Babe behind the biz: Carla of Hey Hunny

Based in beautiful Hobart, Tasmania, Carla is the wonderfully talented Biz Babe behind Hey Hunny and we were lucky enough to chat with Carla about her family and her inspirations.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hello everyone! I’m Carla, a primary school teacher and lover of all things cute and colourful. I am from Hobart in Tasmania, and while I love travelling and exploring new places, I honestly think I live in one of the best places in the world.

I’m an introvert who loves nothing better than a night at home with my family, curled up on the couch with my dog. But I’m also a sucker for brunch with my close friends. Sweet foods are my jam (pardon the pun!), and I most definitely have an obsession with icecream. I love to bake, I’m a self confessed Disney addict, and a complete Harry Potter nerd.

I’ve always enjoyed being creative, and coming from a family who encouraged this, I worked my way through lots of different crafty hobbies as a young kid. Art and craft have also become an important part of my teaching, and I just adore seeing kids thrive in this area, particularly those who tend to struggle a bit academically.

How did you get started with your biz?

My Mum has had an online handmade business (You Make Me…Me) for nearly nine years, and while I was studying I would often make things to sell under her business name. Once I began teaching, most of my time was taken up by being at school, or planning for school, so my involvement in Mum’s business became less and less. Last year, I stepped back to relief teaching so I could spend the year travelling and exploring some small business ideas, and Hey Hunny was born!

What (or who) are your biggest influences?

My parents have always encouraged my brothers and I to be creative, as they are both from a musical background and enjoy making things. Mum is one of my biggest influences, and I definitely inherited the crafty gene from her side of the family. Seeing my Mum’s success in her handmade business inspired me to also become brave enough to put my creations out there for the world to see. My cousin has also played an important role in my handmade journey, after all, she is the one who first taught me how to crochet!

Do you experience mum guilt and how do you tackle that?

I’m not yet a mum, but I definitely experience teacher guilt! Having up to thirty children in a classroom, there is always a handful who require more attention due to behavioural issues or needing academic support. Some days I feel so guilty that I haven’t spent equal time with each child, or if I need to have a bit of a grumble at the class as a whole, I feel terrible for those who always do the right thing. I think that one of my strengths is building positive relationships with my students, so I do what I can to share myself around, ensure they know I’m there when they need me, and make sure all of them understand how special they are.

If you could sum up your day in three words what would those words be?

Coffee, Create, Collaborate.

What does your workstation look like?

All printing of greeting cards and packing of orders takes place in my small home studio, but I am pretty lucky in that I can be really flexible and take the majority of my workstation with me wherever I go. When it comes to designing cards and making softies, I am free to move about with my laptop and materials. Sometimes this even means a bit of sneaky crocheting while I’m away on holidays!

Give me your best kid distraction strategy:

As a teacher, it’s definitely useful to have a few distraction strategies up my sleeve. I always find getting outside and having a brain break really helpful, and you can never go wrong with colouring-in – I am yet to meet a kid who doesn’t enjoy it, and it is something that can be differentiated based on age and ability. I also love to use music, and the Smiling Mind kids meditation app is great too!

Most embarrassing moment as a mum, or in your biz?

I’m thankful that I am yet to experience an embarrassing moment in my business, but as a teacher, I potentially don’t even know about my most embarrassing moments! When thinking about funny stories I have heard from kids about their family members, sometimes it’s a little concerning about the reverse of that and the stories that must be told at home about me!

What are you most proud of achieving biz wise?

I honestly get excited every time I receive a notification to tell me that a sale has been made, but the things I am most proud of are the relationships I have built with a wonderful group of collaborators and enthusiasts, and seeing our customers adore our cards and softies.

What are your big goals for the next 12 months?

A couple of my short term goals are to continue to add new products to the range at Hey Hunny, and to build even more connections with collaborators. The number one goal is to work towards a wholesale arrangement with a stockist – that would be the best!