Meet Emma, Founder of Leopardy Em Creative

Tell us about your business

My business is called Leopardy Em Creative. I make upcycled jewellery, using second hand beads and charms, anything I can get my hands on really that is preloved. I also make a donation to a domestic abuse charity with every sale. I do this because they helped me many years ago after I left an abusive marriage, so I wanted to be able to give back.

When did you start your business?

I'm just approaching the second anniversary of being in business which is kind of exciting as it's nice to mark the date and see how far you've come, I'm normally not very good at recognising my achievements!

What made you want to start your own business?

Before I started the business I had been a librarian, or working in libraries for eighteen years. It was all I wanted to do from being a teen; my mum worked in the library service too, so I definitely took her lead. After my Mum died in 2019 it became a bit harder as there were lots of memories of her there, and factoring in the change in my role during lockdown and I was definitely looking for a change, I just had no idea that it would be handmade jewellery, and my own business. After about eight months I took a step down and took an assistant job working in the library - less responsibility, fewer hours as I thought this might give me more room for the business, but I think it was actually more stressful! After about ten months of doing that was when we decided it was time for me to take the leap.

Why acrylic jewellery?

I have made jewellery on and off since I was a teen, there used to be a shop near to me where I could buy beads and jewellery making materials, and my grandad bought my first pair of pliers when I was twelve. I didn't do it for a long time but was always fiddling with pieces I bought, changing them or improving them slightly, so it never went away.

Creating acrylic jewellery was something I really hadn't thought about until I went for a session at the Brightbox makerspace in Barnsley to make a Christmas decoration from acrylic using a laser cutter and CAD design programme. It gave me the idea to try using off cuts of waste acrylic to make a range of jewellery, another string to my bow.

There is a project called the Digital Innovation Fund that funds twelve hours of using the makerspace, so that's what I'm currently doing. When those twelve hours are up then I'll have to decide if I can afford to carry on, as I'll have to either rent the space, or buy my own equipment. 

Tell us about your kids?  

My daughter is fifteen and she is my only child. We have been through a lot together, so we are very close, even though sometimes I feel like having a teenager is an actual minefield.

How do you manage the juggle of running your business around being a mum?

It's easier now that I'm doing this full time as I'm at home more. Before I was out at the library every day, especially in the afternoons when she came home from school. Now she hangs out with me in my office for a bit, or I can check if she's done her homework etc, which is good as she's in year ten and things are getting intense.

Are you working alone or do you have a co-founder or staff?

I started the business by myself, but my husband is a massive help, he does all my finances, admin and packs all my orders which is amazing, all unpaid! My father in law drills anything I ask him to with a fancy drill he was happy to buy purely for this purpose, I'm very lucky. My Dad is happy to post parcels for me too so it's a real family affair.

I also belong to a crafty business network and we try to meet up to do fun and collaborative things, or learn something new. I'm also working with someone called Terri-Louise at the makerspace in Barnsley at the moment, making some laser cut acrylic designs, so there are lots of opportunities to break the monotony of working alone.

What have been the high points of your business journey so far?

The high points have definitely been little milestones, such as selling my 1000th piece of jewellery which happened recently. Someone messaged me to tell me that she'd stopped a stranger at a national trust property and asked her where her necklace was from, and she said it was from Leopardy Em Creative, so she looked me up, and bought something, that was a lovely moment.

What has been or is the biggest challenge in your journey as a Founder so far?

The hardest thing was probably trying to decide whether to leave my day job. My husband has been really encouraging, and it was definitely the right thing to do from a wellbeing point of view. I'm so much happier, but I do worry about money if I don't get an order for a few days, and my head is always full of ideas or things I have to do.

Are you interested in collaborating with other Founder Mums?

I haven't ever thought of collaborating with another retailer, though I do sell in a gift shop local to me. I would definitely want it to be a company that has similar values to me regarding sustainability, or it just wouldn't work.

What are your core values when it comes to your business?

My core values are mainly around sustainability. So I only use second hand materials to make my jewellery - the beads, charms, pompoms etc, they're all preloved. The acrylic project I'm working on is off cuts of acrylic, so little scraps that may otherwise have been thrown away. I also use plastic-free and completely recyclable packaging, and only buy from UK based suppliers, in order to keep my carbon footprint as low as I can. I also try to buy from small businesses where possible.

I was clueless about sustainability until I started my style insta in 2018. I was definitely the kind of person who bought bits from Primark, then put them in the charity bag unworn, something I'm really ashamed of now. As I saw and connected with other accounts I realised how damaging that was, learnt about the harmful practices of lots of high street stores and started to really change my habits around what clothes I bought, places I shopped in, how I bought my toiletries etc. I also went vegan in 2021, around the same time I started the business, which has been another great decision.

What marketing tactics have worked best for you?

Marketing tactics is a tough one. I find the daily posting on social media a bit of a grind, but I know you have to be consistent in order to see results. I think growing my mailchimp list is a good one to keep plugging away at too, even if it feels slow sometimes. When I started the business I already had a well established styling page on instagram - daily outfit posts, and had around 5000 followers there, so I think that gave me a good springboard to launch the business from, as lots of the existing followers came over to my new page, which I think was a definite early boost.

What are your future goals for your business?

I'm not very good at long term, but in the next six months I'd like to double my monthly income, in order to feel more financially secure. In five years I'd like to be at a point where my husband could work with me full time.

And finally, what has been the biggest lesson for you since you started your business and what's your best bit of advice for other Founder Mums?  

My bit of advice for others would definitely be to try not to lose faith. There have been so many days when I've said to myself that I'm not cut out to run a business, I've doubted myself, and felt like giving up. Quite often these lows are followed by a real high, it's kind of the nature of working for yourself, so learning to ride that wave will help - I'm still a work in progress, it's not foolproof!

FOUNDER MUM PROFILE:

Name: Emma Botham

Business: Leopardy Em Creative

Instagram: @leopardyemcreative

Facebook: Leopardyemcreative

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LeopardyEmCreative

Based in: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, a town perched on the edge of the Pennines