Name: Graham Wiles-Pearson Company: Entropy the Shop
Please tell us about
your business: My wife (CherieWiles-Pearson) and I run a small shop online at Etsy.com. The shop is centered
around vintage and eclectic finds from home accents to personal frills; from
furniture to jewelry. We also feature upcycled clothing, art and other
decorative and functional elements for the house and kitchen.
As a former
interior designer, Cherie creates many of the upcycled home design elements for
the shop. She is the driving force behind the shop's vision and style always
researching and hunting for interesting finds.
I am a professional
chef who has always enjoyed a hobby of preserving and fermenting foods.
In the
late summer of 2012 I started a business producing some of my vinegar and
preserves for sale to the public; 'Spoiled Rotten Vinegar' and ' Stuck-Up Jams'.
Some of my sales are made in my local area but the majority of my business is
done through Entropy the Shop on Etsy.com. Under the California Homemade Food
Act I hope to produce more out of my home allowing me to reach more people and
small, independent establishments.
How long have you been
working from home? Over a year now. Full time
for 4 months.
Do you work from home
full time or part time? Full time
How do you stay
connected with colleagues in your field?
We stay connected with other
shop owners on Etsy through messages and Teams. Most shop owners and creators
are very willing to share their experience and advice for marketing, sales and
recipe tips. The Teams on Etsy offer community and support for shops and buyers
in an array of categories. We are involved with SF Bay Area teams and some
Edible teams which all offer support.
In January of this
year we became involved with Google+ and it has been a great resource, both
personally and professionally. The communities established on G+ are very
diverse and many specifically aimed at different focuses and interests. We
enjoy the support and cumulative knowledge of food, blogging and small business
communities and many more.
How do you deal with
the isolating nature of working from home?
This
is a tough one.
Since my wife also works as a nutritional writer for a medical journal
from our home (steady income) while I tend to our 2 year old son, Elliott, we
not only feel cut off from the outside world but even feel distanced from each
other at times.
Since I left my career to work on our businesses at home four months ago
we have had our moments of stress and burnout. Realizing that to encounter
these issues within such a short period of time we decided to make efforts to
get connection with the outside world in ways we never sought before. Joining
the kids club at the local library, regular visits to our community park where
fellow stay at home parents commune and 'stay at home dad' communities on
Google+ are some of the ways I have reached out to the world beyond my front
door.
My wife, Cherie has some close family in the area and is making attempts to
make routine 'girl's dates' or morning coffee venting sessions. In the past
month Cherie has become dedicated to lengthy outdoor hikes as well.
Although I do have many contacts and friends in the restaurant industry in
the bay area, since I have left the workforce it is hard to keep up
communication. Our schedules are so different now and our priorities have a
different tempo. So for inspiration and cottage industry shop-talk I rely on my
friends at the farmers markets. Now that I am not rushing off to my restaurant
after doing my shopping I am able to enjoy sharing ideas and stories with the
people who grow my ingredients. This keeps me grounded.
How do you stay
motivated without the accountability of a "time clock"? This is an easy one. Juggling the
schedule of 1, two year old boy, twin twelve year old boys and a sixteen year
old girl who is an honor student involved with every after school program
offered, every day of the week, when a window of opportunity opens it is
utilized to the fullest.
My wife, Cherie,
struggles with her research papers as they are not a fun outlet though she does
learn a lot for our families health. She is motivated to get her writing done
in the morning hours so she can be creative with the shop and spend time with
out children in the afternoon. It does take a lot of personal motivation.
One great aspect of
our business(es) is that they were created out of our very own passions.
As a designer, Cherie has an appreciation for
unique elements and being creative with spaces, photography and instructional
blogging. Working on the business feeds her soul creatively and promises a
better future for our family should it continue to grow.
As a chef and
foodie I just love to work with food which is an endless source of culture and
history. As for a time clock, mine is set by nature itself. When the fruit and
vegetables are ripe and in season it is time to work. Capturing these
ingredients at their peak has a short window and this is my incentive. With my
fermenting, much of the time is spent waiting until the elements are ready for
bottling or canning. Again, this is a natural clock which dictates my
priorities at the moment and after investing my time and love into these creations
little can divert my attention.
What are the biggest
challenges you face when working from home?
Remembering that first and
foremost, this is our home and we are a family. It can be a
challenge to keep our priorities in line when we want or need to spend time on
our business while other family matters arise. Keeping our family, each other
and our home in perspective is our daily goal.
Do you work in your
underwear? I'll never tell
What is the best part
about working from home? For us right now, the best
part is being with our youngest son and watching him grow and develop every
day. Always being available for our children is a luxury. At times it can get
tough being in such close proximity with the people you live (and work) with.
What is the one item
that you find vital to have in your home office? Outside
of internet connection I would have to go with coffee. With all that is
demanded from four children and two dogs at 6am there is no way we could
survive without coffee.
What is the one piece
of advice that you can give to those just starting out working from home? The common advice for an
external job/ place of work still apply: Schedule your work time and personal
time; have a life and personal activities.
It is convenient
and easy to know that if you don't get that job done at 2pm you can always whip
it out while you relax in bed watching TV at 11:30pm. This is a benefit which
should only be used when needed. If you don't set specific work and personal
periods, or you start to blur the lines of the two, you will become unorganized
and limit your productivity and recreation setting yourself up for burn-out.
Continue the
conversation...
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