Latest / Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney / From Bookbinding to Business - with Ali's Paper

Transcript

From Bookbinding to Business - with Ali's Paper · Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

• 0:00
  Ali: And another thing is do it like done is better than perfect because
• 0:05
  we'll be always a space to improve your perfection, so you will never stop.
• 0:11
  So do it and let make it done and we'll be, will be good anyway.
• 0:20
  Becca: I am Becca Pountney, wedding business marketing expert,
• 0:22
  speaker and blogger, and you are listening to The Wedding Pros
• 0:25
  who are Ready to Grow podcast.
• 0:27
  I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies, and real life
• 0:30
  examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
• 0:34
  If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion
• 0:38
  and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business doing what you
• 0:41
  love, then you're in the right place.
• 0:43
  Let's get going with today's episode.
• 0:47
  Today I'm chatting with one of my lovely clients, Alicia, born and raised in Italy.
• 0:52
  She now lives with her family in Bedfordshire, where she
• 0:54
  founded her business Ali's paper.
• 0:56
  During her studies at the Art Institute in Turin, she discovered her passion for the
• 1:00
  craft of book binding, and now she creates
• 1:02
  Beautiful paper items as gifts, wedding favors and more.
• 1:06
  I've been working with her for the last few years and watched her
• 1:09
  confidence and her business bloom.
• 1:11
  I know you're going to enjoy hearing her story.
• 1:13
  Ali welcome to the podcast.
• 1:15
  Ali: Hi, Becca.
• 1:16
  Hi everyone.
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  Thank you for having me.
• 1:18
  Becca: It's an absolute pleasure.
• 1:19
  I'm so pleased we finally managed to get you on the podcast.
• 1:23
  Now, before we go any further, you need to explain to people what book binding is.
• 1:30
  Ali: Okay yeah.
• 1:31
  This is the difficult part is basically create a book from everything so you
• 1:37
  can have a piece of paper, you fold enough, you sew, and you create a book.
• 1:42
  So from that you can make it more difficult and with creation of
• 1:48
  different kind of paper, hard or soft cover and whatever.
• 1:54
  Becca: So it's a skill really.
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  It's not something that everyone can do.
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  It's a skill that you've learned.
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  How did you learn how to do it?
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  Ali: I, start to know about book binding from my dad's stories.
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  He was binding with his granddad in the loft in his house in
• 2:10
  Sicilly when he was a child.
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  And then I discover how to do it in high school.
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  And I just fall in love.
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  I follow a course and then I decide to do the specialization
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  in the high school on that.
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  And it was just in my blood, so I have to do it.
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  Becca: I love that.
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  And some of the things that you make are beautiful.
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  If you are listening to this and you've never seen Ali's work, do go and check
• 2:35
  out her Instagram page or her website.
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  I'll put all of the links in the show notes, but you can
• 2:39
  see some of her work on there.
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  And I have some of it in my own home as well.
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  Now when it comes to weddings, Ali, how can couples incorporate
• 2:48
  what you do into their wedding day?
• 2:50
  Ali: Okay, so there are different moment they can incorporate my product.
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  They can create guest book to have after the ceremony to keep all
• 2:59
  the memories about their guests.
• 3:02
  They can write something funny about the, the couple or everything, or add pictures.
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  I dunno if there are some photo booths, they can create some Polaroid picture
• 3:14
  and, apply on the guest book or they can have the vows, booklet or holder.
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  So something really nice that matched the color of the wedding to hold.
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  During the ceremony they can have the reusable wedding rings.
• 3:30
  So it's a box with a pillow inside where the wedding rings are tied with
• 3:36
  ribbon and after the wedding they can reuse the box as a jewelry box is
• 3:43
  more so they can use to travel or just to keep in the house in in a nice.
• 3:48
  Place.
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  And then they can have a photo album or they can have a U S B holder.
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  And in this moment I don't have stop.
• 3:58
  Becca: That's okay.
• 3:59
  So there's lots of different things that they can use you for.
• 4:02
  There's lots of different ways you can use your craft.
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  So let's go back a little bit then to the start of your business journey.
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  Now we spoke at the beginning about how you grew up in Italy.
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  So how did you end up in the uk?
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  In Bedfordshire, and then how did you end up starting your business?
• 4:22
  Ali: Okay, so I tried to start my business also when I was in, in
• 4:25
  Italy, in touring in my own town.
