In The Biz: Sam Morrison, Entrepreneur
Updated: Aug 21, 2021
Next up on the blog series we have my dear friend and kick ass business lady, Sam Morrison.
Sam and I are proof that if you build a friendship on a shared love (addiction?) of Pringles, it really will last! But in all seriousness, I've known Sam since 2014 when we ended up working on a theatre show together and we just clicked! She is such an inspiration to me on so many levels. Her dedication and fierce "go get em" nature is only made more impressive by her creativity, intelligence and passion to invest in the people and relationships around her.
She runs Frankie & Emmett, a small business creating and selling pet accessories - and they are all handmade by Sam! Bowties, bandanas, hand crocheted snoods, and even t-shirts! Your fur-child will look so incredibly dapper in a Frankie & Emmett piece.
Find Frankie & Emmett online!
You can check out her business Frankie & Emmett on Instagram, Facebook and her website!
Website: https://frankieandemmett.com
How long have you been running your business for? And what is your business about?
Frankie & Emmett started with a handmade jumper for Frankie, my housemates pug, and has now evolved into a pet accessory business that’s been going for four years. F&E is all about bringing ‘slow fashion’ to the pet world and having a good time while doing it. We’re passionate about keeping everything handmade - nothing you see in our store is shipped from China or mass produced, and that’s a value I hold really close to my heart. I run the business with the support of my mum, and you’ll often see the two of us at a market or trade show together running the stand - it really is a team effort. The best part of my business is meeting all the wild and wonderful puppies of the world.
(Make sure you keep an eye on her socials for when she might be at a market near you!)
What made you decide to go down the path of running your own small business?
Honestly, it just kind of...happened? I had some spare time, decided it would be fun to do a market one weekend (which Steph actually helped me at!) and now four years later, here I am! We had quite rapid growth over our first year, doing a lot of weekend markets and random dog events, and ended up celebrating our one year anniversary with a stand at the first Brisbane Dog Lover’s Show which felt like a massive milestone. There’s been several hits and some misses over the years, and all of these have contributed to a steep learning curve.
Do you ever feel pressure to be “killing it” on social media? i.e. - do the number of likes or comments impact you?
ALL. THE. TIME. I have learned through my time on social media that comparison truly is the thief of joy. Seeing other similar businesses with thousands more followers and seemingly amazing successes has definitely dampened my spirits at times, but I have to remind myself that it’s not because I’m doing anything wrong or because I’m ‘worse’ than them. I work a demanding full time job while running F&E, so my spare time is taken up by creating products and preparing for events - I simply don’t have the time or energy to invest in social media, let alone the workload of a full time business, and I used to constantly beat myself up over it. About a year ago I hired a social media manager and it was the best decision I’ve ever made - shout out to Lisa Woodbrook! I get to focus on the side of my business that I love, guilt-free, knowing my socials are in excellent hands. It’s made a real difference to my mental health and I don’t feel as resentful towards social media as a result. I love knowing that our followers are genuine supporters who have developed a connection either online or in person, and not paid for or gained through cheating an algorithm.
"Don’t be so hard on yourself to be the best or the biggest out there. Remember the reason you started this and don’t lose sight of your values."
