The lovely Sham of Sondr London interviewed me recently for her Sondr Stories feature...
"One of the really nice things about starting Sondr has been coming across this whole new small business world that you're completely unaware of and all the amazing people in it. Everyone is just out here trying to create their own little space and it's been so inspiring meeting women on a mission.
I met the lovely Ester at a Hype Yourself workshop a couple of months ago run by Lucy Werner. Both of us wanted to raise our profiles in 2020...can you guess what might have been on the agenda?
Ester runs the awesome Dinki Human, an organic kids clothes brand with an ethos rooted in sustainability, responsible manufacture, and gender-neutrality. I'll let her tell you a bit more below herself.
Tell me a little about yourself
I’m Ester, mumma, maker and founder of Dinki Human. We create comfort-conscious organic kids clothes and the Dinki Human collection is unisex, sustainable and ethically made in the UK. I design all the prints and garments in my home studio on the South Coast of the UK. The brand has a strong ethos that centres around responsible manufacture and being mindful of our impact on the planet. I believe we have a responsibility to protect our environment for the sake of our children.
Why and when did you start Dinki Human?
Dinki Human was born not long after my daughter in 2016, but I didn’t launch the business in any big way, I was making small things whilst on maternity leave and then as a side hustle alongside my job as a Design Manager. It took some time to commit to the decision to leave my job and focus on Dinki Human "full time” (although there's no such thing when you’re a mum). Having gone back to my pre-baby career after maternity leave, I realised it wasn't the life for me and my family. I had to pivot and build myself my lifestyle brand to gain the flexibility and creative outlet I needed to be a good designer and a good mum.
Tell me about the biz journey to this point.
It is a juggle. So much juggling! I’m constantly learning, always hustling and I never truly switch off! But I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do a job I love, so when things are hard I remember how lucky I am and stop complaining!
What's been your most/least favourite thing about starting your own small biz.
I love the freedom and the flexibility. I choose how to spend my time and prioritise where necessary. If my daughter needs me I don't have to apologise to anyone, I’m my own boss. That also means I have no-one else to fall back on, I can’t delegate my tasks to anyone else, there’s only me!
I’m not a brave person, I’m incredibly cautious and anxious about things so the stress can really get to me. However, the wins are mine so the good bits make me feel proud of myself. It's swings and roundabouts this small business lark!"
Read the full article here. 
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