Lucy Elliott
Creative Director Creighton’s Chocolaterie
What women inspire you?
Jen Gotch (founder of ban.do) as she creates amazing visual products and finds humour in her personal struggles with her mental health. Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth) for being the only girl in a male dominated band/industry but keeping her style and integrity to be herself.
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
Using packaging as a form of art and a way to make design accessible to a mass market. Even everyday functional items can be aesthetically pleasing.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
Money worries! And anxiety that I have done everything I can to put a product on the market that is the best quality that it can be.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
We have much more support from other females via social media and network groups but getting your voice heard outside of that bubble to the wider world and being taken seriously.
What do you love about being a business owner?
Complete free reign to take the business in the direction I want and being ultimately culpable for the result. I also love that I can have a career and work my hours around my daughter (although that has only really worked now that she’s older - not enjoyable with a new baby!)
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
Responsibility for other people’s livelihoods - paying wages and pensions and securing their jobs, and loneliness that no one else really understands the stress of that responsibility.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
A creative career is a valid career.
What’s your favorite career moment?
Having a celebrity chef I admire publicly enjoy and rave about one of my chocolate bars on Twitter!
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
Put the hours in to my house renovation, it’s so frustrating that it has to be limited to weekends considering I really enjoy the process.
What are you reading or listening to now?
I have been listening to The Guilty Feminist podcast for the past three years and it’s really opened my eyes to diversity, fairness and representation for women - educational and funny too. I have less concentration for reading now that I’m older, so podcasts are great because I can take in information when I’m cooking or walking the dog.
What’s the best way to start your day?
I’m still looking for the answer to this - neither myself or my husband are morning people so I’m always sleeping late and cramming to get out of the house on time. I wish I had a better routine!
How do you unwind after a long workday?
Larger than appropriate serving of chocolate or biscuits in front of the TV. I have always had square eyes and don’t really see a problem in watching lots of TV! I do prefer to watch documentaries or comedy and I see it as culture intake.
What do you like about your workspace?
I like that I finally (after eight years) have my own dedicated workspace within the business location. Previously I have worked on the shop floor or from home and never had the space to have a permanent desk because the space was so valuable for other parts of the business. Now I have half of the top floor and it isn’t perfect but there is natural light and all my essentials around me.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I... need to sort it out straight away and get frustrated if I have to wait for someone else’s input to do that.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… to give other people more space in my life.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… colour.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… take a car or a train ride on my own, maybe with some music, it resets my mind and helps me dig out the creative ideas from underneath all the other life admin.
The best thing that happened to me recently was … I got to enjoy a full Easter weekend without having to work in a retail store.
By this time next year, I will be… cooking in my new pink kitchen.
Creighton’s Chocolaterie
Creighton’s Chocolaterie offers bold and bright chocolate bars, hand crafted by an all-female team
