Becoming a Self-Employed Decorator | Emma Varley's Journey as a Female Tradie

Emma shares how she went from leaving school to becoming a self-employed decorator, and what it really takes to build a career in the trades as a woman. 

We talk about the value of hands-on experience, learning through mistakes, and how social media marketing helps tradespeople win work and grow their business. Emma also opens up about the realities of self-employment, from managing time to staying motivated. 

If you're interested in women in trades, becoming a decorator, or starting a trade business, this episode is packed with practical insight and honest advice. 

Key Takeaways

• Emma’s journey from school to becoming a self-employed decorator
• Why hands-on learning and making mistakes are essential in the trades
• How social media marketing helps tradespeople win more work
• The realities and challenges of running a self-employed trade business
• Emma’s advice for women starting a career in the trades 

Follow me: 

Instagram: @lifeofafemaletradie_ 

Tiktok: @loaftpodcast 

Facebook: Life Of A Female Tradie 

Youtube: @lifeofafemaletradiepodcast 

Follow Guest:

Instagram: EmmasPainting1 

TikTok: Emmaspainting1

Chapters 

00:00 Emma's Journey into Trade 

05:37 Exploring the World of Decorating 

07:24 The Challenges of Self-Employment 

14:38 Van Troubles and Support Systems 

16:53 The Van Chronicles: Trials and Triumphs 

22:43 Navigating the Trade: Advertising Strategies 

23:36 Women in Trades: Overcoming Challenges 

27:52 Building a Customer Base: The Importance of Booking Ahead 

32:54 Finding Balance: The Need for Breaks 

37:24 Social Media: Building Community and Connections 

41:07 Embracing Vulnerability in Content Creation 

44:07 The Excitement of Transformation Projects 

45:39 Choosing the Right Jobs for Fulfillment 

48:27 The Importance of Preparation in Craftsmanship 

52:04 Navigating Customer Interactions and Responsibilities 

55:16 Quickfire Questions: Fun Insights and Preferences 

59:53 Thank you’s 

Transcript

Copy

Emma (00:10)

I am Emma. I am 20 years old. I'm a decorator. own Emma's Painting and Decorating and I'm based in the North West, just outside of Blackpool.

Laura (00:20)

Awesome. Well, thank you for coming on Life of a Female Tradie podcast, Emma. It's really cool to have you on. let's start where we always start. Tell me a bit about your background, would you, and where you are today.

Emma (00:32)

Okay.

Thank you so much for having me. So I didn't really know that I ever wanted to do this. It was never really a part of any plan. I was in school, didn't really know what I wanted to do. I only had tunnel vision for uni really. I never thought about, my parents were pushing me to uni, my grandparents were pushing me to uni. That's absolutely fine. But I never thought about any other options, know, going straight into a job or an apprenticeship or doing anything like that. So, but then I left school and I thought, I really don't know what I want to do.

And it's a lot of money, isn't it, to go to uni when it's a bit of a risk. You can't commit if you don't know. So I went to sixth form. That put me off uni even more. I still didn't know what I wanted to do. My grades weren't that great. And I went straight into hospitality, which a lot of people in the trades have worked in hospitality. if, I don't know if you have, well, it's brutal, isn't it? The long hours, you're in the same, I was a chef and you're in the same room.

Laura (01:08)

It is.

time.

wow.

Emma (01:34)

12 to 14 hours a day with the same people who usually don't really like each other. So it's a bit of a toxic environment. And then Harry, my boyfriend, said to me, well, why don't you have a look at doing a trade? And I was like, my God, I've never even thought about it. No one in my family has ever been in a trade really. I don't really have any friends that do trade. So I was like, all right, okay. So I looked into it and I was like, yeah.

Laura (01:41)

no.

Emma (02:01)

That's me, that's what I wanna do and then I just did it, I left my job. I started with friends and family obviously, just sort of getting a bit of experience, watched every YouTube video, every Instagram video and then I just, that's all I've done and then I just did it from there really.

Laura (02:08)

Yep.

Wow, what a lad, you fella suggesting a trade. Good man.

Emma (02:21)

⁓

I know he's a welder. So he's the only I know that does that. He's we started our businesses at the same time. So we've been in the same boat. He is he's pushed me out of my comfort zone. He's just brilliant. What a legend.

Laura (02:24)

⁓

He sounds a cool dude. I like that, definitely. So when did you start your business?

Emma (02:37)

Yeah.

November 2024. So it's just been just over a year now. It's like a year and a few months now. So really not long at all. But I feel like you learn so much so fast just from being there and doing it. You can watch every video and you can message for advice and you can do everything, but you're not going to really learn until you're there doing it, I think, which is helpful. Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (02:49)

Right?

Absolutely.

Learning from your mistakes is one of the best ways, isn't it? And I think that's partially why I think the apprentices are doing so well. Apprenticeships are being pushed, you know. There's nothing better than learning hands on. just, for trades, is, yeah.

Emma (03:17)

Yeah.

Now, 100%,

you're not gonna learn, you know, you're not gonna make the mistakes if you don't try, so you're not gonna learn from them, so that's the best way, I think.

Laura (03:33)

Absolutely, obviously you've stated you're a patron decorator, but I've seen on your socials that you've took your hand to a few other things. So yeah, I love it.

Emma (03:43)

bit of everything, bit of this, that.

