Interview with Eleanor Bowmer
March 8th is International Women's Day, and to celebrate, we interviewed mum-preneur and all-around wonder-woman Eleanor Bowmer. Eleanor founded Eleanor Bowmer Ltd in 2015, a home and gift brand with a simple mission: to bring joy and inspiration into your home and daily routine with their vibrant, hand-illustrated designs. Designs that look fabulous on our scooters (even if we do say so ourselves!).
In setting up Eleanor Bowmer. What has been your biggest challenge?
I’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout my career but the juggle between motherhood and owning my own business has been my hardest. The push and pull to succeed and make things work for the sake of your children, but also being a present mum has been difficult.
There have been countless times I’ve had to work late, go away for shoots or trade shows and time with my children that I’ve had to sacrifice. Trying not to let the guilt consume me has been hard but telling myself I’m doing it for them and making them proud has been one of my biggest achievements!
Tell me about a moment when you felt really proud or powerful as a woman building your brand from scratch - was there a specific win that made you think "I've got this!"?
There genuinely hasn’t been a time when I haven’t felt proud of what I’ve built. Even the small wins from the early days of getting ‘X” amount of orders out in a day all on my own or getting loads of engagement on a post I’d put on social media. But one stand out moment was when I delivered a Ted talk to all of the buyers and staff at John Lewis on a zoom call. It was the highest attended TED talk to date, with over 200 people logging on. It was amazing, and I really felt in the flow! That was a huge moment for me.
How do you juggle the day-to-day? - running your business while being there for bedtime? Any surprising tips that have worked for you that other mums might not expect?
This has been something that I’ve been trying to master for 9 years! I wouldn’t say I’m keeping the nation's secret to running a business and being a mum, but I pride myself on being strict with my time. I’ve learned over the years to say no: I don’t want to join that meeting because I’m on the school run, or I can’t film that content because I want to go to my son's ‘stay and play’ at school. There was a time when I would miss out on time with my children in the early days, when I was building the foundations of the brand, but now I’m lucky enough to have a choice as I have an amazing team.
I would always say just do what feels right for you at the time!
What would you tell your 16 year old self about your journey ahead?
I would tell my 16-year-old self that everything always works out just how it’s supposed to. Don’t spend time worrying about things that are out of your control. Remain resilient and open to unexpected paths, and enjoy the process!
Do you have a role model? Who is it, and why do you find them so inspirational?
I admire many inspiring women, some famous and some not! The women in my life have been my biggest inspiration, my mum for raising me and my sister as a single parent and constantly pushing me to pursue my dreams. My sister is always there for me and is my biggest cheerleader. My friends who I sat in a flat with in town after a few bottles of wine 10 years ago, brainstorming names for the business – they’re still my besties today!
Coco Chanel was one bad ass for her time! She was amazing, paving the way for women and not being afraid to stand out.
Looking back at how you grew from designer to founder, what would you want to tell other creative women about recognising and valuing their own talents?
Deep down you know what you’re capable of and it’s about trusting your instincts. Uncovering them is a process but a journey SO worth embarking on! Don’t be afraid to turn your passion into your job - be brave and bold, and you’ll be amazed at the places you’ll go when you follow your dreams!
This might be fun - you've mentioned loving Sex and the City marathons in college. If each character had one of your Eleanor Bowmer x Micro Scooter designs, which would match with who and why?
Ha, love this!! I’d say:
Carrie Bradshaw: magic eyes – to match her bold fashion sense
Charlotte: floral – elegant and classy
Miranda: hidden leopard – sleek and modern
Samantha: pink leopard – daring and bold!
Huge thanks to Eleanor for taking the time to answer our questions.
Eleanor and her team celebrate International Women's Day this year with a new, empowering gift edit - Girl Power. Head over to their website to take a look - perfect for Mother's Day gifts as well.