Bunnies, Balloons & Freedom

We talk to Ani - a brand new resident Hubber and founder of What a Curly Life - about the product which changed her career, feeling creatively free at the Dock Hub and the highs and lows of running an international business during Covid.

Hey Ani, can you tell us about who you are and what you do?

I’m Ani, I was born and raised in Argentina and moved to Brighton a couple of years ago.

I’m the owner and designer behind What a Curly Life. I make baby and kids decor, mostly baby crib mobiles and Softies. I’m currently growing my business and have started to sell patterns as well, for the crafters community.

What is your favourite thing that you have created?

My favourite design so far is the mobile with the bunny holding balloons. I love to see old pictures and realise how much the design has changed and improved over the years.

“The Dock Hub feels more like a community rather than just a building with offices”

How has the pandemic impacted you as a creative business? 

There were positives and negatives…

The most positive was the increase of sales. My business is online and people started to shop online much more than before. 

The negative is because I work with suppliers from different countries which were impacted by Covid at different times. This was such a challenge, given that the couriers weren’t working full time either. That meant I had to close my business for a few weeks last year as I couldn’t cope with the demand while the suppliers couldn’t deliver the materials on time.

There are still some challenges related to lockdowns going on in different countries, however it’s slowly going back to normal.

You are one of our newest members here at the Dock hub. What first attracted you to bring your office here?

I like how well I was received here, how nice and clean all the spaces look and the freedom I was given to decorate my space.

The Dock Hub feels more like a community rather than just a building with offices and this was really important to me.

What a Curly Life started in 2016. What is your number one piece of advice for someone looking to start their own business?

I would say don’t doubt too much and don’t fear failure. Just go for it and enjoy the process as

there’s never going to be a perfect moment to start. Make plans ahead and set up goals. Make sure every day you learn something new about what you think will get you closer to that main goal.

Tell us about one of What a Curly Life’s biggest successes...

I won a Maker’s Awards from Not on the High Street in 2019, and for four consecutive years I’ve been featured on Mollie Makes’ cover, once every year. This makes me really happy as it’s a magazine aimed for the crafters community in different countries and it helped me reach a broad audience each time I’ve been featured.

Any surprise facts you can share about What a Curly Life?

I started selling hand-sewn miniature animals, aimed for collectors, just as a hobby because I was bored with my job in a pub kitchen.

I once made a baby mobile with one of those miniature animals, just for fun and I posted a few pictures on my Etsy shop. When it sold within a few weeks I got excited and posted a few more mobiles. I never really thought they were going to be a success, but they sold really well and ended up being the products that gave shape and structure to my business.

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