Yeah, I do like to try a few different things,

Laura (03:53)

So you plastering,

you've plastered and boarded a ceiling, I've noticed. You've done some tiling, some counter wrapping, and let's just mention your Gran's side table units, bedside tables, beauty.

Emma (03:57)

Yeah. yeah.

in!

I wish she didn't take them. I wish I could have them in my bedroom. I might do something the exact same just for me but they are... you don't even just have a vision you think, don't know if that's gonna go very well and then it does, it all comes together. yeah so mostly I do decorating. I did a 10 week plastering course, very brief, very... yeah very beginner, yeah thank you. ⁓

Laura (04:31)

Beginner.

That's alright.

Emma (04:35)

Yeah, it's brilliant to have friends and family because you can just say, do you mind if I just have a go? And usually they're going to say yeah, because obviously it's all for free for them. So they're not going to say no for a nice new kitchen, are they? But it's good to be able to have a go. And they can't ask for their money back because it's free because it's your sister.

Laura (04:48)

Absolutely.

I love that. Yeah, I've had a go at tiling before in my early days of getting in the trade and even though, and it was for a friend, even though he was happy with it, don't know. I wasn't 100 % and yeah.

Emma (04:57)

Yeah.

Yeah.

I felt the same as well. Especially

around the plug sockets, if you look close you think, oh don't look close. If you squint, it looks alright. Yeah. no, I definitely wouldn't have anyone pay me for it. You just have to try, don't you? You don't know. don't know.

Laura (05:19)

Yeah, just stand a few meters away.

⁓ absolutely,

absolutely. What is it that drew you to painting and decorating?

Emma (05:37)

So I've always liked a bit of painting, of watercolours, drawing and things like that. But I feel like if you want to be an electrician or if you want to I've just run out, I've just forgotten all the trades. You have to sort of do the apprenticeship or go and do some sort of course. And I was just so done with school, sixth form. And then I did my little plastering course and I was like, I just want to go into the world.

Laura (05:48)

Like plumbers.

learning.

Emma (06:03)

and just do it, see how it goes. And I feel like decorating is the easiest one really to get into without having to do the educational... qualifications. Because there is so many decorators without qualifications and they're just as good as everyone else. You know, I get a few comments saying, you don't have any qualifications for this. ⁓ shush. Shush. Everyone's so miserable.

on the internet, aren't they? Yeah, yeah.

Laura (06:28)

I know. But

I'm the same though. I'm not a certificate like qualified decorator, but I'm time served, you see. And like we've just said, there's nothing like learning hands on from others that have the experience. I understand why those that have done the qualifications kind of turn the nose up at people like us. But you know, it's...

Emma (06:49)

Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (06:54)

It's one of just one of those things, isn't it?

Emma (06:54)

Yeah,

the first people who decorated, there would have been no one to teach them. So how did they learn? Everyone has learnt from someone or from something and the internet is such a brilliant resource for that because there's so many videos out there, tips and tricks and just a lot of helpful videos that you can sort of, before you make that mistake, they might say, you know, just watch out for this or don't do that and you can learn from that as well, which is just great.

Laura (07:20)

Yep.

Exactly, why not use modern day technology to help you get forward, you know? That's what it's there for. And what do you think from obviously being only just over a year in to self-employment, what do you think has been the hardest thing that you've come across being self-employed?

Emma (07:26)

Yeah. Yeah.

Mmm.

For me, definitely 110 % it is just giving myself that kick up the backside, honestly, because you could have, you know, invoices to send, quotes to send, jobs to go and price up, materials to pick up, you've got 30 emails to reply to, you need to ring someone back and it's so easy to bury your head in the sand and say, I'll do that tomorrow or I'll do that, I will message back at some point, but no one is coming to save you, you have to.

when you start a business that's what you're signing up for it's you and it's you and it's you and you have to be the customer service you have to be the accountant you have to be the on the tools and it's just you so that is the hardest bit for me just give myself that little push when I want to ignore a text I just have to think like no one else is going to reply it's just me so that's the hardest bit for me

Laura (08:32)

Yeah.

And I guess with that as well, it almost comes into like time management as well, doesn't it? learning where you are okay with personally working until like where the line crosses into your personal time. Because that I think was something I was quite strong on from the beginning that my weekends are my time ⁓ and the weekdays are for working, whatever that entails.

Emma (08:50)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (09:02)

I have this weekend, unfortunately, broken that rule and had to go and do a quote, but you know, it is very hard, isn't it, to, a self-employed sole person responsible for making this work, it is hard to have those boundaries, don't you think?

Emma (09:02)

Yeah.

⁓ god.

Yeah,

because you do have to be the whole team. There's no one. You can't message someone really unless you've got an accountant and things. Well, that's absolutely fine. But you can't really message. There's no one else to rely on. It's just you. And what was I going to say? I was going to say something about that then. I am quite bad. I need to set better boundaries. That's something else that I struggle with. If I say yes to too many things, I say, yeah, don't worry, I'll squeeze you in. I'll squeeze you in. And then I'm like.

when am I going to do that? got, you know, I'm working evenings, I've got this job on the side, I'm finishing a job off over there, why have I said yes to that? It's just taking too much at one time and then suddenly you're working every weekend, you're working evenings, you're working and you have to draw a line, really. Yeah.

Laura (09:58)

Okay, yeah.

You do, yeah, because

you'll burn out effectively, won't you? And I'm sure it has happened to all of us or will happen at some point. So do you work the odd evening, do you?

