What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Growing up around my parent’s own business, I have always wanted the same flexibility. Being able to take a break or work the hours I want while being able to earn as much as I put in has been a dream of mine. I never felt fully appreciated in my previous jobs and owning my own business has given me the opportunity to be rewarded for my efforts. The more I put in, the more I get out, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity. I absolutely love that about owning my own business.
I have always wanted to own a business, but I never knew what it should be. I know various others who want to start something of their own, but it is hard to produce something new. Then I saw a gap in the market. I was the consumer and was looking for a certain product. I was living in Australia and was coming home to England for the first time in three years. My brother, who also lives in Australia, was coming home for the first time in three years as well. We were so excited to be together as a family for the first time in five years. That is when I realised there was a gap in the market, and I could fill it.
I have always loved Christmas. It has always been a special time for our family. To make Christmas even more special, I suggested to my mom that we get matching pyjamas. Five years ago, this was not a common idea, and I could not find any stores to purchase them from. I then did research and saw that it was a trend in America. I had an idea that if I were looking for this product, other families would also be interested in it.
I am aware of the growth of social media and how people love to share picture-perfect moments, especially at Christmas. I decided to take advantage of this by launching matching Christmas pyjamas. This was great free marketing for me as people started taking photos and tagging my product, which helped spread the word and increase my sales. Following this success, I launched PYJAMILY, a non-Christmas version of the product, to cater to those who loved the product.
Can you introduce us to your business? What is it about and what makes it so unique?
I am the owner of a family PYJAMILY business that includes styles and prints for all ages and generations, and even pets! I am passionate about my business because I understand that pets are part of the family too. My pyjamas have become popular because of the unique feature of matching pet pyjamas.
Originally your business was called My Everyday Pyjamas. What made you change the name to PYJAMILY?
I went with My Christmas Pyjamas for my business, as I had been running that for four years and had built up a good customer base. However, when I appeared on The Apprentice, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of PYJAMILY before. It was perfect, funny, and memorable. It was exactly what I wanted; pyjamas for the family, but also with the added bonus of the millions of people who watched The Apprentice being able to recognise the name immediately. Now when I send emails from my Pyjamily account, people recognise it and think of me as the girl from The Apprentice, giving me credibility and allowing me to get my foot in the door. I’m so glad I switched over to the PYJAMILY name and I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner.
You mentioned leaving school at 16, what was the motivation behind that?
I have never been much of an academic, so while I tried my best and usually got As to Cs, school was not something that I had an interest in. Instead, I wanted to make money and travel, and I did not agree with the idea that my life should follow a particular path – college, university, job, marriage, and kids. I was determined to do what was right for me, even if that meant foregoing university and instead starting my own business. I knew university was not the right route for me, as I did not enjoy being in a classroom. Therefore, I wanted to pursue my own business goals instead.
What were your first few jobs before you started your own business?
I experienced first-hand the pressure of working in a sales role with a cruise company. My mom was already employed there, and my cousin worked there, so I thought I would try it. I did not end up enjoying the role, as there was lots of pressure to convert sales, and I did not like having to answer people. I ended up working there for two years, before moving on to a major high street bank, where I was employed to work in mortgages. I had extensive training and ended up getting my exams and becoming a fully qualified mortgage advisor. This experience has made me enthusiastic about the importance of educating children on basic money and mortgages at school, so they can understand the industry before embarking on a career.
Starting a business is exciting, but it can seem daunting at times, were you given any support or advice that you thought was helpful?
I do not want to sugarcoat it, but this year has been incredibly challenging as a business owner. I am always up at 5am and going to bed at midnight, doing everything I can to push my business further. I am the first point of contact for customers and must take their complaints, even when it is completely out of my control. What is tough is the exhaustion that comes with working with no days off. I understand that to get a business off the ground and make it successful, I must put in these hours and demanding work. It is hard to get people to buy your product, go on your website, and run it in general. It is hard.
Do you ever just stare at the website analytics seeing how many active users are on our site?
Yeah, I find it cool that I can watch people from all over the world logging onto my website. Seeing a map of the world with people logging on from places like Australia is amazing and gives me a sense of wonder.
Starting a business is exciting, but it can seem daunting at times, were you given any support or advice that you thought was helpful?
I have learned so many things about running a business along the way, and I want to share some of that advice. Researching the market and knowing how your competitors differ from you is essential. However, when you first start out, I believe in doing as much as you can yourself. Although I now have a team to help with the fulfilment side, I still manage other aspects of the business. This will not be sustainable if I want to grow the business, so I am learning to delegate more. By doing this I can pick up the slack if someone is off sick or unavailable.
I know my business inside and out, so if I ever need to pick something up, I am confident I can do it. Doing as much as I can myself is important when starting a business, so I focus on that until I am making a profit. Once I cannot physically do it all anymore, I can start delegating tasks.
Did you already have financial backing or did you use your own savings when starting up?
I have completely achieved success on my own without any outside help. I have been able to make a profit from the very first year of business. I have always reinvested my profits and that has allowed me to purchase stock upfront to a substantial amount. I plan to continue doing this so I can keep growing my business. I may need to investigate getting financial help or an investor in the future if I want to pursue any exciting partnerships that could come up. If I keep doing what I am doing, everything will work out.
Did you have any other costs that you had to factor in that you did not think of when starting?
