The first £10 I ever made sits in my purse, behind my Paperchase loyalty card and photos of my baby brother, I see it every time I open my purse and it reminds me of how far Pop Up has come and how far it still has to go.
Two years ago I put two pairs of earrings into a Christmas stall at The City of Glasgow College, I did not have much time to make anything else and my earrings were hidden within two other designers amazing work. So it was safe to say that I was convinced I would not sell a pair.
I spent almost two full days staring at those earrings, watching people come to look at the stall and not even notice them – it was my first taste of selling to the public and I remember feeling my stomach fall when someone said they were nice, then walked away and I felt my heart sink when someone would pick them up only to put them back down again.
By the last day of the stall, I had decided like a true diva that I was going to become an accountant and work with my mother – to which mother said was the most horrific image she had ever seen and not to torture her like that…
Shortly after two college lecturers came up to the stall, they looked, admired and picked up a few items. Then one lecturer asked to see out my earrings. As he looked them over I found myself mentally preparing to smile and say thank you for looking and to have a brilliant day but I was gobsmacked when he looked at me and said.
‘I will take these, please. My partner will love them’
Now I have never won the lottery before, in fact, the most I have ever won was £45 on a scratch card but in those few moments of my very first sale I honestly thought I had won the lottery. Every business owner knows what this feels like, to be given actual money from someone who is not a friend or family member, it is one of the most exhilarating feelings I have ever felt.
After that lecturer walked away I stared at the £10 in my hands, it was real money, and it was £10 that could go back into my business account or £10 to buy gas and leccy or buy dinner. In the end, I decided to keep it, in fact, I think I left the college that day hugging my purse because God forbid someone steals my £10.
That lecturer from 2 years ago has no clue what he did, for him, he simply bought his partner a pair of earrings, for me he made me feel like the most amazing person in the world, that I could buy anything with my £10 and do everything with Pop Up Jewellery Ltd.
That day I decided to make Pop Up a reality and said to myself:
‘If I never have to spend my first £10 then everything is okay. Pop Up will be okay’
And it is, Pop Up is doing well and I am sitting here writing this with my first £10 next to me... but the funny thing is. It's an old bank note which no one accepts anymore! So I couldn’t even spend it if I wanted to!
Do you remember making your first £10? I would love to hear your story
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