Emma (10:19)

⁓ Recently, since Christmas, I thought, yeah, I'll have next year, weekends off, and I'll have a Friday off as well. I'll give myself that Friday. I know you went on The Talking Tradesman and you said that you give yourself, is it the Monday that you give yourself? Yeah. Yeah. I think that's brilliant. And that is something that I wanted to do this year. And I said to myself, right, no more evenings, finish at a decent time, get home, have some tea.

Laura (10:20)

Okay

I have the Monday off, yeah, to do quotes and get materials.

Emma (10:45)

Maybe do a bit of admin, you know, it's got to be done. And then no weekends. I think I've done every bloody weekend. This is ridiculous. I've taken too much on. I need to pack that in. I think I need to just draw the line and say, don't overbook. Don't do this because it's not the end of the world, really. With painting, you know, I'm not a doctor. If I don't get around to them that week, it's not the end of the world. And you just put that unnecessary pressure on yourself to get it done when

Laura (10:52)

You

Yeah.

Emma (11:14)

It's not the end of the world sometimes. I know it feels like it is, but it's really not. ⁓

Laura (11:19)

Exactly.

And I mean, I guess as a self-employed person, you've always got in the back of your mind, your reputation and what you look like to everybody else as a business person. And I think it can be a very fine line balancing that overworking yourself and not working enough. Like I can understand why people may look at having a weekday off as well as the weekend could be detrimental.

to a business because obviously you're not earning money on that day. That's bottom line of it, but at the same time, I think you've got to look at it as why are you self-employed? What did you go into it for? Was it the money or was it the freedom your own time? And that was mine, managing my own time, you see. So, yeah.

Emma (11:49)

Yeah.

Yeah,

Laura (12:16)

you'll get to a point where you can, you can kind of just bring things back down and keep them also what you don't want to do is book somebody in and then let them down and then they tell somebody, et cetera, you know.

Emma (12:30)

Yeah, 100%. I feel like that's why I say yes to everyone because I don't say yes to everyone, but I say I'll squeeze them in. And then I think I can't not do it now. So I have to, you know, the other week I was working on a house and they were on holiday. So I would do the evening there and I would be in the day at someone else's house because if they're on holiday, it doesn't mean I'm there. No, I can't do that forever. I need to need to have that weekday off because it does. I like to

Laura (12:37)

Yeah.

wow, okay.

Emma (12:57)

You say you're having a day off, don't you? You say, I'm not working today. But then you'll go into five quotes and you'll send your invoices and you'll do your books for the week. Like, you will be working but you call it a day off. It's... no.

Laura (13:09)

Yeah,

it's like an unpaid work day. It's like an admin day, which yeah, you don't get paid for so it feels like it's not work, but you are working.

Emma (13:12)

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, and then as well I think if you give, if I give myself, you know, maybe that Monday or that Friday, I feel like I'd be more productive in those four days because I wouldn't be thinking about quotes and texts and emails and things because it would be done and I could just crack on with the work. So I think I'd definitely look into having one of those weekdays off.

Laura (13:37)

See

Yeah,

I mean, like I say, it's not for everybody, but if you can make it work, I would always vouch for it because it has done wonders for my personal life. obviously, like you say, becoming more efficient in my when I am on the tools and then being more efficient with the admin not stacking up, you know.

Emma (14:00)

Yeah. Yeah. It's terrible.

that is the worst feeling as well when you know you've got to do it. You just keep putting it off. yeah. Yeah.

Laura (14:08)

I know. Yeah, exactly. I think I left my books

like six months backdated.

Emma (14:17)

I used to

be so good at the start. I was like, right, every week, every week and now, God, I can't even remember when I last did it. Probably for the taxes, probably for the... But apart from, you know, you need something to give you a bit of a push sometimes. I know Harry will say to me, you know, come on, get it done. I'll be like, right, fine. But if you don't have a Harry, you've got to push yourself. Yeah. Bloody Harry, you know.

Laura (14:25)

no.

⁓

You

This is it. We haven't all got a Harry.

Emma (14:48)

No.

Laura (14:48)

brilliant, brilliant. Now, obviously for anybody that follows you on your social media, they will have seen that you've had a terrible time with vans.

Emma (14:59)

a nightmare. A nightmare!

So, I got this van, this little Fiat Doblo. I thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to me because I was working before I got that van for my Peugeot 107, which is the smallest little car in the world. Yeah! Like driving a little bloody one of those toy cars that you can get in the play areas. Those yellow and red ones. And that was my van for about five months, five or six months, and that could not go on.

Laura (15:13)

It's like that big.

Yeah.

Emma (15:28)

So I got my little van for £1,000. It was a bargain. I know why, but it's... I didn't have any history with it. had 100 and... I think it was 160 miles, I think, or 50, which is quite a lot for a van. And then I was driving along to a new customer as well, which is just the worst. And now she's one of my best customers. So I'm so glad she...

Laura (15:32)

Absolute bargain.

I love

that.

Emma (15:56)

faith in me but I broke down on my way to the job and I thought it was gonna be a quick fix maybe a new battery, new alternator, no, timing chain which is deep in the engine if anyone doesn't know and yeah again Harry absolute lifesaver because if I'd have taken that to the garage and got it fixed it would have been thousands about two and a half thousand pounds it would have been at the garage so I'm just so lucky to have Harry honestly

Laura (16:17)

Mm.

