Ava Precub

29/07/2022

After much procrastination , my very first blog post is up. Since it took me 6 months to get to this stage, I am counting this as my day-week-month-year win rolled into one.

If you have a business, what is the one lesson you've learned from it that you'd share with others?

Lessons learned from having a fashion design studio for 8 years.

17/06/2022

Everything is content is the new mantra for any small business owner. If you do anything creative, you can at least film your process, supplies, products…if you remember.

I don’t know about you, but when I was in the middle of creating a design, photos and videos were the last thing on my mind.

I have 1 photo for each of the places I had my studio in. And the explosion of fabric and patterns everywhere no matter how much I love everything having a place.

My current workspace: my kitchen table, the sidetable near my couch, sometimes a cafe while waiting for my daughter’s 3 hours of skateboarding to finish. Still not taking photos of the actual place. Still with a house full of boxes of fabric and art supplies that drive my husband crazy. And not sharing ‘ my workspace’ . I don’t care a lot about where I get to work, as long as I’m happy with what comes out of it, be it a dress or a strategy. And I love my organized creative mess that only few people get to see.

08/06/2022

If you're in Utrecht, get your ticket for an awesome theater play. It's going to make your weekend. There's drama, comedy, music and wooden clogs. What? Medea doesn't have anything to do with wooden clogs? Come see the play and find out what is going on!

I was in charge of costumes, by the way. I'm leaving the acting to professionals (amateurs).

I did go in for an audition....and they put me in charge of costumes, so I think that says all about my acting chops. But it's good to try new hobbies, new things to fail and learn from.

TIP: When turning a hobby to a business, don't forget to find another hobby to fill in that empty spot of something to do that helps with anxiety and stress.

Only 3 days left! Book now via www.ludicrumunited.com
#ολλανδία

23/03/2022

How many of you are afraid to promote yourself and what you create because you don't want to be annoying? Or are overthinking what people's reaction will be. Or the idea of putting yourself in the spotlight sends chills through you.

Raise your hand! Mine is up first.

BUT if you're in business, promoting yourself is 100% necessary, and you need to do it regularly!

Now let me tell you a secret . You don't have to do everything that others are doing. You don’t have to be everywhere.

If you hate most social media and use up all your energy trying to keep at it, don't do that. If the idea of networking in person makes you groan, don't do that.

Unfortunately, we can't be waiting for a horde of customers to miraculously find us while we hide in our safe space minding our business. I know, I know, it's the dream.

Choose one place where your audience is, that works for you and just be there.

It does not have to be complicated. It does not have to be terrifying. Make your business work for you.

17/03/2022

06/03/2022

Talking about arts and crafts, business goals and passion work these day, while living through yet another major historical event...I don't even know what to do and say anymore. My anxiety levels are sky high.

There is a war going on somewhere in the world every day of the year. There are people suffering every day. If we were to focus on the ugliness going on in the world all the time, I'm not sure how many of us could function every day. So our brains protect us. We only truly notice the ugliness that affects us, or people like us or notice all for a short while and then move on from it.

I am from Romania, the war in Ukraine is at my country’s borders. I have friends and aquaintances that are right now helping with the influx of refugees. My hometown is by the Black Sea and I can't help to think about all the bad things all the time.

Donating to organizations that are helping ukrainian refugees coming to my country or that are sending medical supplies to Ukraine is not going to stop this war but it's the minimum I can do.

Please take a moment today and think what you can do to help bring some good in an ugly situation around you.

18/02/2022

Words matter. Words have power.

A visual essay about the (mis)representation of women in the news

17/02/2022

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

The life of a mom with younger kids and her own business is a neverending story of rearranging your schedule, finding solutions for days when random illnesses pop up, and in this pandemic days, working when everyone is at home.

This week my daughter is quarantined in her room as the only one of us who tested positive for Corona, my son has been sick for the last 2 weeks, my husband has meeting after meetings and I've slept maybe 3 hours each night.

I don't know about you, but I am my biggest critic and when I don't get to cross off things on my to do list, I blame myself a lot.

I always expect of myself the impossible, I can always do better, I could have worked a little more instead of sitting on the couch and vegging out after we put the kids to sleep, I "should have, could have, other people would have".

So when I saw in my content calendar (I've recently started making), that it was Random acts of kindness day and I did not get to prepare a resource I wanted to share with you, the cycle of feeling bad about how little I've kept to my plans for this month started.

But you know what? It is and I am going to show some of that kindness to myself.

While we focus on reaching those business goals, we sometimes forget our WHY. It's important to have it written down somewhere, take a look at it when things don't work out how we want to, and just be kind to ourselves. We are doing our best right now. And part of my WHY is being able to care and be there for my children when they need me. Why would I stress myself when I’m actually reaping the benefits of my choices?

14/02/2022

There has never, in the history of the Biennale’s curated exhibition, been an edition that is majority-female.

11/02/2022

Just as friends are important for our emotional health, business friendships help us feel less lonely walking our road to success.

Who better to understand and support us than someone going through the similar issues (good and bad) that come with having your own business?

I truly believe there is space for everybody, and we all win when we support and help each other. In business and in life. You don't shine less if you help someone shine too.

With that in mind, for Make A Friend Day ( in the US) I'd like to reach out to you and offer my friendship.

Do you need help clarifying your thoughts about your creative business? An objective second opinion on a plan? An audit of your strategy or business operations? I'm the one for you!

Reach out to me here the whole month of February and I would love to take a look at what is bothering you. We can have a cup of coffee over Zoom.

07/02/2022

Are you crazy? You want to start a business now? Don't you see what is going on around you? Why would you do that? Do you want to starve to death? Who is going to buy X?

That's the reactions you will get at any point in history when you say you want to do your own thing.

And you know what? Put aside their emotional reactions that have less to do with you and more to do with their own limits. They are asking the right questions.

Are you crazy? You have to be at least a little crazy to start a business when you know the statistics. 20% of new small businesses close within a year. 33% of small businesses fail within two years.

So before you take the leap, you'd better have the answers ready.

1. Is your life ready for a business?

Make an audit of your life to see if you have the time, space, money and moral support to jump in the water.

2. Have you researched the market?

What is happening in the creative industry, what is unique about what you bring, what problem are you solving?

3. How did the current events impact the industry you are entering?

Look at the opportunities and issues that come with these weird weird times.

Just because things are uncertain at a global level doesn’t mean that starting a business is a bad idea.

Starting and running a business requires different things from different people, but courage is right there at the top.

There is no formula for success that works for everybody. Success happens when opportunity meets preparation.

05/02/2022

Do what you love.
Do what you’re good at.
Do what the world needs.
Do what you can be rewarded for.

Find that activity that pops into your head when you read those 4 sentences. Your professional reason for being, let’s say. And then make your living out of it.