| FANTASTIC FEMALES – ASHLEIGH DOUGHERTY FOUNDER OF INCY WINCY DARLINGS My name is Ashleigh and I am the face behind Incy Wincy Darlings. We are a small business and new children’s clothing brand in the UK. We don’t believe children should have to follow stereotypical gender rules or expectations in society when it comes to clothing. No child should feel they can’t wear a dino print if they’re a girl or a polka dot item if they’re a boy. Our motto is; let kids be kids! How did you balance being a mother and professional? I work around my son’s nap times and often in the evenings too. It can be difficult to do anything during the day, so I just do as much as I can here and there. What have you sacrificed (both personally and professionally) at each stage of your career? I have sacrificed money into the business which is a bit risky as I have only just returned to work from maternity leave and have only gone back part time. I have had to put personal time aside like reading, catching up with tv etc so that I can build the website. Who inspired you and why? Clothing brands on Instagram really inspired me. So many are run by mums and are successful, so I thought there is no reason that I can’t do that! What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace? Keep climbing the ladder and don’t let any setbacks get in the way of your goals Do you think women feel intimidated in business? Yes it can be quite daunting especially with things like meetings and presentations, but I think a lot has changed over the years and it’s more accepting now for women to be girl bosses when it comes to business and ideas Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.? Struggling to get my wriggling 14 month old dressed. Shortly followed by picking up his toast off the floor! What do you love about your job? Sourcing exciting stock and interacting with customers on social media. It makes me so happy when they are excited about a product for their little ones. What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made? To leave my full time job after maternity leave ending. I worked full time for the NHS as a manager and it was very draining. After having my son, it not longer fitted around my family. What’s the worst career decision you’ve ever made? To work ridiculously under paid and with no contract for a company in the beauty industry. It took a lot out of me and wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. What would you be doing if you were me now? Probably about to check today’s emails?! How do you organise your time? I wing it! I have set times throughout the day for meals and nap times for my son. Whilst at my part time job, I have a busy diary and when working on my business stuff, I just do bits here and there when I can. What do you think is your greatest strength? I am really creative! What do you think is your greatest weakness? I do compare my work to others when I’m feeling a little unsure about something How do you make decisions? I think about things for a few days and tend to discuss with my partner, then go from there What do you read? I love a good thriller novel! What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to? Know what your customers like! Engaging with your ideal customer, again and again. www.incywincydarlings.com Insta: @incywincydarlings Facebook: Incy Wincy Darlings |
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