THE BUSINESS DIARIES | Lauren, The Cross-Eyed Fox
Friday has finally landed on our doorsteps (as well as an aggressive drop in temperatures)… What better way to end the working week with another serving of The Business Diaries?! I’m chatting to Lauren, Founder of The Cross-Eyed Fox, a bespoke stationery design studio in the North West. A professional illustrator, hand lettering addict, laser cutting pro and paper extraordinaire, Lauren described being a business owner (in three words) as…’Living the Dream’.
These three words have actually appeared a number of times with various guests on The Business Diaries which I LOVE. And perhaps, particularly at this time of year, is the positivity we need! So, without further ado, here’s your next fix of small business inspiration…
How long have you been running your business for? How was your business born?
The Cross-Eyed Fox found it’s feet in 2016, creating statement wedding stationery, modern invitations and artisan paper goods. I started with a small shop in Coppull, Lancashire and worked out of our conservatory with one laser cutter. Luckily I found the perfect studio space in the heart of Preston which is my home away from home. It’s been a crazy ride with many challenges, but I wouldn’t change a thing!
What did you want to do for a career? Was this something you’d always intended on doing?
As a child I lived and breathed art. I had literally every craft kit that was ever sold in Toys R Us.
My love for design continued through school and college until I final settled on wanting to work in the movies, baby! Not onscreen – but behind the scenes. So off I went to the big city, studying for a degree in Technical & Special Effects for film and theatre at the London College of Fashion. I absolutely LOVED it! Learning how to create props, scenery, make-up and creature FX, sculpting, stop motion models for animation – the list goes on. In later years, I worked for a Live Events company in Manchester where I fine tuned my graphic design skills before moving into teaching Design Technology.
All this may seem a long way off creating bespoke wedding stationery – but I can bridge the gap. It was a friend’s wedding that really led to the move from event to wedding stationery. As an alternative (self-confessed ‘gothic’) bride she struggled to find not only invitations but also any décor that reflected their style as a couple without heading into tacky Halloween party territory. It occurred to me that there must be more couples who want to stay true to their own style whilst at the same time keeping the traditions of a beautiful wedding
What is one thing you know now that you would have told yourself when you first launched your business?
I’d say, “Hey Lauren – YOU CAN’T DO EVERY JOB ROLE!”
When I first started the business I took on every job role; marketing, web design, product design, photographer, production, sales, admin, finances…. I’m sure every business owner knows the score. Working that way is not sustainable and it became pretty obvious pretty darn quickly. Planning out how a business will run day-to-day is something that needs ironing out early on.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a business owner, and how have you overcome it?
One the biggest challenges for me was letting other people into the business. Following on from learning that I can’t take on every role within the business, I needed to let go of some control. Very hard for a complete control freak let me tell you!
Tell me an invaluable lesson you have learnt as a business owner?
The most valuable thing I’ve learned is to really try and gather feedback from clients. As scary as this was at first, it’s been overwhelmingly beneficial and also a confidence boost. It’s led to improvements in customer service but also informed updates to processes and marketing. Following client suggestions I’ve included more helpful information guides online to make ordering simpler and adopted an open pricing structure to make gathering information quickly much easier for new and potential clients.
Being self-employed can be a struggle! How do you stay motivated? Do you have any productivity tips?
I attended an in depth course on Project Management through our local university and it made such a difference to how I run the business. It sounds like a right faff and I’m not going to lie – it was time consuming but boy was it worth the effort. Making a vision plan for the business and project plans within it keeps me on track and motivated because I have deadlines and review periods built in. Boring but practical! Ooh also I LOVE my studio Echo Dot. I tend have ideas and thoughts pop in my head at random times so I just let Alexa take notes or update my calendar for me. Total time saver.
Is there anyone (within the industry, celebrity, friend or family member) who inspires you and what you do for a living?
I love following wedding stylists on Instagram for trend ideas, it’s great to see how all the details come together. I’m quite a creative individual so anything can inspire me really. I go on lots of walks with my super fluffy little dog Lacey (aka Pooch), I take a hot coffee and my sketchbook. Ideas just pop into my head when I’m outside. Although it’s really annoying when that happens in the night but I have a notepad by my bed for those times (I’m not joking).
Name me your go-to podcast, audio book or song that you listen to while working?
It totally depends on what I’m doing. If I’m creating a new product then the classic rock tunes go on! I use the Noisli app to create background noise for when I need to focus, and a Terry Pratchett audio book for when I’m in maker mode.
I’m all about supporting small businesses. How can your followers / customers / clients support your biz?
Chatting about wedding styles and details is one of my favourite things! So please connect with me on social media and share your love story.
My clients are my biggest cheerleaders and greatest source of ideas for improvements to products or service. It’s so valuable to a small business for clients to give honest feedback and share their experience.
What’s one thing you dislike about being a business owner?
Admin! Urgghh. I know admin tasks and paper work are really important, but part of me just thinks, “You’re stopping me playing in my studio!”
What’s one thing you love about being a business owner?
Total creative freedom! Getting to create beautiful bespoke stationery that reflects my clients personalities.(Plus working my bottom off directly benefits my clients, myself and my family.)
What is a common myth about your business / field of expertise?
That wedding invitations just get put in the rubbish bin, so there’s no point spending any money on them. For me, designing an invitation suite is about sharing a couple's love story. It should set the right tone and excite guests with a glimpse of the wedding.
If you value the tradition of paper invitations and the importance they place on the event, then your guests will too. I can’t count the number of times guests have commented how much they loved the invitations and the honour they felt when receiving them. Creating that feeling is something really special, ensuring invitations are keepsakes not throwaways.
If your business could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
I would be delighted if The Cross-Eyed Fox could be remembered for my belief that, "there’s no such thing as the ‘average’ couple." A term I hear so often in the wedding industry. Pushing wedding stationery past traditional styles is what I hope sets me apart. Creating designs that can be unwrapped like a present, bringing a unique approach to modern invitations and papers.
What’s something your followers / customers / clients wouldn’t know about you?
I can sing the alphabet backwards. A totally useless skill but one that I’m proud of.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their own business?
Start with a plan. Really think through where you want your business to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. Put your Determination Pants on, then aim for the stars. You’ll literally work harder than you ever have before and it’s all consuming at times. BUT absolutely worth every ounce of effort.
What do you have in store for your business? Is there anything exciting around the corner?
Yes, yes I do! I’ve got a product line of gift and home décor pieces ‘The Laser Studio’ which I’m slowly growing. Carrying over the same love for unique design and high quality pieces.
I’m establishing a range of services to support experienced wedding planners and co-ordinators. Creating beautiful bespoke stationery pieces for their clients. You can find out more about this on the website:
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me, that I ADORE working on styled wedding shoots. So early next year I’ll be launching our VIP Styling Kits (that’s Very Important Photographers). Any photographers who want early access or more details are welcome to message me, it’s going to be a really exciting new collection designed especially for them. artisan.thecrosseyedfox.com/styled-stationery-kits
Describe being a business owner in three words. (E.G Rewarding, freedom, challenging).
Living the dream! (technically three words, lol). Empowering. Nerve-racking. Fulfilling.