Well, a month after deciding to get serious again with my plans for Ellen Elizabeth, it’s nice to make some progress, and sometimes the progress happens very quickly.

The experience of which does not escape me - did I make this harder in my head than it actually was ever going to be because I went round and round and round the idea refining it over the last few years and things seemed bigger than they were?

Or is it easier because I know what I want after years of developing ideas and refining concepts, and don’t have to spend time agonising over the planning, and the investment of the time over the years is paying dividends.

Or let's be honest ... perhaps it's a little bit of both!

One of my big investments, apart from the actual production, has been to invest in people who know more than me. Which, in this space, isn't hard! There's lots to learn and lots to refresh my memory on. I studied fashion almost twenty years ago - there's been so many advances in that time, it'll be great to learn new ways of doing things.

I have signed up to participate in the Fashion Launchpad, run by Sample Room. They have a fantastic program to support the knowledge transfer for startups in the fashion industry. And of course I love a good business model, so throughout the course and as part of the package, they are referring to their services like patternmaking, sampling, grading, and of course production. It's a very neat little package and smart business.

There's lots of video content with some workbook content and it's nice to be reminded of the customer and the 'why', and lots of this I have spent years understanding what it is, and how to articulate it.

Of course, with my existing background in design and marketing this comes naturally, and I love being so clear about this pillar of brand and business.

I did The Marketing Seminar with Seth Godin about 5 years ago and there were so many fantastic activities and questions as part of it to help define your customer:

There's dozens more questions like this, and because of questions like this I can articulate my brand promise, and I know who my customer is.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not great at asking for help, but sometimes even this stubborn body realises it's the best way forward.

Because I've built this brand so many times in my head, I know the projects and the tasks I need to complete. One of them is to get my artwork scanned/photographed ready for printing on fabric. And so, in the spirit of asking for help I reached out to a couple of my favourite artists on Instagram who I know are based in Melbourne to ask them for their artwork photographer recommendations.

Both artists didn't hesitate to send their recommendations through. I love people. So generous with their experience and their contacts. If you are looking to following some new artists, check out Kerry Armstrong and Jonathon Gemmell.

My November progress has been slow, but steady and I know I am setting myself up for success.

I am so so so excited. I have studio space now! I can paint in a dedicated space, without worrying about getting paint on the walls or floor (or ceiling!). I've kitted it out so it feels like home - uber organised and a little haven.

And I feel like a real artist now 😉

Thanks also to my friend Hailey's dad for helping me move. Like I said earlier, people are so generous. x

- November 2022