Money
Making money
From publisher to potion-maker
From publishing to cream making, via freelance designing and reflexology, it's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. As Sally Mumford discovered when her career took a few interesting turns. Neil Davey finds out more
"They didn't sack me or anything, I just found I was Mrs Invisible," says Sally Mumford, with a laugh. She's reminiscing – not in a fond manner – about her days as a publishing marketing manager and what happens when you leave such a job to have children.
"When they realised I wasn't going to be a hip young networker, suddenly I wasn't getting pay rises, my office disappeared," Sally laughs. "Both times I got pregnant, the people they brought in as maternity cover didn't leave when I got back. I even said to the second one, I'm coming back, don't get any ideas. and when I came back I was made his assistant!"
The attitude of senior staff – or "bitter and twisted old bags who don't like staff who have a life" as Sally gleefully puts it – made her decide to move on, bravely, at the age of 40. It was a tough decision but, as Sally points out, "the answer's obvious, but a lot of people can't think if it."
After a spell as a freelance designer and then as a freelance designer who's also a trained reflexologist – "I just did what I could to keep body and soul together" - a chance purchase resulted in her to present situation: the reason why, at the age of 51, Sally has set up her first company.
"I've always been really interested in face creams," she explains, "and I went to the States to visit a friend and I bought some incredibly expensive natural cream there. It was about £100 – it was on special offer though, I'll just say that in case my husband reads this – and I thought this is really nice cream but I can't afford to pay that. So I looked at the ingredients and thought I can make something like this myself." Sally grins. "Which was so naïve, I can't begin to tell you."
After some disastrous first attempts – "The sink got blocked, creams curdled, things went mouldy" – and perhaps the least successful Christmas gifts in history – "I did give everybody presents but I don't know how good they were!" – things improved. "I honed my technique and suddenly friends were telling me things like 'I've always had eczema, I'm using your cream and it's going.'"
With the discovery of shea butter – "it comes from the shea nut tree, Africans have been using it for years as a natural moisturiser for hair and skin" – and the support of a friend, Sarah, the decision was made to take the creams seriously. So Shea Alchemy was born.
Although Sarah is still involved with what Sally calls "the cooking", she didn’t feel she could commit to it fully. Accordingly, the limited company is all Sally's, a prospect she cheerily admits to be "terrifying" but, at the same time, empowering.
"I think it's important that you find something you do want to do, and I think that's what makes the difference. Shea Alchemy has come from my hobby, stirring potions in the kitchen. And maybe everyone has something in their life like that?"
In the space of a few months, Sally has taken the products from a handful of natural creams, selling at Alexandra Palace Farmer's Market in north London every Sunday, to a range of 21 natural products also selling at London's Exmouth Market, via her funky website www.sheaalchemy.co.uk and with plans to set up stalls at music festivals. Anything, basically, she can have fun with.
"I just want to make a living, have a nice time and meet nice people. If I was young and hugely ambitious I'd probably want to hit the expensive end of the market." She laughs. "It'd probably be the same cream, it would just be in more expensive packages."
* For further information, take a look at www.sheaalchemy.co.uk or email info@sheaalchemy.co.uk
