I love meeting people with entrepreneurial spirit and who take risks to follow a dream. That’s why chatting to Clare Johnston , the founder of piin was such a treat! This lady embarked on a six-month sabbatical from work to focus her energy on turning an innovative idea into a real life product.
Getting to the piin of the problem
Clare’s focus was on creating a solution for the irritating issue of gaping material between shirt buttons. “For years, I sat on the idea of a fastener, which I thought should be around the same size as a shirt button and stud earring, but where the fastener was also the stud, so that the back was flat and sat flush to your skin. About two years ago, I approached a design company and began the process of making piin a reality”. The rest, as they say, is history and Clare has launched nine fab piin, called ‘trucs’ and is already thinking of new ones to add to the collection! Visit her website and you’ll find anything from a delicate daisy or pearl, to cute stars or colourful studs.
Business head
Clare follows three simple pieces of advice to steer her attitude to the world of business, “One, keep putting one foot in front of the other every single day. Do not lose momentum. Two, when it comes to pitching, pretend that product isn’t yours. This will help to distance you from it and it will make fear of rejection less terrifying. Three, build a really strong brand”. That sounds like really good advice for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of dragons in dens!
Pretty little things
My favourite use for the piins was to use them as an accessory and add interest to scarves and collars. My best friend Niamhy, who has designs beautiful hats, suggested that I piin a small rose detail on a bowler hat which really worked. We used the piins to play around with folds on scarves and saw their versatility. I think one of the nicest things about this product is the creativity that you can bring to trying different things. Clare suggested pinning a pashmina, customising a pair or jeans or swapping with ‘piin pals’.
Work/life balance
When Clare takes her business cap off, she enjoys reformer Pilates, Nordic walking with pals in Richmond Park or trying out new recipes with her step mum and friends. “I also like to practice mindfulness and meditation daily”. She appreciates the flexibility that her colleagues gave her to pursue her business adventure, “My employers supported my entrepreneurial spirit by giving me the freedom to take time off work to follow my wee dream! They encourage employees to achieve their goals, both personal and professional lives. I wouldn’t t have been able to give this a shot, if my employers weren’t so supportive and understanding”.
I wish Clare all the best with her neat little piins!
Get piining
piins retail at £12, but if you quote discount code “piinpals2015” you will receive 20% your order
Don’t miss out on all offers and to see the full collection.