Emma (16:24)

He just knows these things. He spent every spare hour of his day. We ripped it out together, put everything in the label bags, da da da. He spent every spare hour of his day under there, in the rain, in the cold at night, trying to fix it for me. He lent me his van. Because if I can't get to work, I can't make any money. I'm letting people down. My diary's going to all get out of time. So it was just terrible. Three weeks of not having my van.

Laura (16:48)

Yeah.

Emma (16:53)

I used Harry's van. That was £400 for insurance for the three weeks. It's just ridiculous. I know, I know. And in the end, it all was fine. He fixed it. I had it for a few months after that. Perfect. And then it bloody blew up on the... I know, I know. It blew up on the dual carriageway. I was crying on the side of the road. My fuel was everywhere. It was like an environmental catastrophe.

Laura (16:59)

shocking!

Oooooh!

Emma (17:22)

It was shocking. So that van had to go. Thankfully it was just around Christmas time. I did have to cancel a few sort of day jobs. One day here, one day there. I said I'll come after Christmas, but thankfully no major setbacks. But I've got my new van now and know, touch wood. I've had no issues. Absolutely brilliant. The best investment in the world. I know, I know.

Laura (17:31)

Okay.

Yay.

Goodness me, honestly.

Emma (17:50)

If you don't have your way of getting to work, what do you do? It's not an option. No.

Laura (17:54)

Exactly.

think as soon as you've had for a trades person, when you've got a van, it's like your second home. I've said this before, I think with Joanne, that your van is like a limb for you, isn't it? Like you keep certain things in it constantly and you know where they are. And when you haven't got it, even if like the garage has got it for a service or an MOT, it's like your legs have been took in it.

Emma (18:19)

Yeah,

yeah, you forget how to function without it because I don't have a car I've just got rid of the car and then gone straight to van so I've just been yeah just van But I just don't know. Yeah, it is like a limb you you don't know what to do and I try and keep it tidy I know sometimes on a Friday you open it and you don't even want to look in there But recently it's been pretty good, but you just know it. Yeah, you know where everything is

You know that you can reach it when you need it. It's just perfect having a van. It's the best.

Laura (18:49)

Isn't it? I know

I love mine. It was the best investment I did. I started with a car and I think after it might have been about two months, I thought to myself, I'm getting that much stuff and having to carry that much pain that I don't want a chance getting it all over the vehicle before I sell it. So I was like, right, I've got to get rid of the car and get a van. And I think.

Emma (18:55)

Mm.

Laura (19:15)

a month or two into having the van, I got it signed written as well. And that was the best investment I've ever done.

Emma (19:23)

It's brilliant. It is brilliant. Yeah. I got mine pink because I thought, you know, whenever I, as a woman, whenever I see a pink van, I will have a little look, you know, who's that? So I got it pink. My brand isn't pink. None of my logos are pink, but I just thought pink. So I got it pink and that was, it is brilliant. Just seen your van in Tesco Car Park. Yay! It makes you feel like it's worth it, doesn't it? Because yeah.

Laura (19:33)

Yep.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Do you ever, when you go and do quotes, do you ever ask the potential customer where they found you?

Emma (19:58)

A lot of the time they'll say someone recommended you or they might be someone's friend or someone's mum. Oh my granddaughter passed me on! Which is just so lovely, I love the little old ladies. I have a banner as well which is on some really busy traffic lights and it's quite a long light, you're sat there for a while. So I put that on there, I think it was £25. It's on there.

Laura (20:09)

I know me

Nice.

Emma (20:23)

every single day I will get at least one person say hello I've seen your banner and the best bit of advertising I've tried Facebook ads and I don't really do much advertising anymore because I've got quite a lot coming in but that banner is the best piece of advertising I've ever ever put out there it's brilliant it's brilliant

Laura (20:30)

Wow!

That's, yeah, genius. I mean,

when I started way back when, I had like one of those A-boards that kind of flaps. But I was paranoid that people would steal it.

Emma (20:52)

Yeah, I see a lot of them around here actually.

That was me when I put

my banner on. Who's stealing that? Other decorators. Yeah, yeah. Or write something on it. Yeah,

Laura (21:04)

Yeah, or slash it or something. Yeah.

yeah, that that's brilliant, though. Yeah, I might look into that banner idea. It's all about positioning though, isn't it? So it sounds like you found the perfect spot.

Emma (21:16)

Yeah.

I did have it in a different spot on the same strip of road but on a spot where the lights aren't there as long and only one car at a time can see it so there's two lanes but only one of the cars can see it and you couldn't really see it until you were already driving and then you shouldn't really be looking at my banner when you're driving. So it was there for six months and one person said I've seen your banner and as soon as I moved it flooding in honestly it was brilliant.

Laura (21:34)

No.

Wow, there we go. So if you're looking for any kind of ways to advertise banners, sign written van, are the way forward. I do think that like, you could almost class that as like old school advertising, couldn't you? Because I think there's some of the best ways. Cause when I started back up, I printed leaflets and I went out for the day with a backpack and some water.

Emma (21:51)

Yeah, %

death

Yeah.

Laura (22:09)

tunes in the ears and just posted loads of leaflets through the old deer's houses, you know? And that's how I started. And the bungalows.

Emma (22:13)

Yeah. ⁓ the blood flows.

Yeah, yeah, I

was gonna do that actually. And then I thought, I'll just try the banner. yeah, there's so many different ways, there? I think Facebook ads, it's a lot of money for not really, you sometimes it reaches the wrong area. They'll be messaging me from Newcastle and I'm saying, I don't know how it's reached you. I'm really sorry. I'm in Blackpool. But a banner, get the people who are in your area, especially leaflets, you can target the exact houses you want. So that's just perfect. Yeah.

