History of a first year experience

December 31, the end of a busy year. What about the year 2022?

A year that I did not see pass but I realize now that it has flown by. The balance of the past 12 months? A lot to say and to share. First of all, SARACREA celebrated its 1st year of existence in October 😊.

An unforgettable year, the one that marked my first steps in entrepreneurship, a year of discovery of all kinds and frankly, a year of quite an experience. Before embarking on this project, I asked around, took a few trainings including the Academy A La Mano, especially their program l'Envol Digital to learn how to sell my handcrafted creations online. My first surprise (although it wasn't really one) was to realize that even for a micro-business like mine, there is a lot of work to do on a daily basis to manage a multitude of tasks. In fact, one becomes "multi-hatted". I had to define my organization right away and stick to it so that I wouldn't get scattered and fall into unnecessary headaches or feel overwhelmed.

Overnight, I became at the same time Webmaster (discovery of SEO, wow!), Community manager, Content creator, Marketing and Sales manager, Administrative and financial manager, Customer service manager, Purchasing manager, Courier, Order preparer...all of this and then, I change my hat to put me in Creator mode, seamstress, professional photographer apprentice. Pfiouuuu 😄 (totoche we say for those who know a little Creole language and its pretty expressions).

You will say to me "no, it is not possible". Well, it is possible.

• I manage myself the content and update of my website and its associated store (I've been struggling enough but you have to admit that the site is still drinkable, right?)

• I create the content for my ongoing social media posts. In fact, I invite you to subscribe to my Instagram and/or Facebook to regularly follow my "couturesque" adventure stories.

• I create the content of my advertising and marketing campaigns, I manage their distribution on different online media (those who subscribe to my Newsletter know what I'm talking about 😉 ).

• I take at least 50 pictures a week to show you my creations at their best (out of 50 shots of a model, only 2 are retained, the others are ugly 😄).

The list is not exhaustive, it aims to give an idea of what awaits us when we launch into entrepreneurship. What is priceless and what makes the experience unique, unforgettable, are the encounters, the sympathetic and benevolent welcome that you have given me, especially on the occasion of the Christmas Market "Brittany has talent", the sale-exhibition "Talents of Women" organized on November 26 by the Soroptimist International Club West Reunion Island in the framework of the days of activism "Orange the World". Each of your compliments is received almost as a declaration of love, so much they touch me and push me to hold on, not to give up when things don't go the way I want or don't always give the expected result (oh yes, that too is to be expected). On the contrary, when something doesn't work well, I redo it, I correct it, I improve it, I look for new ideas and I start again.

In particular, you loved the Ramatoa laundry pouch bag, the tote bag Garden, the makeup bag Imaitso, the tote bag Au Zoma and its matching zippered pouches, the tote bag Birds of Paradise and Orangea. I can't thank you enough for this. Thank you for understanding that behind each design, there was truly painstaking work, hours spent getting everything right.

2022 was also the year I turned 50. A dreaded age for some, an assumed age for others. I welcomed them with serenity, realizing that at this age, I really appreciate my change of life. Not so long ago, I was a Regional Manager for a national airline, now I am a Textile Designer (cool!). I traded a comfortable lifestyle, a responsible position, a job that I loved even though it was highly stressful, for an ever-changing experience in which I am totally free to give free rein to my creativity.

This may surprise you: my passion for kits and accessories comes from my previous job. I've traveled a lot, I've always been attracted to the various comfort kits(called amenity kits in the industry jargon) that airlines graciously offer to their passengers. I have a small collection of them. Although airlines compete with each other to offer their customers what best reflects the level of passenger experience they want to achieve, very often these kits come from the same manufacturer. The same shapes, same materials, only the colors and the content differentiate them according to the visual identity of the companies and their budget.

That's where I got the idea to create "for everyone" kits, toilet bag, makeup bag, tote bag with natural materials, more personalized "unique" models. Models in which people identify with their design, materials, fabric quality, printed patterns. Models that they will enjoy using all the time, wherever they are (at home, at the office, on weekends, on travel, on vacation...). And above all, models on which I have also left my mark.

Now that you know almost everything and that this experience is not about to end, I continue on my way to think about new models, new combinations of materials, choices of colors, to propose you practical creations that will always be useful.

See you soon for the rest, subscribe to my Newsletter to have news of the store before everyone else, a welcome gift is offered to you at registration.