To say that I absolutely loved this shoot would be a huge understatement! Emma and Leila have supported me since before I even knew how to use a proper camera. How lucky am I?!
So, they were naturally the first people that I thought of when deciding to do a “Meet the Maker” mini series.
Are you ready for their wisdom?
Me too!
Who are Emma and Leila and how did your business get started?Β Was the plan for the 2 of you always to work together, or did it just sort of happen?
After more than a decade of living overseas, we made a simultaneous decision to return home. Leila had been teaching in Australia, and Emma working in corporate in the UK.Β We are sisters and always wanted to do something together, we weren’t sure what, and Threads That Bind Us developed organically. Our designs and products are a celebration of our joy to be living in the most beautiful country in the world!
2020 has been a tough year for many people, especially small businesses. Were there any take-aways or learnings from this time that have changed the way that you look at business/do business?
We are so grateful to still have a business, we realise how lucky we are. At the same time, doing business at this time is very challenging and we have had to adapt and believe in ourselves much more. Our primary market was tourists, so we have had to adjust our approach to marketing, we are hustling hard to enter the international market.
What is one piece of advice that you wish someone had given you when you started (or a piece of advice that you were given, but regret not listening to now π)
It would have been incredibly useful to know how vital mentors and business coaches are to running a small business. We have one now who is amazing and pushes us out of our comfort zone weekly. We’re so grateful to have her in our lives at the moment, but it really would have been helpful to have had this direction earlier on.
Whatβs next for Threads?
We have just launched our bedding range and are excited to see how it is going to develop. The international market is also on our to do list, and we are putting a lot of effort into our website threadsthatbindus.co.za, so follow us on Instagram and Facebook for regular updates.
Wise women, don’t you think?
Can you see now why I was so excited to do this shoot for them? They are seriously talented and I’ve really enjoyed watching them expand and grow their Threads That Bind Us brand. I can’t wait to see what they do next!
Chat soon,