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  But I started with a friend and didn't went well, so I stopped
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  and I start to do other jobs then.
• 4:37
  With my husband.
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  I move in South Africa, so I had to stop because the materials are too heavy
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  to transport, so it's just, I stop.
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  I was supposed to stay there three months and I stayed there.
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  We stayed there two years.
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  Then when we came back, we moved in the south of Italy and I start there.
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  My own business.
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  For one year and a half.
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  In the meantime, I got pregnant and when my daughter was five
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  months old, we moved in France.
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  Then again, I couldn't bring all my stuff there, so I stop, and then
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  we stay in France for nine months.
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  Just the time to got pregnant again and move in Bristol.
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  And then when after one year and a half we move in bed for she, my kids were toddler.
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  I could work during the weekend, so I said, okay, now is the time.
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  And I start to do it in the loft in the house.
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  There was just wooden on the floor, on the beams, and I sit there and I start that.
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  I say, let's try again, or now, or never.
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  Becca: I love that you have lived in so many different places.
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  I didn't realize that you've traveled around so much and you've seen so
• 5:51
  much of the world and lived in all sorts of places, and there's so much.
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  To dig in there from starting a business with somebody else, and it didn't
• 5:58
  quite work out to starting a business in all sorts of different countries.
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  But we are here now in 2023, and you have your business here in Bedfordshire.
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  So as you look over that journey right from the start, what do you
• 6:13
  think your biggest struggles have been with having your business?
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  Ali: I quite soon understood that my big problem was that I didn't know anyone.
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  Because we move here and we were completely alone.
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  So me, my husband, and my kids.
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  So I try to make connection to know people.
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  So I went to my town Council, and I asked for networking in town.
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  And they suggested a really good one, networking that is for women in business
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  and they are lovely and is for free.
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  I mean, it's just networking.
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  And you go there to meet people that meet friends, you go there and
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  just share where are you about now?
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  And it is really nice.
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  They all support you and is nice.
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  But at beginning was really complicated to let the people understand
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  what I was doing, what they can have from me, and that I exist.
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  I mean, that was the basic.
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  So I start from that and little by little I let the people know me.
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  Then I join your group.
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  That helped me a lot because I understood that I didn't know
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  anything about businesses.
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  I said, oh my God, I have to learn a lot about marketing and what you wanna
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  do, basically about your business.
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  I never think about a lot of managing things.
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  And lockdown hit and I was completely lost again.
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  I said, okay, now it's done.
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  Again, I don't know, but I follow a lot of your training in the group and
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  I just starting to study what I could do to improve my skills and in the
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  meantime, in town there were a lot of activities to support small businesses.
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  So actually my business was going.
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  Further, I didn't, I didn't imagine that, but actually was really good and
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  the people start to know me, start what I was doing, and now is quite good.
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  I meet people and they told me that they saw my object somewhere and they recognize
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  my logo, so, You know, now the people understand what I do and who I am, so
• 8:24
  I think that that part is going well.
• 8:28
  Becca: I love that and I, I love your honesty as well about how
• 8:31
  you came here and you didn't know anybody and nobody knew you.
• 8:35
  And you had to put the work in to make that happen and you took the action.
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  And so often people expect this kind of thing can happen overnight, but it takes
• 8:44
  time and it takes effort and it takes action and it takes confidence to do all
• 8:49
  of the things that you've just mentioned.
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  And so you should be really proud of yourself for all that you've
• 8:54
  achieved over the last few years.
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  Which brings me on actually to my next question.
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  As you look back over the last few years, is there one or two things
• 9:02
  that you are the most proud of when you look at your wedding business?
• 9:05
  Ali: I'm proud that I have done few courses that I didn't think
• 9:09
  that I could be able to do.
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  Like last year I did a course with Cranford University
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  for improving your business.
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  So it was business related, marketing related, and I understood really.
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  What I want from my business, how to divide the different part of it,
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  what I want achieve, what are my values and, and everything that I
• 9:32
  think is really important to stay focused on, because usually I tend
• 9:37
  to go in direction that are not.
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  So clear.
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  So I, I need to have that things clear in my head.
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  And also I follow another course this year that is about, that was a fine
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  book binding course that I put myself as a goal in five, six years to do it.
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  And I did this year and was really a challenge, but I learned so many things
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  and I know now what I want achieve.