Laura (22:26)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Exactly. Yeah,

definitely. It's one of those, sometimes the tech works, sometimes the old school is king. Okay, so obviously, us both being females in the you're fairly new to the scene. Have you encountered any tricky situations yet or?

Not saying that you will, but you might.

Emma (23:07)

Yeah, 100%. So, I would say that 9 out of 10 times my experiences are brilliant. My customers are lovely, they appreciate that I'm a woman, a lot of my customers are female and I appreciate that they're women as well. It's great to, you know, we both trust each other, it's lovely. I, erm, but I have, when I first started, it was mostly friends and family, family and friends, things like that. And my first encounter with someone who wasn't, I didn't know them at all, completely random,

It was on Facebook, someone said, are you free? And I was free because I didn't have any backlog. I said, yeah, I'll be there. So I went the first day, absolutely fine, really nice couple. He had a wife and everything. And then the next day I finished the job and he'd had a few drinks and I went downstairs and his wife was not in at this point. And he was telling me I'm wasting my time and that I should be doing OnlyFans instead of this.

You'd make 10 times more than this doing porn, which you should just never ever say to anyone, regardless of any situation, what job they're doing, what gender they are. You should never say that to anyone. And if that had happened now, you would have had a completely different reaction. But it was my first customer and I thought like, is this what it's going to be like? I cried in the car on the way home the whole way. Have I made a mistake?

Laura (24:04)

Dude.

bless you.

Emma (24:28)

But I've never, since that day, now, if that happened, I would just tell him to do one, stick your job where the sun doesn't shine, I'll see you later. Because I'm not really scared of losing people like that. I don't want people like that as my... No, that's not my target audience. But I've never, since then, never had anything like that. You get the little odd comment, don't you, from, do you know how to use that drill?

Laura (24:36)

Yep.

They're not your customers.

⁓

god.

Emma (24:55)

But yeah, I thought that's how it was gonna be and it's not and I don't want that to put anyone off because I love this. I have lovely customers and it's brilliant and I don't... people like that, it really is just a one-off for me. The experience I've had is just a one-off and you don't... you can't let it get to you because me then, I was scared. I didn't want to say anything to it.

upset this man and then he'd go on Facebook and start slandering me. Yeah, you get scared. But no, no, I would never bend over backwards again for anyone like that. If it happened now, I would walk away 100 percent.

Laura (25:23)

This is it, yeah.

Yeah, I think,

gosh, that could have gone so bad for you. Like it really could have stopped you in your tracks, couldn't it? And the power of words sometimes are just not recognized by people that, know, given, yeah, he, you say he'd had a couple of drinks that in itself just, you know, but yeah, unfortunately I think

Emma (25:40)

Yeah.

No.

Yeah.

Laura (26:01)

every woman in the trade will have encountered on some level a uncomfortable situation such as that. But at the same time, it isn't always fellas that do it. It's the women as well from what some of the women on here have said that their worst encounters have been from other women doubting their skills. Like, come on.

Emma (26:15)

No.

⁓ Get

out! No, no, no, You should never be like that really. think as a woman, as women, you should never be like that. Women should be supporting a lot of my customers. I've never had a bad experience with a woman really. You get the odd difficult customer but I've never had a bad experience with a woman. It's only...

Laura (26:25)

Hahaha!

Emma (26:47)

the good experiences outweigh the bad ones 100 % I get em... when you show up to quote a job and they say oh my gosh it's brilliant that you're a woman and you think oh my gosh this is great and they say to me I wish I'd have done this you know 20 years ago and I say do it it's not too late whatever age you are you know I'm fairly young for someone getting into it with no experience and

Laura (26:51)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Emma (27:13)

It's gone well for me, it will go well for you, it will go well for you. You just have to like have that little push to actually start and you should never have a regret thinking I wish I'd have done that. Just do it. Just do it.

Laura (27:19)

Absolutely.

Just do

it. I know that's it. is. I've started back up twice now. Well, started once and then started back up a second time in my later thirties. you know, there's no time limit on these things. It's just, I guess it's got to sit right with your personal circumstances, hasn't it? Because obviously having children and mortgages and stuff, it's a whole different ball game.

Emma (27:47)

Yeah.

Laura (27:50)

Yeah, just do it, give it a go.

Emma (27:52)

Give it a go! What's the worst that can happen? The worst that can happen? When I first started, I was thinking, know, what's the worst that can happen? Obviously, I don't have any children, I don't have a mortgage, I still live at home. So, for me, this was the best time for me to do it. Absolutely. But my family were a bit worried, like, you know, you don't really have a backlog of customers, are you sure about this? But then I would think...

Laura (28:07)

Absolutely.

Emma (28:19)

and Harry would reassure me, would say like, the worst thing that could happen is that you just have to get a job, which is, yeah, that's the worst that could happen really. So why not? Go for it.

Laura (28:26)

Yeah.

Exactly. you know, with I think with the trades, because you are physically doing something for somebody else, once you get your first one, two, three customers, they'll tell somebody and then you'll get their best mate or their mum, et cetera, et cetera. And then it just spirals, doesn't it?

Emma (28:39)

Mmm.

