From pop wannabe to businessmum

I never set out to run my own business. Olivia my beautiful daughter was born in 2002 and prior to her birth I was struggling to make it into the music industry, although all I kept getting was rejection after rejection.

I even took part in ITV’s Pop Idol at the end of 2001 but in the end the whole experience made me very ill, I came down with glandular fever and suffered a bad bout of depression. In my heart of hearts I knew music wasn't really for me, sometimes that gut instinct that voice in your head tells you.

But I couldn’t let go of my dreams to be a success, Simon Cowell was very supportive after the show and arranged a few meetings regarding a song I wrote called "No Regrets" which was in the pipe line to be published and used for Sarah Whatmore, another ex pop idol from 2001 who Simon had signed to his label.

Not long after I fell pregnant and I knew from that moment my life would change. The birth of my beautiful baby girl was very traumatic I was in labor for 48 hrs. But the moment I held Olivia in my arm’s reality hit. I knew I had to get my life together for her.

The family home was a 3 storey house on a new build development in Barry and was completely featureless.  I had a vision to create an old rustic brick wall as the main feature, just like the loft conversions I so very much loved.

But I didn't know how to go about achieving this look,I really needed inspiration!

I wanted to create exposed brickwork in the living room,but this was going to be tricky creating an old exposed rustic brick wall in a new build property. So I turned to the internet and spent hours looking for a brick cladding system, but I couldn't find what I was looking for, it was either the wrong shape brick, the wrong colour, or hard to install. It  was only on one fateful day in early 2003 while taking Olivia out in her pram, that I came across a skip in Barry docklands with some old rustic bricks in it, a light switch came on in my head, I know I'll make a rustic brick wall myself and that is exactly what I did!

After a lot of experimenting I finally had my prototype, with my first successful sections up on the wall, in my home  it looked impressive,I stood back very pleased with my efforts and determination to get this home project off the ground. My vision was complete. I sat there looking at the wall, I knew from that moment my invention was a business in the making and Dreamwall was born.
I had never run my own business before, so I really needed some advice, I had created a product that could possibly sell in an interior market but I was totally clueless how to manufacture it in mass, sell it, market it, my background was not business so I needed help and advice.
I contacted the local council who put me in touch with Business in Focus.

Business in Focus gave excellent advice on how to obtain a grant for a start up fund for a new business invention, as I had no capital to invest. They helped with business plans the excellent thing about business in focus it was all FREE advice.

This year is my 7th Year in business I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs for instance, in the early days I spent a lot of money  on advertising in all the glossy life style magazines, but you live and learn I supose.

Dreamwall is more than a business it represents everything I wanted to achieve in life, after a lot of determination I have made my Dream into a reality, who says having a baby is the end of your career, having my baby was just only the beginning…

Hannah Coleman presents the craft-fashion show, A Bargain A Stitch and A Wardrobe
For more info on Dreamwall please visit their website

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