Introducing…
Oh ~ Hello
I’m Sarah Archard. I put the S.A. in esSAy studio - get it?! I love how many messages I get from people when this little detail dawns on them :)
I feel like it’s a good idea to have a get-to-know-me post on here, but don’t want it to simply read as a CV so I’m going to give you FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME (that mostly relate to work):
FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME
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FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME ·
I am a PEOPLE person. I have extrovert energy in that I like to be around people to feel energised (this is not about being loud or the centre of attention, it’s about feeling drained of energy when I am alone for too long). So even though it is most practical for me to work in my garden studio, I can sometimes find it is too quiet and lonely out there so I like to work remotely when I can. You will often find me with a black coffee and some sourdough toast in my favourite cafes in Brighton.
2. Speaking of Brighton - it’s where I live! In a city by the sea, the perfect combo for me. After 15 years in London, we made the move to Brighton for more space. A piece of my heart will always be in London, but Brighton is a pretty special place, full of inspiring and wonderful people, food and sea views. There’s also the south downs on our doorstep, but I’m not so much of a countryside gal.
3. I first moved to London to study. With a Graphic Design degree under my belt, I went on to work in boutique branding agencies and in-house for both the London Film Festival, and eventually for Christie’s Auctioneers. At Christie’s I quickly climbed the ladder within their marketing department and became the Head of Creative Marketing managing an international team of designers in London and New York. This was an incredible role and opportunity for me. I was given lots of responsibility and i grabbed it with both hands. Travelling the world, learning how to manage people and developing the creative materials for global brand strategies - it was an amazing job and I gained a huge amount of experience.
4. I have three kids. Yes, three, we’re outnumbered! They’re great, cute and funny and they give great hugs - but learning to balance a career with a family is one of the biggest adjustments women (and men, but especially women) have to make. I always have understanding and sympathy for “THE JUGGLE” and try to manage my business in a way that supports this for both myself AND my clients.
5. After I had my first kid in 2011, I found that my new responsibilities as a mother just couldn’t combine with the expectations of my job. So I quit - a big decision as I was the main income for our family at that time - but I knew it was right, and I was confident that the skills I had learnt along the way could support me in a new direction. I had this entrepreneurial itch that i needed to scratch, and so in 2012, with a 6 month old baby on my knee, I opened my own online concept store. E-commerce was a new direction for me, but branding and curating the creative part of the business was what I knew and I felt confident I could learn the rest. The shop grew and grew. From local sales (driven by handing out fliers!) to starting an instagram account to grow my online community. I ended up with 25k followers, a dedicated customer base, stocking dozens of independent brands and over 500 product lines. My expertise and knowledge of the small business world grew as my community grew. I developed my own shopify website and in 8 years I managed my own rebrand and a collection of custom made products commissioned especially for my store. Eventually I knew that I didn’t want to grow the business any further and that I wasn’t able to be creative enough in my day to day life - so I ended my shopkeeper era and started up my own design studio - combining this experience with my Graphic Design background is what gives ESSAY STUDIO it’s superpower - I’ve been there!