Enough About Me and Em.
Updated: Mar 3, 2020
Tracey: So here I am celebrating my 50th year on this planet and finding myself at a large crossroads in life. Life, as I had known it, for a very long time is coming to an end. After 29 years as a stay at home mum, and 15 years of homeschooling our children, my youngest is off to college and I was left wondering what to do next? Who was I? What did I have to offer after so long out of the workplace? Was I enough without my previous titles? I was feeling sorry for myself and a bit lost. If I had a penny for every time someone asked: “what are you going to do now?” I would be a rich woman and my husband would be very happy!
Luckily for me, my eldest daughter Emily was coming to her own crossroads and had been mulling over a business idea for quite some time; and to my amazement, she wanted me on board and persuaded me that we could do it. Emily has the fashion enthusiasm and flair, she has a vision and driving passion, and having just finished a degree in English Literature, was desperate for a creative outlet for all those words swimming around in her head. We’re both passionate about making changes in our lives to improve the environment, living in a more sustainable way, buying less, using what we have, just trying to be part of a more circular economy. We have enough! We are enough!
And so “ Enough Already” was created. For us, it ticks all the boxes. We love shopping and fashion but want to do it in a more sustainable way. There are more than enough clothes in the world, we just want to revamp pre-loved items and give them and ourselves a new lease of life!
Let the journey begin!
Emily: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a recent graduate in possession of a good degree, must be in want of a high-flying career.
Except, this wasn’t the case for me.
But let’s rewind and discover why. From the moment I saw people getting their doctorate in my own undergraduate ceremony, I wanted that too. I’m not sure if it was the funky hat or the different colour robes, but I knew I wanted that same degree and title. Dr Jones sounded strong and powerful and I wanted in.
So I got to work on my Master’s degree. I attended every lecture and seminar with nothing but excitement and enthusiasm. However, as I started to talk more to my professors about doing a PhD, it soon began to hit me that life post-PhD was not going to be all roses. Some of my lecturers were on zero-hour contracts, others were working other jobs and one commuted from Scotland to lecture two days a week. Madness.
I continued with my Masters and at the same time kept looking for funding and PhD positions around the globe. But I knew that something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t picture myself moving to the other side of the world or spending my life on a train commuting instead of living. Now, I am not judging or looking down on anyone that does this daily, far from it. I actually bow down to people who do these jobs day in and day out, to pay for the life that they want. Seriously, kudos to them. But in the past year, it has occurred to me that I don’t want that kind of life. I don’t want it all, I just want enough.
And this is when Enough Already was born.
This business is a creation straight from the heart and mind of both my mum and myself. This venture is so much more than a simple business, it’s a lifestyle and a journey that we are on ourselves and it is a place to document the changes we are making.
So join us for this new adventure… it’s going to be interesting as not even we know where we are headed just yet!
Peace out.
