We were lucky to catch up with Chloe Harrison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chloe, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about family businesses.
Me and my husband both run our own businesses and having worked in the film industry before I setup my own web design service I would highly encourage our children to setup something themselves or take over what we have created.
The flexibility when working for another company from my experience was pretty much zero. I have Lupus and rather than taking medication I manage it with rest, exercise and a low stress lifestyle. I can choose to work when I feel well and can do a yoga class one morning or have a nap one afternoon and then catchup later that evening. I think this flexibility for anyone is crucial for a good work / life balance.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Web Designer and Artist. I mainly build sites for other creatives and offer an affordable option for small or side businesses. My degree was in Web Design but after I graduated I fell into the VFX film industry and was a producer for 10 years. I soon realised that this career wasn’t a long term option for me as I have Lupus and it was making me unwell, plus we wanted to start a family and the long hours weren’t going to work.
After having children I started painting more and realised how important it is to have an online presence, so wanted to help other creatives as I know how daunting it can all be. My aim as a web designer is to offer an affordable option for small businesses and creatives by specialising in portfolio, service based or e-commerce sites.
I can build a site from scratch, by creating a brand identity or I can rework an existing site. I make sure what I create reflects you and your business. I also offer a tutorial service so I can hand the site over to my clients to take the reins to update and adapt as they wish.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
When I worked in London in the VFX film industry, life was hectic. The pace was so fast, at work I would be running around for most of the day working 9 am – 8pm (or even later) plus weekends if we had a deadline. Work would then come home with me and I would get phone calls from clients, asking for things.
So when I left that career and we moved out of London my whole pace of life changed. No one needed anything from me and it was calm and quiet where we lived. It was a massive transition and took me a long to time to adjust to this new way of life.
So I guess I had to unlearn how to be busy and embrace to new slow pace.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I feel like I have done this a lot. Firstly when I left my London career, then when I had children. From my experience as I have gotten older my priorities have changed. In my 20s I wanted to earn loads of money and work my way up in my career, then my 30s I wanted more time for me and wanted new experiences. Now I am in my 4os I want something that works for me and my family. I now know what makes me happy from a career and that is being creative and working with other creative people, so web design suits me perfectly. I also want something that is flexible and works around my Lupus and being a mum. I am so lucky that I can pick the kids up from school and spend time with them while they are young and need me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chloeharrison.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloespaintings/
Image Credits
Nat Aubrey