2016 is already kicking 2015’s bum
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So, this time last year my husband and I were in a bit of a rock and a hard place. Funnily enough our marriage was solid, it was our retail business. It was taking over our lives (we put our heart and souls in to it and not forgetting to mention every penny we had). I felt I was failing at everything.
I was with my children everyday, but I wasn’t really being a mother. I was with my husband everyday but we weren’t having fun. My house was neglected, I wasn’t a nurse as I’d left my job and was ’on the bank’ and well, the shop wasn’t doing that
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great either. Especially as we were there between us 7 days a week an pretty much everyday of the year for the last 3 years. Something had to change!
In May last year we closed the doors for the final time on our shop and I haven’t looked back! Don’t get me wrong I loved the place. It sold pretty much everything we both loved to wear and for our home but it was time to put family first.
Sometimes it’s funny how things naturally workout. My husband is a Graphic Designer always has been always will be. I think he has a natural talent (not bias at
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all 😉). He was naturally getting more freelance work- mainly from some of our fab customers from the shop and some of the things he has worked on have been so exciting (Google carlsburg beer bells and he may have had something to do with those) and he continues to find some fab projects. I was also working a lot of night shifts to make ends meet. I was exhausted.
Living 200 miles away from nearest and dearest was also hard as we could never see them & if we did, one of us always stayed behind and missed out.
Life after shop, I think our
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work life balance is getting there. I’m on secondment to my old job working 3 days a week- lovely. My children have their parents around and we love having weekends and holidays with them. Still pinch myself that we can do stuff as a family on a Saturday.
Any regrets from the shop? No
Would I do it again? Not in any rush
I learned so much from running our own business. It’s also made me who I am today. A little crackers but totally appreciating what I’ve got. Maybe it’s time to have another baby, is that crazy?
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Caroline McMahon - 10 Jan 16
So, this time last year my husband and I were in a bit of a rock and a hard place. Funnily enough our marriage was solid, it was our retail business. It was taking over our lives (we put our heart and souls in to it and not forgetting to mention every penny we had). I felt I was failing at everything.
I was with my children everyday, but I wasn’t really being a mother. I was with my husband everyday but we weren’t having fun. My house was neglected, I wasn’t a nurse as I’d left my job and was ‘on the bank’ and well, the shop wasn’t doing that great either. Especially as we were there between us 7 days a week an pretty much everyday of the year for the last 3 years. Something had to change!
In May last year we closed the doors for the final time on our shop and I haven’t looked back! Don’t get me wrong I loved the place. It sold pretty much everything we both loved to wear and for our home but it was time to put family first.
Sometimes it’s funny how things naturally workout. My husband is a Graphic Designer always has been always will be. I think he has a natural talent (not bias at all 😉). He was naturally getting more freelance work- mainly from some of our fab customers from the shop and some of the things he has worked on have been so exciting (Google carlsburg beer bells and he may have had something to do with those) and he continues to find some fab projects. I was also working a lot of night shifts to make ends meet. I was exhausted.
Living 200 miles away from nearest and dearest was also hard as we could never see them & if we did, one of us always stayed behind and missed out.
Life after shop, I think our work life balance is getting there. I’m on secondment to my old job working 3 days a week- lovely. My children have their parents around and we love having weekends and holidays with them. Still pinch myself that we can do stuff as a family on a Saturday.
Any regrets from the shop? No
Would I do it again? Not in any rush
I learned so much from running our own business. It’s also made me who I am today. A little crackers but totally appreciating what I’ve got. Maybe it’s time to have another baby, is that crazy?
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Hi. I'm Caroline, mum of 2 children.
I'm married to a freelance graphic designer (check him out he's really good, especially with packaging and new start ups) and I'm a part time research sister. Our house is busy but it's good fun.
Welcome to my world :-)
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Twitter- @srmackers
Instagram - @sistermackers