A businesswoman whose handmade mugs have been shared by influencers such as Molly-Mae and Stacey Solomon, said “mum-guilt” is one of her biggest challenges. Mollie Warrington, from Cardiff, started her business plan while pregnant and launched Naetive Studio while on maternity leave in 2022. She had always wanted to create something of her own, and when she got pregnant, she saw it as the opportunity to take the leap. After settling for an insurance job after university, it was only when the pandemic hit that Mollie, 30, had the time to settle on a business idea.
She would make about 15 mugs a week when the business launched in July 2022, with small drops that would sell out in minutes. Now she has a team of 12, making 400 custom orders a week and is stocked in shops such as Anthropologie. Part of her growth has been driven by producing mugs for influencers in the hope they might share them, with former Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague doing just that.
For anyone thinking of starting a business while on paid leave from their job, experts suggest checking the terms of their contract. Dr Lauren Josie Thomas from the University of South Wales has spent the last year working with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) researching women and leadership in Wales, and what barriers they were facing. She pointed to how much funding female-led businesses were given compared with men.
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