Episode 4 is brimming with life. Claire is the founder of Hare Cottage Crafts, the one company you need to know about if you want perfectly crafted and scented products. I am still delighted every morning when I walk into the living room and am greeted by the scent of Sleepy Dormouse - yes it gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling too!

But don’t be fooled, Claire has packed an awful lot into a short space of time. She speaks of the life changing event in her late teens which took her away from her beloved animals into the corporate world, how she absolutely steam rollered her way to the top, and then how she realised that actually there was a lot more to life than suits and boardroom meetings. Like many of us, the pandemic, as well as personal reasons, gave her a chance to reflect on what she was doing with life. The moment that you realise your soul is undernourished and you haven’t had the chance to do any of your creative outlets for a while, that’s the moment when you know something has got to change. And change it did for Claire. You’ll notice that there are a few very strong themes throughout this podcast, one is creativity, another is animals. The intersection of these is Hare Cottage Crafts.

Hare Cottage Crafts was born out of a candle making course that Claire was taken to by a friend (loved ones sometimes really do have all the answers!) and suddenly a business idea took seed. No life or death decision making, no endless email chains, no need to be city-bound away from nature and the rhymes of the world beyond the office. Claire uses her background in art and photography, her love of Victoriana and her excellent understanding of scent to have created a female owned business that is blossoming. And unsurprisingly everything is vegan and 100% cruelty free too!

From supporting other women in business to unpacking the imposter syndrome that so many of us feel, to the patience it takes for truly good wildlife photography, this podcast covers everything you could hope for in 30 minutes and a bit more. If this episode doesn’t lift your spirits, I don’t know what will!

Website: https://harecottagecrafts.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harecottagecrafts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hare.cottagecrafts/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charlotte756.substack.com