CITY WORKER TURNED STATIONERY CREATOR
MarTha KeiTh, 36, is married to Chris, 43, a company director, and they have a daughter, hermione. Martha, right, is the founder of stationery brand Martha Brook. She says: IT’s hArd, as a woman, to hold up your hands and say: ‘Corporate life isn’t for me’, when you know it’s been such a struggle for women to break into business. It’s been hard work and scary striking out on my own — but I don’t regret it for a second.
recently, I received an email from a woman whose late husband had given her a set of personalised Love Notes from my company. she told me it meant so much to have them, a tangible memory of his love. hearing something like that means much more than my £80,000 job as a business director ever did.
After studying sciences at Cambridge University, I joined a management trainee scheme and worked my way up to director level. I’d never questioned the corporate career path as it was what everyone I knew did.
But the more senior I became, the more the excitement of status and salary dulled. Most days I was up at the crack of dawn and on my commute I had a lot of time to think: ‘Is this what I want for the rest of my life?’ Climbing the ladder didn’t feel as good as I’d thought it would.
My lightbulb moment came in August 2013.
For our first wedding anniversary, I made Chris a set of notes listing ten reasons why I loved him. his joy at receiving them thrilled me. I realised I wanted a career that gave me that satisfaction.
I took a week off work and drew up a business plan, then a month later I resigned — before I lost my nerve!
I now employ a small team to sell products on our website and on Not On The high street. I pay myself a small, albeit growing, salary. Our household income has dropped — we lived off Chris’s salary and my savings for a long time, but we both agree it’s been worth it.
I’ll support my daughter in whatever career choices she makes in the future, but hope I can pass on to her that joy in what you do is much more important than a big salary.