We feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by brilliant women every single day. We’re constantly inspired by their creativity, in awe of their drive, and so proud of everything they set out to build and achieve.
With International Women’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate them properly. You already know and love these brands, but we thought this was the perfect time to introduce you to the wonderful women behind them, the founders, the makers, the dreamers doing it all.
What's your name?
Helen
How many years have you been in business?
7
How many employees does your business have?
3
What inspired you to start your business?
I love to make things, especially things that are useful and beautiful. My friend taught me soap-making and whilst on maternity leave I had a go at making it into a side hustle. This side hustle then grew arms and legs, I gave up my day job (I was a primary school teacher) and the rest is history. I love working in small business, every day is different and I wear all the hats!
What is your definition of success?
I love the way that having your own business means that you can create your own work culture. I feel most successful when the people who work at Dook enjoy being part of this funny, soapy retail world.
What boundaries have you had to establish to protect your mental health and personal time?
I have kids and they are great for imposing hard deadline on my work life. I make sure I am home for them whenever I can be, plus I'm pretty good at protecting my weekends. But in reality as a small business owner, it's pretty difficult to completely switch off!
Who is your dream customer?
Our dream customer is someone who wants beautiful, Scottish, handmade, thoughtful gifts for friends and family and they have millions of friends and family!
What has been your worst business moment?
I've been at a Christmas market where condensation formed on the inside of the ceiling of the marquee - it rained on our soaps! For a minute I thought we might end up having a bit of a foam party!!
Tell us a joke…
My 10 year old daughter loves to tell this one:
What's a kidnapper's favourite type of shoe?
White vans.
(Hope that isn't too inappropriate!!)
A big thank you to Helen from Dook for taking the time to share such an honest and inspiring look at what it’s really like to start and run a business. It was wonderful to hear about your insights and experiences.
You can shop Dook here.