% I feel like the first few months it was like week by week I'm thinking I've got nothing in for next week but it would always come you know out of nowhere maybe a day before maybe a week before but at some point the phone would ring or I'd get an email and I'd be like ⁓ my gosh that's another week that I don't have to think about maybe packing this in I can carry on and here I am at the minute I'm booking into June which is just a really

Laura (29:13)

Yeah.

Nice.

Emma (29:19)

brilliant

feeling because it's like, ⁓ you don't have to have that stress all the time. You know, I've taken deposits from everyone. They're all booked in. They're all happy. A lot of them returning or family of the people who I've already worked for. And it's just such a good feeling to have like, not that worry on your shoulders. Have I got work for next week? You know?

Laura (29:38)

Yeah,

yeah, I think that that's sometimes a hot topic within the decorating trade is how far ahead do you, is right to book. Now, I myself, I'm with you, I'm booking into June now and I'm more than happy to be a couple of months or more booked up ahead because you know what's coming in and therefore you can account for what's going out and you can plan your time. My only thing is,

Emma (29:53)

Mm-hmm.

Laura (30:06)

when it starts hitting the warmer months, I like to maybe just pause the interior jobs just to see if anybody wants any exterior work because I'll happily work in the sunshine, you know.

Emma (30:18)

I know I'm the

exact same. I've sort of put a post on Facebook last week saying, book in your exteriors now, because if you don't, it might be next year. People don't think to message in February about things that they want doing in July. But by the time it comes to July, we'll probably be booking into the winter months. Yeah. So you do have to get in early if you want something done, but I'm the exact same. I love working outside. I know a lot of people.

Laura (30:28)

This is it, yeah.

Christmas. Yeah.

you

Emma (30:48)

prefer to be inside because the risk of bad weather things but you know I love the sun, the warm, it's brilliant, good mood, it lifts you up doesn't it when shorts on!

Laura (30:51)

Yeah.

I mean, there is the thing of the safety aspect when it comes to being outdoors, I think, because being up ladders as a single, as a lone worker, I kind of restrict that myself. I don't go up to the second story of a house on a ladder, no chance.

Emma (31:09)

Yeah.

I know it's when I to be honest, I'm still a bit scared of heights now, but even in some high hallways I think oh my gosh, this is not me We just sometimes you just have to get on with it. Don't you but no outside especially I Don't like to risk it scaffolding all the way if I have to go. It's really high Yeah, no, it's not worth the risk is it if especially your own? No one's watching the ladder if the wind suddenly out of nowhere. You just don't know what's

Laura (31:38)

It's really not.

Emma (31:44)

You don't know what's gonna happen if the ladder might fall. No, not worth it.

Laura (31:47)

And it's never

gonna be a soft landing really, is it? Yeah. So yeah, the key is to get your jobs in, get your inquiries in early, for summer jobs? And well, just in general, because if you're a good decorator, you're in high demand and you want, as a customer, you want a decorator that is busy, you know?

Emma (31:50)

⁓ no, something's breaking.

You are.

Yeah,

yeah, I know lot of my customers, a lot of my returning customers, they know now to book me in well in advance. I know I've got a woman who she says, could we get this in in August, which is absolutely fine. I've not even got that far yet, but she knows she wants it then. So she's messaged me now. That's absolutely perfect. Because then I've not, don't, I hate when I can't get someone in for when they want to be in, especially if they've come back to me a few times. So I like to try and...

Laura (32:22)

Okay.

I know.

Emma (32:37)

warn them you know if you want me back pop me a message yeah

Laura (32:40)

That's it. That's it.

do you, I'm just curious, it's coming to my head. Do you, at the beginning of a year, do you put in your like holiday, say like a holiday, holiday?

Emma (32:54)

So, as of right now, I have not had... I've not been on holiday since I started and I'm really kicking myself because I should book one and then I've just got it in. I don't need to even think about booking anyone in that week. But I think because I'm so new to it, I just didn't... I haven't wanted to risk, which is terrible because the work's not going anywhere really. They can wait that one week. But I haven't booked in...

an abroad holiday, I've had weekends mostly off and then if I've had a quiet week I think I'll take a few days off this week and that'll be like my little holiday but I should 100 % do that. I should be booking my holidays in.

Laura (33:40)

It's difficult. I come to like sort of this time of year and I'm always booked up like a month or two ahead of like current day. And then I think, I wish I'd booked like a week off in May or summer. And then it's all booked. then people are approaching July and I'm thinking, when do I actually wanna go on like a summer holiday if I want to go on one? And it is quite hard to schedule.

Emma (33:54)

Yeah.

Laura (34:08)

that sort of break in, but you have to because I think it was last year, I worked all way from the October prior all over through till I think it was August without a break. And it is killer, especially when everybody else is taking like March or May holidays. It's like, come on. Yeah.

Emma (34:25)

Yeah, it's killer.

you still get anything. That should be me. What am

doing here? Yeah, it is hard because, especially because you're self-employed, don't want to... A good job might come up and you think, what if I just can't do that week? And it's silly because, you know, we need to go on holiday as well. yeah, I think it's just the risk factor for me. just think...

Laura (34:48)

Yeah.

Emma (34:56)

you know really good job might just show itself in that week and I'm good I'm often bloody spay this ever is what note next year well probably towards the end of this year I'm hoping to book something in eat whether it's abroad or not you know you just need that time for yourself definitely I know that me and Harry because he self-employed as well a bit more of a struggle because he might have a really good week when I'm a bit quiet and I might have a really busy time when he's really quiet so

Laura (35:10)

Yeah.

