Hey,
Wherever you’re reading this from, I hope you are having a lovely summer! :)
I’ve spent the past few weeks back in sunny Scotland; slowing down and catching up with family & friends… for years I’ve always looked forward to summer, because for me it’s a chance to recharge. There’s more space for ideas & time to think about what’s next…
Which brings me to you…
As we start planning the next Creative Arc breakfast, I’d genuinely love your thoughts.
Where would you love us to meet next? Have you discovered a café, studio or workspace recently that’s worth sharing? Is there someone you’d love to hear from in a future newsletter?
And perhaps the biggest question… what would you love The Creative Arc to become?
This community is built on conversations, so if you have an idea, a recommendation or simply fancy saying hello, I’d love to hear from you!
As always, I’m so glad you’re here & look forward to connecting with more of you in person after the summer. :)
Now, let’s get into this month’s newsletter.
With love,
This month we are chatting with Stephanie Fry; founder of Bloom Dollar. What I really admire about Stephanie is that she’s built an incredible business without feeling the need to be the loudest voice in the room. Her very thoughtful approach to growth, success & staying true to yourself as a founder is something I think many of us can learn from.
How have you grown your business without feeling the need to be loud online?
“Building the business consciously and purposefully has always been our ‘noise’ and in all
honesty it’s my personality as a founder, so I really couldn’t create something any other way without going against what’s truly me.
Every brand we work with has come through someone who knew someone who trusted us. Not a campaign, a free audit or a viral trend. A quiet conversation where someone said “You need to speak to Bloomdollar.”
I confidently know that if you asked any of the brands we support, they’d say that having a team they truly trust to execute has been a big price of their growth story. Seven years in, we’ve never needed a following to find the right brands, they’ve always found us.”
What does success look like to you right now?
“For the business, success is in retention.
Our business has grown as the brands have, bigger budgets, new geographical regions,
expanding product lines. We haven’t had to multiply the brands we support because our work has multiplied our internal success.
Our success has always been a byproduct of the work we do. I’ve never measured Bloomdollar by how many brands we work with or a revenue number. I measure it by how far the brands we work with have come.
But personally, success is being able to grow something I truly love whilst raising my girls. They both see the passion in what we’ve built and I know it’s already shaped their view of what creating something you love looks like, and being able to call it work.
That for me is everything.”
What’s 1 thing you’d do again if you had to start over?
“I wish I’d known sooner that what we were building was unique. So many times I felt like we were behind because I didn’t build the business social first. I wish I’d known that would end upbeing its greatest strength and difference.”
☕ Working from:
I spent a morning at Pancita, a small café on Al Wasl Road. The interiors are warm, it has a beautiful communal table at its centre and such a calming atmosphere. I came for breakfast with my notebook - no laptop this time - & stayed a little longer than planned as it was just so peaceful.
If you’re looking for somewhere quiet to work or simply enjoy a quiet coffee, it’s well worth a visit.
📸 Creating :
Some studios just make creating feel easy & Fabrica is one of them.
I loved the abundance of natural light, the open views and the mix of spaces; a clean white set for e-commerce imagery, a relaxed lifestyle corner and a dedicated makeup station that makes the whole experience seamless.
It’s a studio I’d happily shoot in again, and one I’d recommend if you’re planning a branding session.
This month’s read was The Slight Edge, and it was one of those books that will stay with you.
I switched between the audiobook and the paperback, but found myself reaching for the book more often... I love highlighting the parts I want to come back to.
If you’ve read Atomic Habits, you’ll recognise some familiar themes; it’s a reminder that success rarely comes from one big decision, but from all of the small choices we make consistently every day…
It wasn’t full of groundbreaking ideas, but sometimes we don’t need new ideas, we just need a reminder to take action on what we know works!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’d happily recommend it to anyone building something over the long term.