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A space for powerful, creative business women

Sandie Dodds

I design and make festival and bridal headwear and accessories.

sandiedodds@calebloveslily

insta @calebloveslily

Festival, ShopSapphire BatesAugust 19, 2018

Alice Benham

Digital StrategiesSapphire BatesAugust 19, 2018

Emily Weston

Marketing, BrandingSapphire BatesAugust 19, 2018

Who else is struggling with these winter evenings? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ I’ve been spending my early afternoons maybe 3pm onwards reading A LOT and watching Netflix... obviously with a dog and a hot water bottle. Work is at the back of my mind but I’m just letting my body go with it. Wake up when I wake up and finish work when my body says I’m done.... mindfulness and all that. This is a picture from my besties office this morning, my fav place to hang with her and get sh*t done. ALSO WHO’S WATCHED THE NEW SEASON OF SINNER?!?!? I’m so into it right now 😍

🚀🚀🚀 I don't care what anyone else thinks about you... I think you're an absolute rocket, keep being you.

Omggggg this 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼 any one else feel like they are running up an escalator the wrong way!?! They say doubt kills more dreams than failures ever will and I think that's SO true. Sometimes things in life are really f*cking scary and sometimes you don't know whether you're doing the right thing or making the right decision but you can't let that hold you back from doing them. I know that I was really, really scared to publicly announce that I was stopping doing flowers to focus full time on The Coven. I put it off for aggggges and kept changing my mind. Would people think I was less successful if I only had one business? Was I a failure for quitting at something that was going really well? There was no right decision for me and I had to just choose based on gut feelings and what makes me happy. I originally started a business (only three years ago but feels like a life time) to have more freedom but when I stood back and looked at my work schedule I realised there was no freedom. I was more tied down and committed than when I'd worked a 9-5, I hadn't achieved what I'd originally set out to do, I'd lost sight of it. I had a really great time doing it and I wouldn't change it for the world because it led me here but I am a point in my life (almost twenty five waaaah) where I want more balance in my life, I want to see my friends and take days off. Focusing full time on The Coven is scary but it ultimately means I'm able to give myself that freedom I've always wanted. I still want to travel the world some more and read as many books as possible. I guess what I'm trying to say is if something's scary just do it anyway.

It can sometimes be hard and/or conflicting when you see other people especially online seemingly 'doing it all' and at such great speeds. I want to acknowledge for anyone that needs that little reminder that this ISN'T A RACE. You can live life and achieve things at your own pace... it's totally ok to go slow, to rest, spend time with family and not throw yourself 100% into work equally it's also ok to pour everything into your career right now if that's what you want to do. You can achieve things quickly and race through your list of goals or you can take it slow and enjoy the ride. You're completely in control of the way your life goes. Don't waste it because rumour has it we don't get to do this all again 🤷🏻‍♀️🌻.

😂😂😂😂 this is me every time I sit down to do my emails, GOD DAMN IT SANDRA I TOLD YOU THAT IN MY LAST EMAIL, CAN U READ!? REGARDS (!!!!) SAPPHIRE 🤦🏻‍♀️😂. Our Coven members November book club is all about emails this month and I'm super excited for everyone to read it. I'm already super strict with my email... I respond to emails on Monday and Thursday each week. I also have an out of office on 24/7 that explains this. It says something along the lines of 'hey, I receive a large number of emails, due to wanting to remain sane I only respond to emails on Monday's and Thursday's. If it's urgent then call meeeeee'. This technique has quite literally saved my life, previously I was drowning in emails and could never keep on top it. Every day email would take up far too much of my time and it meant other stuff in my businesses where getting ignored. I also use draft templates that I can edit to speed things up and use a scheduling app so that I don't need to send 20 emails to find a date and time for a meeting or phone call. My last little email hack is using a technique called 'speed emails'. According to Parkinson's law (look this up its a game changer!!!) tasks expand to fill the time given meaning if you give yourself a day to do something it will take the whole day. If you say this morning I'm doing my emails they will take you all morning. SO the best thing you can do is give yourself a much shorter amount of time to complete your emails. I sit down and say right Saph you've got thirty minutes to smash these emails (even when I've got 130 emails in my inbox) and I go, go, go. Chances are you get 95% of it complete because you work faster to fit the time frame. You can literally apply Parkinson's law to EVERYTHING YOU DO. It's the best way to work smarter not harder/all the f*cking time. I'm pretty strict with it... how do you stay sane with email?

Lots of !!!!! this morning and no I'm not talking about relationships and about to encourage you all to run off with the hot 6
75 you met whilst on holiday this summer. I'm talking about business and the idea of "success". I hate the fact that society currently seems to be pushing becoming an entrepreneur and achieving goals as something just for millennials and the younger generation. There is no right age to start a business or become "successful", it isn't something for only younger people to do. You don't hit 48 and suddenly your dreams and aspirations are worth less or somehow less of an achievement. We don't have an age limit on The Coven nor do I market this platform at any particular age group because to me it's irrelevant. It's about your passion not how old your are. I remember when our evening standard article went out and being like omg they said we are for millennials!!!! F*ck! We aren't, at all. They say life begins are 40 and I'm so down with that. You don't have to achieve everything in your twenties, in fact you don't even have to want to achieve anything in your twenties. Your timeline is your own and whatever pace you choose is just fine with me.

07714643883 sapphire@theflowerarranger.co.uk

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