We would love to know more about your start in the world of entrepreneurship and what motivated you to set up your own business.

 - It started rather idealistic and small. Trough Instagram, I’ve been lucky enough to be working with many inspiring honest brands and talented makers behind them. I got the idea it would be so beautiful to bring some of those brands together in one place. So more people could enjoy all this goodness united in one place. I started with an online shop where there is also a place for the makers to tell a little bit about their work and the stories behind the products. After some time I was lucky to find a temporarily store in the most beautiful historical building. This was a very lovely addition to the online shop, because people could now actually visit and see, touch and feel the products and the stories they tell.

In the end I stayed in my former place for about two years. When the rent ended there I felt really strong I wanted to continue my journey. I was very lucky finding a new, bigger, space in the same neigbourhood with very good lightning for my photography, a corner where I could make my candles and just run the shop. It’s commercial rent, so a completely different story, but it also made me more creative in how to approach things and how I collaborate with people. I now do workshops and pop-ups on a regular basis, which brings a very nice dynamic.

As a mother, you must have had to juggle both parts of your life, and we've seen on your social media that your daughters spend many days with you in the atelier.

How has motherhood influenced your work?

- Yes it’s definitely a juggle as we all know, but I’m very happy to bring them along and have them with me for a few hours. They luckily love being involved in what I have to do on a day, so it’s mostly happy and fun hours. For the bigger boys, it’s fairly easy to just pop in here and hang out for a bit. That’s the nice thing about the kids getting bigger and more independent. And they have very good support from their father as well, without that I could never be doing this.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in this regard?

- I think we do have to miss each other, since I am working 6 days a week. Even though they hang out here, it’s not always easy. I have been at home with them for quite some years when they were young, so it’s quite the contrast. But I know things will change again, a life lesson I’m holding onto regarding this and of course I’m super happy and thankful to be running my own business. 

Furthermore, we know that sustainability is a very important issue for you, and that your company is driven by the desire for change and transformation.

How do you apply this concern and mission for change in your daily work?

- I exclusively sell handcrafted, honest made products, I personally feel a connection to. I am very personal with the people I work with and we often meet and talk things trough. It’s not always possible of course with makers a bit further away, but I’m still in very close contact.
I want to be able to truly understand the way people work so I can tell the stories in my shop to customers.
I also try to do my photography in a thoughtful way, which is always slower than I wish, but I am trying to be creative with the beautiful products that I am stocking and givne them the attention they deserve.
I also wrap my packages with care, so people get a little something extra and feel special when receiving orders or buying something in the shop.