...and I'm lucky enough to be the female founder and owner of Cornwall Shop Small - on a mission to showcase and support the West's wonderful micro makers, small brands and indie creatives. Cornwall Shop Small collaborates on a full Market Events programme and hosts an Online Shopping (small!) Directory celebrating the sheer joy and profound value of shopping small and eating local. Alongside that I strive to offer accessible, insightful and warm Small Business Support to the amazing community of small businesses that are at the (big) heart of Cornwall Shop Small. 

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My career began in London working on tv, online and event sponsorship & promo campaigns. I worked on global brand campaigns, launched products onto supermarket shelves and organised international competitions. All amazing experiences but over time I became bored and frustrated. Did I really want to be part of a machine that was promoting mass throwaway consumption? Hmmm, no. Was I fed up with corporate red tape hampering creativity? Most definitely.

 

I left the bright lights of London for the big skies of Cornwall to start a new challenge and a new way of life. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do... I kept up with some freelance marketing work to keep some pennies coming in, had my own small creative biz selling upcycled vintage lighting & decor at markets, online & for commercial commissions and started a vintage event hire company with a friend that led to us having a little vintage shop for a few years and hosting local vintage fairs. These fairs grew into a series of vintage, craft & design events and for a few years I co-curated these, part time, until, in 2022, my friend and business partner took a step back and we closed the partnership.

 

But it wasn't the end for me. I loved being part of the small biz community, I was passionate about the benefits of shopping small and I knew that my experience could help other small businesses. In early 2023 Cornwall Shop Small launched and 2025 is set to be our biggest (and bestest) shop small year yet! So, rather than scheduling a multi moolah TV ad campaign you'll find me popping up posters, instead of promoting a global product launch I'll be chatting to a micro maker about how their wonderful biz can thrive, and the 4am starts are not to fly to a meeting but to head to Market day to get prepped for the wonderful shop small superstars and supporters. And do you know what? I am so very lucky to be doing what I do.

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Thanks for joining the shop small adventure, you're a local hero! Want to find out why that's such an amazing thing? Hit the link below!