...absolute...

Emma (35:23)

trying to get that crossover so I think when we will book something it'll be far in future where we can't really tell who's going to be busy and who's not going to be busy and the customers might just have to wait a little bit.

Laura (35:32)

Absolutely.

That's it. They will. I think that that's a fair approach to things, I think, in your early days. Absolutely. I can't fault you, to be honest, just cracking on and building that customer base. That's brilliant. But in the long term, don't forget to find time for yourself because... Yeah. ⁓ you never want to go back, even though you enjoy your job.

Emma (35:44)

Yeah.

No. 100 % is worth it, isn't it? When you have a week off, ⁓ nice.

So,

after Christmas, ugh, in the-

Laura (35:59)

⁓ yeah. ⁓

that was tough.

Emma (36:04)

Yeah, dark till bloody half past eight, nine sometimes. No, I hate that. Summer is coming!

Laura (36:09)

Yeah, it

is coming. It is. I have to say, I spoke to a couple of women around Christmas time and in the new year, and we were all saying the same thing, how difficult it is to be motivated and happy, you know? So, yeah. Hi.

Emma (36:25)

It is. Yeah. Putting on that bloody, ⁓ I'm so chuffed to be

here. Yeah, no, it is hard because especially even your customers, they still feel the same. They have to go back to work. They have to, you know, back to school for the kids, everything. So everyone's feeling a bit down. So you have to show up to the house and be like, hello, sorry, it's 8am and it's dark. I'm just here to start sanding and everyone's to bed, aren't they?

Laura (36:39)

Yeah.

I know. Yeah,

working by torchlight for the first hour.

Emma (36:54)

⁓

The light in my van didn't used to work so I'd have to my torch out if I wanted to get anything out. ⁓ no, gone are the days. Gone are the days.

Laura (37:03)

Bless you, bless you.

Okay, so we've touched on your social media. and especially Instagram for decorators, I think is a big part of one, promoting your work and showing your portfolio and two, making connections with people.

How do you find the whole social media-ness thing? Monster!

Emma (37:29)

The thing of it.

I've not been posting for very long. I think I started in November-ish when the van bloody broke down, but in that short, what is that, like five months-ish? I don't even know. In that time, I have made some of the best I've spoke to and made connections to some of the loveliest people, especially women, which is just brilliant because I personally

Laura (37:44)

Yeah, pretty much.

Emma (37:58)

in this area. don't know any other self-employed decorating women around here at all. So it's such a good way to speak to people in the same boat. know you can message, like especially Mel, she was on here the other week, she is an angel, honestly. And I can just message her and she can message me, have you had this happen? Do you know, have you used this? And it's just so good to be able to reach out.

Laura (38:11)

Yeah.

Emma (38:26)

in a split-bloody second and say, help me, please help me. Especially supporting each other as well. know, I post a lot of other women post videos, pictures, whatever it is and it's just so nice to be like, go on girl, smashing it and then when you get the same back, it's just so lovely to have such a good community, especially of women, to be friends with. It's brilliant.

Laura (38:52)

Yeah, definitely. agree. think first of all, Mel is an angel. She's epic. Love her. everybody else that is in the trades, especially the women for us to communicate with, it is such a lovely like group. Everybody is nice to each other, isn't it?

Emma (38:58)

is

100 % I don't know if Obviously you've had a lot of other trades on it, but Harry in particular I know I keep bloody bringing him up is but In the welding industry, I don't know what it is I think it's the same with plastering as well really but they cannot say a nice thing to each other if you go in the comment section of a Welding post or something like that. This is wrong. Everyone is just so horrible. There's not a nice word to be said

Laura (39:22)

That's all right.

Wow.

No way!

Emma (39:41)

But on

a decorator's page, the comments, 90 % of them, lovely. You're smashing it. This is brilliant. This is amazing. I don't know what it is. The decorating community in particular is just brilliant. Boys, girls, men, women, everyone's just lovely, I think, personally.

Laura (40:00)

Yeah, I agree. Absolutely. think it is just a very supportive community of people who I think understand the struggles and like to support people through them because everybody has been through it at some point on some level. So we all know how it is. And the fact that someone has took the leap to be in the trades

Emma (40:08)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura (40:29)

Mostly I would say as a self-employed person, I think. And yeah, why wouldn't you just support people? It boggles me, yeah.

Emma (40:37)

It's

brilliant. When I first started posting, I didn't know sort of what it was going to be like. Cause I've seen a lot on Facebook. try and avoid Facebook cause it's brutal on there. ⁓ yeah. I for the business on there, but I'm in Tik Tok for me is where I've made all those connections is brilliant. And it's so nice, especially for people who work alone. can be bloody lonely. You know, cause sometimes your customers are on holiday. You don't speak to anyone all day. So it's nice to have that like.

Laura (40:45)

Yeah, it's nasty on there, innit? Yeah.

Yes.

Emma (41:07)

I can just message, you know, what you're doing today. It's just nice. Because someone will be in the same boat, like you said, it's brilliant.

Laura (41:14)

Exactly, exactly. And I think with your social media, your Instagrams, your voiceovers, as I mentioned just before we started this, they're fantastic. You should please keep doing them. They're brilliant.

Emma (41:25)

Thank you so much!

⁓ I really appreciate that. But you don't know do you? Watching it yourself, you think, I wonder if anyone else wants to watch that. But then it's so nice when you hear things like that. It's just so brilliant to hear. Thank you so much.

