The Shopkeeper
I know I promised regular updates, then a few months went by and ops nothing!! But to be fair its been a busy few months and here we are 7 months after moving to Echuca/Moama and I am now a fully fledged shopkeeper!
I know WHAT?? How does that even happen...don't worry I ask myself that almost every minute so Ill get you up to speed, hopefully somewhere, somehow Ill make sense of this for you.
When I made that crazy decision to quit my job in homeware design, pack my life into Warren (the VW) and follow my farmer to a little know place called Womboota I thought I knew what I was getting myself into.
Hamish (farmer) was a no brainer, I had lived on a farm as a child and knew I would love the lifestyle, figured I would be more than happy to swap F45, soy lattes and a 1.5hour commute to work for blunstones, John Deere, dusty walks and a window of work opportunities that was only slightly ajar, but particularly in the first few months I found the isolation difficult and felt like I had lost my independence and to some degree my idenity.
It wasn't the bustle of the city I missed, more that I watched Hamish passionately carry out his day doing something he absolutely loved and I craved that feeling of doing something I was truly passionate about too. I was working two retail jobs and being a fairly attentive "housewife" but I felt completely unfulfilled work wise and not at all challenged.
Now I feel I can say this because the likelihood of Ham reading this is slim to none, but in one of my many moments of utter despair he (thankfully) said 'well we need to get you set up with your own studio and business' and just like that the hunt (insert winky face emoji) began!
I had never properly run my own business despite running multiple side businesses over the years and I was new in town so no bank would fund me and I had limited 'friends' to call on for support; but I had the unwavering support of my partner.
One Sunday, while packing up the store I was working in, I spotted this adorable little shop across the road. I shut the doors and wandered over to press my face on the window; and while terribly painted and accessorised its charm and potential was simply too much to resist.
Telling Ham we called the owner and after almost a month of negotiating I signed a pretty scary document to officially open my own studio/retail space; Hunt Co!!
After a nerve-wracking 6 weeks of sourcing (and still waiting) on products, designing business cards, signage and curating a range of unique, mainly handmade or Australian made home decor, furniture, lighting and baby wear I finally opened the doors just over a week ago and so far the response from people has been wonderful.
Do I question my decision? EVERY DAY!! Do I lose sleep, my appetite and wonder if I have gotten even crazier for doing this? All the time!!!! But then I think for my entire adult life people have encouraged me to start my own business, doing what I love which is working with texture, interior space and in design and I absolutely love working with my clients here helping them find all those things they need to finish off their homes.
My friends and families support has been nothing short of amazing. I feel lucky everyday that so many people have gone out of their way to offer support, advice and encouragement. It still scares the life out of me, but I, no they actually keep reminding me 'you are one week in'!
So where is this overly self-indulgent blog going you ask; well simply put I am no expert in business or country life, but I am willing to give things a go. For better or worse Ill take my introverted self out to meet new people and extend myself to see what I am capable of, it might be the biggest regret I ever have or could be the best decision of my life, only time will tell!!
So if you are anything like me and making a mad decision to follow your heart or simply looking for a life change please feel free to contact me, I may not always be the most articulate but definitely have a few stories to ease your trepidation! Or if you are local to the Echuca area, passing through or looking for an excuse to visit the home of the steamboats, pop in I'd love to see you!...now here are some pics of all the treasures you can pick up when you visit! xx
