Marlene Mcgaw

Well technically 7 months since I opened the doors but I’ve been planning this post in my head from over a month!

Opening the door that morning to the freshly painted walls, fully stocked boutique with items all hand picked my myself was surreal – it truly has been my proudest accomplishment to date!  The months have flown past, I’ve learnt a lot and I still have lots to learn but I thought I’d share my tuppence worth!.

Structure

I’m in my office job 2.5 days a week & I book-keep for another small business weekly so routine is key for me to achieve what I have set out to do.  This is something I’m still trying to master.  I want to build a new website & would like to have a blog post going out every week.  My advice is find what works for you & stick to that routine.  Night time is out for me, once I’m home and we’ve had dinner my brain doesn’t seem to function the way I want it too.  So my evenings are mostly spent with Alex and the dogs or catching up on the house chores & social media.  I’m most productive first thing in the morning.  I can wake up at 5am and be on my laptop with a huge mug of tea by 5.15am tapping away on the keys or straight into the accounts.  I’ve also started to exercise in the morning too.  I find it helps me sleep better.

Network

If like me you’re a one man band, it can get very lonely.  I would like to expand and employ someone maybe next year but for now it’s just me.  Getting out and meeting  other people either in your industry or trying to build their own brand can be so motivating.  It gives me the energy and encouragement to keep going.  I joined the Ayrshire Business Woman and Glasglow Girls Club & I try to get to as many events as possible.

Say Yes to as much as you can.

I see a lot of influencers I follow advising to take down time and say no to more things, put away your phone at nights etc.  I advise the opposite, that’s fine once you’ve built the brand but when your starting out say yes to it all, getting a brand “out there” is a lot harder than what it was a few years back.  People are less likely to follow on social media these days.  So if you get the offer to showcase your brand in any way, go for it!  I done an interview and photoshoot with a local magazine recently.  I was dreading it, totally out of my comfort zone, I’m usually a behind the camera kinda gal but it is publicity for My Serenity Boutique and also for my blog.  The girls were amazing and Im arranging to do some work with the photographer for the blog.  So win win.

Nobody is you and that’s your power

I see this quote a lot and it’s true.  I follow other boutiques on social media, I have done long before I had the shop.  I admire the hard work they’ve done, hit the like button and scroll past. Don’t follow or copy what others are doing.  It’s hard not too but what works for them probably won’t work for you.  Get to know your own customers or audience and I can rest assure you will succeed in your own way.

I’ve wanted a boutique and to work for myself for so long, I thought it would always be a dream, I’ve been the happiest girl in Ayrshire these past 7 months and I’m so grateful.  Thank you to all those who have followed my journey so far, this is just the start………..

Thanks to Foster Photography for the photographs x

Yours

Marlene x

I only get 1 day off a week, my choice. It was my decision to work six days out the 7. I’m not complaining at all, I want my business to work & for this I need to work my butt off BUT what this means is I SO appreciate my day off. Today was 16 years since our very first date!

We jumped in the jeep & headed for the Galloway Forrest.

Stopping off for a romantic breakfast at a “Chuck wagon’ roll n sausage & egg, it was actually delicious!!

Cheers!!

Typical Scottish conditions gale force winds gusting at 40mph with a Baltic wind chill of -4. It’s all good when your wrapped up (so they say!)

When I got up this morning I had no notion, the list of things to do playing on my mind but I know getting outdoors works wonders for you’re mind set.

Loch Braden was rough!

My cheeks resembled Aunt Sally with the wind but I felt great ~ what list?? who cares!!

2 hours later we turned back to the jeep. We were planning to go out for a nice meal but after we go home, done the food shop & I had a long soak in the bath with bubbles & a face bath – takeaway pizza it is!

These two had a ball, there now feed & tucked up in bed!!!

Hope you had a good weekend.

Marlene x

I woke up on my 40th Birthday in the most magical cottage on the Isle of Skye.  Alex was already up & cooking one of his specialty fry ups.  Laying in bed I thought to myself this is it, your 40 years old already what you going to do about it?  That morning I made a decision something big was going to happen within that year something life changing whether it be move house, buy another car, a new job I wasn’t sure but I knew I was going to do something!

Last week we signed the lease and picked up the keys to a shop, 6 days before I turned 41 but hey ho I was 40 at the time!  It was all complete in the space of a week.  We had no intention of setting up a bricks & mortar store, not really on the radar just now, always just a dream I had for the future.

Sometimes the universe just lines it all up & gives you that wee nudge and you have to jump and the chance.

I walked passed the shop a few weeks back & thought that would be ideal ……. don’t be daft!  The following week it was still available so I phone “just to inquire’ & that was it, the seed was planted! Alex did help me make the final decision as it effects us both,  I’m not afraid to admit  – I did need a wee push, these things happen to other people, people with confidence, I can talk a good story but actually doing something about it – well the we devil on my shoulder says, I don’t have the balls for this !! (sorry, can’t think of another word to describe it)  I now wake up in the morning & my eyes spring open when I remember – OMG I have my own shop!!! It gives me good butterflies in my stomach and a great reason to jump out of bed in the morning but It still gives me the fear when I let it & I think it will for a long time but that’s what keeps me going.  I take my hat off to anyone self employed, it’s terrifying & to those who run huge companies with staff etc I salute you!

In our first week we have cleaned, plastered (well Alex has) and painted the shop, I’ve order the mannequins & rail fittings, extra coat hangers and carrier bags (paper! No plastic if I can help it!)
Still lots to do but I’m loving it so far.   I’ve had kind messages from the shop owners round about which was lovely.  I don’t live in the town where the shop is so it was nice to receive a warm welcoming.

I would like the shop to be pretty enough for people to enjoy but not to fancy as to scare customers away – scared to touch anything or bring kids in. I want everyone to feel welcome.
Timing- It goes for nothing, it’s never the “perfect” time.  It’s one of the busiest months in my full time job with events, Alex is on the road to becoming full time self employed with his own company Xcav8 Landscaping & Groundwork’s.  He’s working 7 days a week just now plus trying to decorate the shop, my timing wasn’t great but if we get through this then we’ll be just grand!

To celebrate my birthday today we are going for a late lunch and then to Edinburgh to watch the Military Tattoo and I can’t wait it’s been on my list for years.  Hopefully we won’t talk shop or diggers to much today but when it’s the main part of your life, it’s hard to switch it off.

I hope to write more on this, real life highs and lows of shop life, something to look back on –  so let this Fashion Journey commence……..

Marlene X