freelance basis it's always easy to get that panicked feeling that if you don't take a job another one may not come your way. It's only taken me a few years but nowadays I definitely have the confidence and courage to say no. So.. how do you get to this point? Well by acknowledging what makes you happy and knowing which jobs make you feel inspired and stretched.

Having your own business it's always flattering when the larger jobs come along and the money aspect is always very appealing however it's important to remind yourself, firstly why you decided to go freelance and secondly what drives you in your job. When M starts saying things like "Mummy, I don't want you to design shoes anymore you are always working" it starts to make you re-look at the work-life balance.

Laura and Gina joined me last year to make a freelance collective and since then the work-life balance is definitely more consistent. We are only working on projects that excite us and that we believe have longevity and can succeed in a competitive footwear market . Working closely with clients across all aspects of their brand from Strategic/ Creative Direction to Concept sketches, CAD work, Factory specifications, Prototypes and Production. We still firmly believe in supporting European production and believe that this is the correct route for all new brands that wish to succeed in a highly competitive market.

As mentioned in previous posts having a good brand idea/ footwear concept is only a small part of the process and the translation of this idea can make or break even the most exciting brand concept. It's important therefore to build a strong relationship with your chosen designer/ consultant and shoe factory to succeed in these competitive times. European factories can offer shorter lead times and smaller production quantities making you more reactive in a fast paced fashion world.

As the U-turn to European production accelerates factories are experiencing busier times and as a consequence are also now saying 'No' to new unknown brands more often than not and so it is even more important to have a strong and well designed footwear brand concept. We are lucky to have great  contacts in Europe who trust our judgement and we will only pass to them those brands which we feel have the potential to be great.

Lisa


PS.
As an aside I have no ability to say 'No' to the following: new shoes, clothes, hand-bags, biscuits, kettle chips, Staropramen (other beers are available) and hugging babies!