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  I think in eight years because the skills that I have to practice are
• 10:13
  really, you have to work a lot, you have to practice a lot to became good.
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  But I have done this year, so it's, it's really something that I'm really proud of.
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  I have to work.
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  But
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  Becca: I love that you had it on as a goal for five years and
• 10:26
  you've already ticked it off.
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  That's amazing.
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  So definitely need to set yourself the next goals now.
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  So one thing, I know that you've been involved in a fair amount over the years.
• 10:38
  Is styled shoots and making sure you can try and get your
• 10:42
  products into photo shoots.
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  How has that benefited your business?
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  Ali: I think that with a photo shoot my object, they can show what
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  they really are and so you can see properly what you can get from them.
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  How.
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  They will brighten your day because they are unique and you
• 11:01
  can continue to keep them with you.
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  Also, after that day, you can continue to have your wedding colors, in your
• 11:09
  shelves, in in the living room, and you can take the guest book and , see
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  what the people have written to you or.
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  Just have always with you and with the photo shoot, I think that
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  , everything together with setting up and the other bit that you can
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  have in the ceremony will be good.
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  I mean, they, they will be part of that day.
• 11:32
  Becca: Yeah.
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  And I definitely think that.
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  Having your products as part of those photo shoots really brings them to
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  life and it showcases your skill, but it sits you amongst those other
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  suppliers as well, and gives you great imagery for your social media too.
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  So it's definitely something that's good to do, and if you're listening
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  to this and you haven't been part of any shoots, it's definitely an option
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  that you should be looking at as well.
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  Now, I mentioned in the introduction, Ali that you've been kind of around and
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  about in my world for the last few years working with me, which I absolutely love.
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  Why was it that you decided to do that?
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  Why did you decide to join my members lounge and be part of that community?
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  Ali: What happened was I was in my, local town community and was one
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  of the first time in my local town networking the business, and I was there.
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  I was really nervous because that event for me was just completely
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  out of my comfort zone and I was.
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  Talking about my wedding business with a lady, and she
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  told me, oh, here there is Tony.
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  And, she knows everything about wedding and I'm speaking about Tony.
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  And so she introduced us and she start to speak with me about your group.
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  And she said, no, you have to follow Becca.
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  She's really great.
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  And so I went home and I wrote you and I start to join your group.
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  And I did the three months for free and then I said, okay,
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  no, it's time to subscribe.
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  There is a lot of things that I don't know, so I have to continue to follow.
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  And I think that was good because you always put the things really not easy,
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  but just in a way that everyone can do it.
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  Focus in a little things and do it.
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  So you make me really think about what to do now and don't think too big because
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  otherwise you will not do anything.
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  So just do it.
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  Becca: I love that, and I love that you met Tony.
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  She's great.
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  I need to get her on the podcast as well.
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  She's got a fabulous.
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  Business.
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  And that's one thing I absolutely love about the wedding industry is the sense
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  of community, the way that people come together, the way people try and support
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  each other and lift each other up.
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  And I know that you've made some friends through being part of my members' lounge.
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  I know you've met some great business connections.
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  How has collaborating with those people helped you in your life and your business?
• 13:57
  Ali: I was really strange because sometimes happened that I said
• 14:02
  yes to things that I didn't know.
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  So I said, can someone do that?
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  Yes, I do it.
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  And after I say, oh my God, what I have done, but no, actually make really
• 14:11
  good things and I start to know how the wedding world is in UK because
• 14:18
  I understood that where I come from, we do things in a different way.
• 14:23
  So I had to learn how you do things here.
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  So I had to learn what do you prefer?
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  What is the things that in UK works better than in Italy?
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  You know, all these different things that I didn't thought
• 14:38
  about when I start the business.
• 14:39
  I said, okay, I can do these things, but actually no.
• 14:42
  I have to focus on what the customers wants.
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  And so it was nice to understand through the other.
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  Owners of wedding business, how the, the business is the difficult that they have
• 14:56
  because it's not everything fantastic.
• 14:59
  It's just hard work behind every business, and I think that.
• 15:04
  With the members of your group.
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  It's just the good things is to, everyone shares their experience good or bad,
• 15:14
  and so you can relate, you can see that is not everything shining all the time.
• 15:19
  I mean, the real life is different and I think that is
• 15:23
  the, the good part of your group.
