Meet the Team: Sarah
Sarah joined the Small Biz team in 2023. Get to know her a little better…
Name: Sarah Rushbrooke
Your small business: Rook Botanics. I run floristry and wreathmaking workshops for hen dos, corporate away days and the general public. I also offer wedding flowers for alternative couples that perhaps want lots of colour or slightly gothic vibes or just something non traditional. I’m about to launch a sustainable funeral collection and an ebook all about flower arranging at home.
Why is networking important? I get lonely! The older I’ve gotten the more I appreciate solitude, but sometimes it goes a bit far and I just need to hang out with actual people. At our networking events the room is full of people who understand the struggles you also face. You can have a moan about invoices being paid late or how people treat your small business like it’s a hobby. I just feel so full and reinvigorated after a morning of networking.
Your fav thing about running a small biz? Not being told what to do! I worked for years in marketing and social media within the charity sector and I just found it so frustrating being told what posts I had to share because someone on the board wanted it to happen, or setting up an account on a new platform even though it wasn’t where our audience were hanging out. The freedom from getting to make all the decisions in my business can be so scary, but is so important to me.
Your least fav thing about running a small biz? Doing my taxes probably! But more seriously, I would say that I sometimes find it hard to not take things personally. I put my heart and soul into all the floral designs I create and all the workshops I put on offer, and sometimes if tickets don’t sell quick enough or I get less weddings booked than I expected I just start telling myself everyone hates me! It sounds so daft, and it is daft, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes think it.
Favourite book: Honestly it changes on a whim. One of my go to comfort books is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I also love the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien and The Last Wolf by Jim Crumley (an amazing Scottish nature writer).
Favourite podcast: Tooth and Claw. It’s going to sound weird but BEAR with me. It’s about animal attacks and encounters, particularly large carnivores like bears. There’s lots of episodes about sharks too. It’s hosted by a wildlife biologist, his brother and their best pal. It’s really funny and chaotic, but they’re great about clearing up misinformation about animals and show how unlikely animal attacks are. They share great advice on how to safely enjoy areas inhabited by animals that could pose a risk.
I’m just a really big nerd about animals, so I love it.
For my favourite business related podcast I would probably pick Letters from a Hopeful Creative by Sara Tasker and Jen Carrington.
Your goal for the year: I’ve got a few. But one of the big ones is to finally publish my ebook. I’m so good at starting new, shiny projects but can sometimes struggle with seeing them through. I’ve been working on my ebook (all about how to arrange flowers at home) for over a year and it keeps getting pushed down my to do list. So 2024 is the year it will get finished!
The best piece of business advice you’ve heard? Don’t listen to all the advice you get given. I don’t know if anyone has exactly said it to me, but I’ve definitely learnt this along the way. Everyone loves to give business advice, even if they’ve never ran a business themselves. Don’t listen to ‘em. They might be projecting their own fears on to you. Just always keep in mind that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. Be very picky with what advice you take on board.
Where can we find you? I’m really enjoying Substack right now, I have a publication called The Foibles of a Florist. You can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest.
Image taken by Small Fish Brand Co..