ExpatWomen Interview with Moira & Michelle Gallagher of M2G Designs
ExpatWomen: Moira & Michelle please tell us… what is M2G Designs and how did you come up with the idea?
Moira: M2G Designs creates handcrafted colorful wall decor exclusively for children. When visiting my sister Michelle in Botswana a couple years ago, where she worked at the time, the idea for the business developed. I was struck by how vibrant colors are in Africa, and how they are used in textiles and wall hangings, that are an essential part of African art and life. This colorful experience had a lasting influence, in a way coloring our world.
The idea became a reality due to both our last moves, me moving from Luxembourg to the Netherlands and Michelle from Budapest to Prague, due to the career moves of our respective husbands. We found ourselves in the same situation, 3rd level qualifications, but not the preferred candidate.
Michelle: Having always designed and made things; initially for our own children and friends, it seemed a natural progression to establish M2G Designs. We pooled our creative resources and decided to establish our own business. Our name comes from our initials; both of us are M G, Moira & Michelle Gallagher. Moira’s studies were in Fashion design, and I am a Sculptor and art teacher. And an online business seemed to be the answer as that can move easily to our next destination. M2G Designs went live in June 2006.
ExpatWomen: What were you doing before you created your company?
Moira: I worked in client services for JPMorgan in Luxembourg. After we relocated to The Netherlands, I found it very difficult to adjust. I had reluctantly given up my career and become a stay at home mom. The Mom part was great, the stay at home part did not suit me. After approximately a year our family lives had settled down and I was more comfortable with my new “home” country, I decided to tackle one of my own ambitions: start my own business.
Michelle: I worked as an Art teacher in a various schools prior to Botswana, where I lived and taught for 3 years. On relocating to Europe to join my future husband I continued teaching, but as we started to move in the expat circle for his career my employability became more difficult. I taught privately to adults and children but wanted something more challenging and new; M2G Designs has filled that creative space and brought so many new business challenges.
ExpatWomen: You run M2G Designs from your homes in The Netherlands & the Czech Republic. Tell us how that works?
Moira: That works around my children. I have 2 girls, Kate (5 years) and Emma 3 years. Kate is in school every day from 8.30 to 3pm, and Emma is crèche Monday to Wednesday. I work when the kids are at school and crèche. When they are home my time is for them and regular family life. However on occasions when I need to work when they are around they come to the studio too. They have there own materials to use; ”Mama’s work” evolves painting, drawing, colorful objects and accessories , so as a result it is a very exciting place to spend time, and luckily they both enjoy being creative. I also have the support of my husband when it comes to weekend/evening events, and I’m a member of the Women’s Business Initiative International, (The Hague) a women’s business club that offers meeting room facilities, networking events, support for new businesses with crèche facilities, all essential to a new business.
Michelle: For me the situation is different, I have 2 children Tom (23 months) and Grace (3 weeks) old, and for the moment do not have as much planned “free time” as Moira. As I really enjoy our work and being creatively active is necessary for me, like reading or listening to music is for others, I find time to contribute, with new concepts and ideas, sketches, and designs. We make the time to talk everyday, and that way while I am on maternity leave, I can keep up with the business. Also taking a step back helps to replenish the idea pool.
ExpatWomen: Why did you choose to base your business on wall decorations for children?
Moira & Michelle: It was a combination of factors really; we both have artistic and creative backgrounds and wanted to utilize our combined skills. The color and vibrancy of the art we experienced in Africa had a very big impact on us. We saw that wall art that is accessible to children and created for young children is not readily available, and often does not encourage the natural curiosity children have to stare at, touch and explore artwork. Children usually hear “don’t touch that” if they go into a store, gallery, shopping mall, doctors, and dentist’s office. Children are tactile and it is only normal for them to investigate if the crown in the middle of the painting really does have jewels and beads on it.
Children do not know if is a trick of the eye, or the skill of the artist, or has the painting a 3 dimensional effect. Exploring little hands gives them the answer they need, and we wanted to encourage that.
Another factor was the importance of color to children, and this is a key element of our range. Color stimulates the visual senses and encourages and stimulates the development of their imagination. Our designs are steeped in color incorporating primary shapes and animal images that children recognize and quickly learn. Children are curious about everything right from birth. They love to look at bright colors in the crib. Although newborn babies can only see a distance of 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches), and initially they see everything in black and white. At about two months, a baby’s vision sharpens, and they acquire the ability to distinguish colors. As there development progresses little children are attracted to bright colors. When they experiment with paints, crayons and other materials, choices are based on color and texture.
Having relocate with small children on a few occasions, we noticed that introducing a new home, while our belongings and toys were in storage, was hard for the children to understand. Introducing a new home with some familiar artwork on the walls, that belongs to the children, helped them establish that “we are at home” feeling faster.
Combining all of these factors and our creative backgrounds we decided to base the business on wall decorations for children, and as you have probably guessed the artwork is light weight, and easily transported. It gives us the opportunity to achieve our aim of brightening children’s rooms around the world with our artwork, “coloring your child’s world”.
ExpatWomen: What are some of the challenges that you have faced, as an expat and as an entrepreneur in The Netherlands and Czech Republic?
Moira: We have had a lot of fun and frustrations getting the company up and running. Making the decision to establish the business was harder for me than physically registering with the Chamber of commerce, bank and the tax office. Eventually having tossed the ideas and risks around in my head for sometime and many, many, many hours on Skype with Michelle, I took the BIG step and established the business with the necessary authorities. It was a lot less complicated than I had anticipated.
Approximately a year on the challenges for the business are to grow it, through our range of products, reach new customers and continue to influence the colors and textures in children’s lives.
As an expat the main challenges I have faced were learning the language, the culture, and how the “Dutch system” works. I’m no expert, but can live comfortably now and communicate. The feeling of isolation and being the “new kid on the block” was hard to overcome, but thankfully this is possible with new friends.
Michelle: The Czech Republic is a former Eastern block country and is now a member of the EU. It has undergone tremendous changes politically culturally and socially. As an expat the in the Czech Republic language and cultural differences and balancing a new family have been the biggest challenges for me. Fortunately Prague is a beautiful city, with a rich artistic and cultural history with a very large mix of nationalities. So I too have joined some good organization like Expat.cz and Iwap to enjoy and experience a rich cultural mix.
ExpatWomen: What have been some of your sweetest rewards?
Moira & Michelle: We’ve been told by many clients, that their young children stand beside their wall hangings pointing at and vocalizing the animal noises they see depicted on them. This makes us smile and encourages us that we have made a positive impact on there development.
For older children that are starting to learn there ABC’s and 123, the sense of pride and achievement they feel when they recognize a letter in their name.
With out a doubt also the feedback and sheer joy in a parents voice when the call or email to express there thanks that this gift, a piece of art work has been especially commissioned and personalized for their child.
ExpatWomen: How do you divide the workload, since you both are living so far apart?
Moira & Michelle: The division of work is not so difficult, Moira manages the website and everything related to it. We are both involved in marketing and promotion, Michelle concentrates on design, and in relation to order fulfillment we divide the work on a geographical basis. We regularly meet on Skype and discuss the order planning, and assignments for the month. However for the moment as Michelle just had her second child, all work falls to me.
ExpatWomen: Thank you very much Moira we wish you all the very best for continued success.
Moira & Michelle:
Thank you for the opportunity to let us “Color your world”. |