• 15:25
  I mean, you, one of the good part of knowing different people, you know,
• 15:30
  you, you can see different things from different direction and how.
• 15:34
  Everyone decide to how they make decision, what they decide at the end.
• 15:40
  So is is really always an improving learning
• 15:44
  Becca: and I think that's a really important part of business because
• 15:48
  it's lonely having your own business and it can be lonely when you are sat
• 15:52
  at home struggling with something.
• 15:54
  Thing.
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  And then you look on Instagram and you do see the shiny side of everyone's
• 15:58
  business, and it's easy to think everyone's got it going really perfect.
• 16:02
  And actually it's really important that we see that authentic side, that
• 16:07
  we understand that not everyone is.
• 16:09
  Doing perfectly all of the time, and we're all learning, and we're all growing, and
• 16:13
  most importantly, everyone is working incredibly hard to make things happen.
• 16:17
  They don't just fall into their lap.
• 16:20
  So Ali what is next for you?
• 16:22
  When you look over the next couple of years of your business?
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  What do you want to achieve?
• 16:27
  Where do you want to take things?
• 16:29
  What's the plan?
• 16:30
  Ali: The plan is to achieve the thing that I have set now.
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  So it is just to continue to focus and as I have three different part of
• 16:40
  the business, like the wedding, the workshop, and the stationary with the
• 16:46
  corporate branding part, I have really to focus on all the three different parts.
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  In balancing the time that I spend in each of them without lose the focus.
• 17:01
  So that is really complicated for me.
• 17:03
  So I, I hope to achieve that and in two years I hope to be able to
• 17:11
  create more fine book binding book that is, the goal is really short.
• 17:18
  So I dunno if in two years I can do a big book but
• 17:23
  let's see.
• 17:24
  Let's try.
• 17:26
  Becca: I think you can, if you put your mind to something and I know you
• 17:29
  work hard, I'm sure you'll achieve it.
• 17:31
  And I can't wait to see the work that you create with that new skill as well.
• 17:37
  Now, I always end my podcast interviews, Ali, with the same question, which
• 17:41
  is, what's one thing you wish you'd known sooner in your own business?
• 17:46
  Ali: Oh, that is, is hard.
• 17:48
  A lot of things, but I think that, The main thing is that
• 17:53
  you need to continue to learn.
• 17:57
  You must don't stop learning.
• 18:01
  You must continue to improve your skills and be yourself always.
• 18:09
  And another thing is do it whatever it is, and don't wait.
• 18:14
  That is perfect.
• 18:15
  Like done is better than perfect because I always try to find the, the
• 18:21
  perfection in what I do, but I realize that the perfection is just in our eyes.
• 18:27
  So you have to agree that you can try to do always the best, the perfection,
• 18:36
  the perfect things that you want, but will be always a space to improving.
• 18:42
  Your perfection, so you will never stop.
• 18:44
  So do it and let make it done and will be, will be good anyway.
• 18:50
  Becca: Fantastic.
• 18:51
  And you are definitely doing all of those things, always trying to improve
• 18:55
  your business, always learning, always growing, always evolving, and
• 18:59
  it's great to see if people wanna find out more about you, Ali where's
• 19:02
  the best place for them to find you?
• 19:04
  Ali: Yes, my website is alispaper.com.
• 19:08
  Instagram is Alice dot paper and Facebook is one word, Ali's paper.
• 19:14
  Becca: Fabulous.
• 19:14
  And I will make sure that I link to you below in the show notes so
• 19:17
  everyone can come and find you.
• 19:20
  Ali, it's been a pleasure.
• 19:21
  Thanks for being on the podcast.
• 19:23
  Ali: Thank you.
• 19:23
  Bye.
• 19:25
  Becca: I love that conversation with Ali
• 19:26
  wasn't she fabulous?
• 19:27
  She's overcome so much from moving to a totally different culture, overcoming
• 19:32
  the language barriers, and totally, totally nailing it when it comes to
• 19:36
  taking action and growing her business.
• 19:39
  If you've never seen her work before, Do make sure you go and have a look at
• 19:42
  it over on our Instagram, Facebook page, or website, and if you're in the market
• 19:47
  for a new planner, go and have a look at those as well, because I've got one in my
• 19:50
  kitchen and it keeps my family organized.
• 19:52
  I'll see you next week.