I am always aware that there are additional costs to consider when running a business. Shipping, customs, customer refunds, etc. can increase quickly. I am trying to learn from the experience and take on as much of the cost as I can, but it is a learning curve.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while starting a business?
Before The Apprentice, I did not have anyone to turn to for advice or guidance in running my business. Instead, I had to figure things out for myself by reading books, doing research, and looking at what other companies were doing, such as signing up for their newsletters and taking tips from them. I am always trying to learn and better myself, but now I have a large group of friends from the Apprentice who I can turn to for advice.
Did you have any mindset shifts throughout your journey, if so, how did it affect your business and yourself?
When I first started my business five years ago, I used to take customer feedback, such as complaints, very personally. I would get upset and defensive, which I realise now was silly. I have since learned that it is not personal, it is a business, and that there will always be a small percentage of customers who are unsatisfied. Now, I am just sorry they feel that way and focus on how I can make it right. I accept that it is part of the business and move forward, quickly dealing with the issue and not wasting time on being upset.
What was it like to face Lord Sugar in the boardroom? Did you feel intimidated by his presence, or was it a positive experience?
I do not get intimidated because at the end of the day, the person I am working with is a human, just like me. I understand that this process involves criticism, but it is not personal, and it is to help me. Lord Sugar gave me advice that I have taken on board, and I have learned a great deal from the process. As an entrepreneur, I need to be open to feedback and not take it personally because it is not personal, people are usually trying to help me. I am sure if I take this advice on board, I will only get better.
Congratulations on partnering with the Hilton London Metropole! How did this come around?
Thank you! I am so excited about this amazing idea – ordering pyjamas to your hotel room! I am surprised this is not something that has been offered before now. It is a great idea for chains to offer this, especially during the holidays. It will create a more family-oriented environment and make those special moments even better. It is genius, and I wish hotels had more of these types of services available. If I ever find myself in a situation where my suitcase is lost, I would love to be able to order pyjamas for my room! I am incredibly proud and excited to have partnered with the well-known Hilton brand. It has been a dream come true for my small business and has already seen success, with several families purchasing the pyjamas. I am hopeful that this partnership could lead to even more exciting opportunities in the future.
Was it a strategic move to work with this particular Hilton due to the number of guests staying that would attend Winter Wonderland?
The marketing director for Hilton London Metro Pal approached me. They are currently running a big campaign to get families to stay at the hotel, with a Christmas activation featuring a big fireplace, live singers, complimentary mulled wine in the evenings, and cookie decorating for kids. This campaign is only available at a couple of Hiltons in the UK so far, so it is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of. We are excited to see how it goes this year, and hopefully, it will become available on a bigger scale in the future.
Was the Apprentice something you have always aspired to be on?
For years, I have been a fan of The Apprentice, and have always had the thought that I could do what they were doing. When the show was airing, my business was in a wonderful place due to the growth from the lockdown. I had two jobs, working at Bank of America in London, and running my own Christmas company, but I was not particularly happy. That is why when The Apprentice came around, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity. I was ready to leave my job if necessary and was mentally in the right place. I had the skills and attributes necessary to be Launch Sugar’s business partner and was driven to succeed.
What did you manage to learn from the series that you were able to use in your own business?
I have learned a great deal over the past two years, and I have changed and grown significantly during that time. Being on The Apprentice helped me to gain the confidence to negotiate with larger companies and know how to approach them and what to say. I have also been able to learn from other business owners, such as Harps, watching her negotiate and speak to suppliers. I have been able to take things from that and use them in my own business. One of the most crucial things I have gained from The Apprentice is the ability to pitch and speak in front of crowds.
I had never stood on a stage and spoken in front of a big crowd before The Apprentice. When I was put on the stage knowing that eight million people were going to be watching, and Karen Brady was watching me, I was outside my comfort zone, and it could not have gotten any worse. After The Apprentice, I started doing my school talks and things like that, and it did not feel so scary. I thought to myself, I have done The Apprentice; I have had to pitch in the final in front of Lord Sugar and Tim and Karen. If I can do that, I can go to a school and talk for 40 minutes about my journey. I realised that to grow, I must challenge myself and push myself beyond my comfort zone. With each challenge, it becomes less and less intimidating.
Do you think your management skills have gone better after The Apprentice? Watching the series, several individuals were quite challenging.
As someone who does not need to manage a team, I still enjoy the feeling of being a boss. I had the opportunity to show my management style on The Apprentice, and it was a good representation even though Bougie Cruises could have been better. I am looking forward to having my own team in the future and going to the office together to work. It is something I am really going to enjoy.
Where do you see your company in three years’ time from now?
My goal is to become financially free and get my brand, PYJAMILY, out there. I have been running the brand for five years now, so people already know it, but I want to raise awareness even more. In the next year, I am focused on getting people to know what PYJAMILY is and talking about it. In the next few years, I would like to start selling to retailers and collaborating with big brands. I am extremely optimistic about the Hilton deal, and I am also aiming to partner with airlines. It is going to take time, but I am confident in the success of my brand.
How do you know that you have made it?
I always want more and so I do not know if I will ever reach a point where I am done. My goal is to have a beautiful, mortgage-free family home. I do not know if I will ever get there, but I will keep pushing and working hard to make it happen in the hopes that one day I will have achieved my goal.
Featured Image & Images by Sam Frost
