Well here we go. Shop 2 is open. The emotions are mixed, I am not gonna lie. After roughly 5 years of Salubrious, opening our second shop is something we are extremely proud of and excited for. However, as I sit here, quietly, after a few very hectic months getting organised, especially the last week and shop fit-out until 9pm last night, it is hard to not feel some doubts creep in. For a couple of country kids, with no real background in fashion/running a business/art etc. it is hard for the imposter syndrome not to kick in. Does anyone even like my stuff? Can I call myself an artist? It is one thing to open a shop in your hometown with the support of your friends and family, but to open a shop in the big smoke makes me feel like a little fish in a big pond. I’ll be candid for a sec, I am a bit nervous.
I caught up with a friend at a wedding a couple of weeks ago, someone who I hadn’t seen for close to 5 years. We actually worked together at a cafe, when I was making 500 coffees a day in the heart of a Robe summer and Salubrious Hour (then Salubrious Apparel) was very much a hobby. We had a website and an instagram and a few online sales to spur us on, I think most of these were from Aunties and Uncles. My friend asked me about the brand and as I filled her in she reminded me of a conversation we had back in the day, that I can’t actually remember. It was probably in the lull between the breakfast and lunch rush. She said she remembers asking me if we had plans to open a shop, to which I apparently laughed and replied in my dreams. It was this friend who now brought up how cool it was that we not only had one shop but were about to open our second. I think when you are living something it’s easy to get caught up in what is next, what you need to accomplish and because this brand is everything to us we find ourselves focusing on what we can do or need to do better. It was nice to look at it from her perspective and also a little reminder that I am currently living what was once just my dream. It’s no fashion empire but together Billy and I have built a humble brand with a great community and a portfolio of designs that I am proud of.
So even though I texted my boyfriend 30 minutes and no sales into our shop opening, panicking, he texted back telling me to take a breath and that Rome was not built in a day. Touche, Jordan. I have had time to reflect, to breathe and remember the progress we have made and I am glad we are having a crack, there is no opportunity for growth without some level of risk. And what is a life without risk?
We are a small business, we still get excited when an online order comes through from someone who isn’t a relative (thankfully much more often these days), we have a group chat with our parents to keep them updated. It’s a working progress, this business of ours but minus the minor identity crisis’ and mini panic attacks (it’s because I care…) I am loving every minute. Getting to work with my brother as well as all the help and support from our partners, Imogen and Jordan, growing a community of like minded people and seeing you guys wearing and loving things that we have designed, it really is pretty cool. So let’s cross our fingers Adelaide welcomes us with open arms and buys some tees!
