A Dundee mum who turned her hobby into a business during lockdown is celebrating after securing a contract to supply V&A Dundee.
Daisy MacGowan designs ethically and sustainably produced stationery, cards, gifts and art prints.
After years of working in a variety of jobs, she decided to turn her hobby of designing a range of craft products into a business.
She launched Daisy MacGowan Illustration last year, and has been blown away by its success to date.
Daisy, 28, said: “I had no idea that just over a year later my stuff would be sitting on shelves in the V&A.
“It’s a total dream. I still can’t believe it sometimes.”
Going it alone during pandemic ‘daunting’
She admits that leaving her job in the administration team at Dundee University to go it alone was daunting, particularly as Covid-19 forced the country into lockdown.
Daisy, who was born in England but spent most of her adult live in Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland, said: “The first lockdown started just after I had handed in my notice.
“That was a big barrier to overcome.
“The shops I hoped to supply were all forced to close, and many are still cautious about buying stock.”
Balancing running her business with being a mum to two-year-old Evie has been difficult too.
That is about to get more challenging. Daisy and husband Stuart are expecting their second child in October.
“Being a mum is amazing but managing your work-life balance can also be tough when you have a young child and run your own business.
“But we’ve enjoyed steady growth despite the challenges and I’m really grateful for the opportunities we have had.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to be able to develop products for the V&A and I’m really excited to see my work on sale there.”
Daisy MacGowan Illustration support
Running her own craft business is a far cry from Daisy’s days at Trinity College, where she completed a degree in medieval history before moving to Dundee.
After graduating, she found that there was a lack of career prospects in the field.
None of the jobs that followed were what she wanted to do long-term, and she found support from The Prince’s Trust that helped her get set up.
Daisy added: “I did a course in graphic design and illustration, so I knew I had those skills.
“The Prince’s Trust enterprise programme was great to get an overview of what to expect from running my own business.
“It helped me to think about sales and marketing, get some much-needed advice about the legal side and tax responsibilities.
“The business volunteers were great in giving me some fantastic advice.
“The grants were really helpful for exploring my business and growing.”
Daisy’s hopes for the future
The feedback from the V&A has been good, Daisy said, and she hopes that contract may become long-standing.
Some 18 months after handing in her notice, did she think the business would be doing so well?
“I had no idea,” she said.
“I was very lucky that my husband has a good job and was able to keep paying the mortgage.”
“It was a big gamble for me at the time. I had been working for years, so it was a big shock to me.
Daisy’s long-term ambition is to create a number of jobs.
She wants to expand the business and supply shops across the UK.