Aimee Connolly

So it's about finding kind of what one is best suited to you.

But in my case, it actually wasn't a trade show.

It was a Google.

I sent about 25 emails to people being like, hi, I have this idea.

I'd love to come and visit.

I'd like to start a product.

like understandably, about 22 people didn't even acknowledge my email because I'd say they get them five times a day.

Two said no.

And then one said, maybe, maybe it was enough for me.

So I was like, cool, I'm going to book a flight.

I'll see you in Manchester on Friday.

Amy arrives over with a handbag.

There is not one ounce of a business plan in front of me, but I was so sure on the texture, the consistency, the kit.

I had like drawings that I'd done and I'm not a 3D sketcher.

I'm talking literally like basic, you know, rectangle on my page, three squares, like there was nothing fancy here.

And that was really the first kind of conversation that then started basically a 14 to 18 month rollout of when it came to market.

Another thing which I think is really important to mention, I had deliberately saved for this.

So I knew coming out of college that I wanted to start a brand.

I knew that inventory would be the biggest cost.

So I had saved over those last two years, 10,000 of my own, obviously like working capital to invest into the business.