Laura (41:43)

you're welcome

because I know what it's like trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone when like we said hearing your own voice is a bit cringe or like seeing your face on camera and stuff like that it can be all a bit cringy to start with but fair play for putting yourself out of your comfort zone because it is and it will continue to pay off for you definitely

Emma (41:51)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thank you so

much. I can't even watch... like my first... people are gonna hear this and they're gonna go watch them now but my first four videos like I think it's the first four or five I can't even watch them if I ever accidentally press on them I'm like oh my god get that off right now I can't hear my own voice like that because I feel like now I'm definitely more myself on my videos like I feel like I just am how I am but at the start I didn't want...

Laura (42:24)

You

Emma (42:38)

to come across weird, was worried about people from school if they saw it, you know, people that I've not even spoken to for like four years, why do I even care what they think? But I'd be like, hi guys.

Laura (42:42)

Okay.

Emma (42:51)

Just so cringe, it's so cringe.

Laura (42:53)

It's

funny though that like when you first start doing it, you do kind of turn into somebody else. Like I've noticed, I've noticed when I've tried to do like talk to camera videos type thing and I'm like, who am I? Like that's not me.

Emma (43:08)

No,

no, you watch it back and you think, why did I say that? silly, yeah, 100%. I know in person, obviously not right now, but I have quite a foul mouth in real life. try not to say anything in my videos, but it was really hard for me to, and it still is, to not swear. And I don't swear really in front of my customers unless we've got that kind of relationship.

Laura (43:13)

Like, absolutely not. Delete. Gone.

Same.

Hahaha!

Emma (43:38)

But in person, I've got a shocking mouth and it was really hard not to put that on a video. I'd have to, oh God, I bloody swore for 10 times. My grandma watches them, so she wouldn't. She'd be messaging me. You know, I told her I was coming on in. She thinks I'm like a celebrity. She tells everyone at the craft club. It's brilliant.

Laura (43:47)

I love that, that's brilliant. Please do a sweary one at some point. ⁓

you

Woo!

get them all listening when it comes out. Come on, girls.

Emma (44:05)

I

Laura (44:07)

Oh, I love that, I love that. Right, before we start coming towards the end of this, I need to ask you about this horse box transformation that you, did you start ripping out yesterday?

Emma (44:15)

Okay.

Yeah, I started it on... all the days go into one, don't they? It was this week, two days ago or something. I started ripping it out. I went to see it a year ago-ish on Facebook. £1,000! I know! It's 40 years old. It only drives... it does drive, but we don't really have the powerful enough stuff to get it started at the minute. We're going to hopefully see what we can do. Harry's on that side of things. I'm more on the renovation. But...

Laura (44:21)

They do Yeah.

Okay.

Emma (44:47)

I'm so excited. I don't have any set plans at the minute for it. I just want to rip it out, see what I'm working with, and then hopefully get some ideas. Because I just love the idea of having a tiny little house. It's brilliant. I'm really excited.

Laura (45:00)

That's so cool.

Wow.

So if anybody wants to see this, go onto Emma's Instagram and you'll see the horse box. It's not what you would imagine when you say horse box. It's massive. Yeah. It's like a van really, isn't it? A horse box van type transportation vehicle.

Emma (45:15)

What is it? It's like a trailer or?

Yeah, yeah, lorry

Yeah,

hit the nail right on the head. That was brilliant.

Laura (45:29)

That's the one.

brilliant. Yeah. Instagram, go check it out and keep tabs on it. It's going to be epic because I'm keeping tabs. fine. It'll be fine. So what's coming up for you? Have you got any exciting big jobs that you've got on the cards?

Emma (45:37)

The progress might be bit slow.

every other weekend.

So, at the minute, I have been fairly picky with the jobs that I've been saying yes to recently because at the start I would say yes to anything and everything because you just have to get that work in, you have to get experience, you have to learn things. But now, I think, I don't have to do that. If I don't fancy it, that's absolutely fine. I can say, I'm really sorry, no thank you. Or, you know, not in those words, but...

Laura (46:07)

No.

Absolutely.

Emma (46:14)

And then you can make room for the jobs that you really want to do. You really want to see that transformation. Yeah, absolutely. No worries. I'll get you in. So I've just got some jobs I'm really excited to do because I selected them quite nicely for myself. Because sometimes you can give yourself a few jobs in a row that's like, ⁓ my god, will it ever end? You know, I want a job that I... What was I going to say? There's like a specific...

Laura (46:25)

brilliant.

Emma (46:41)

type of job where you step back and you go, my gosh, that is just what I want every day. Yeah.

Laura (46:45)

Yeah. Like

the transformation, isn't it? you don't necessarily want the jobs that are easy. You want the jobs that are going to be challenging, but also you can see the potential in what's going to be done at the end, can't you?

Emma (47:03)

100 % I feel like that is those are the best types of jobs, especially when maybe the walls are absolutely shambles. It's it when you step back at the end. That's the best bit for me I think when you walk in you quote it, you know Maybe it's been a few months since you've last seen that job because and then you go there to work on it You go right let's crack on and then when you step back you've hoovered everything's clean all the floor protection is gone and you go my gosh, I did that and your customer. This is brilliant. It's just the best feeling in the world

Laura (47:27)

Yeah.

It really is. I literally just did one of those job type jobs. Like I all had my black boards down on the tiles and then the carpet protector on and did some real like tidy work. And then after hoovering up, taking it all up, I was like, actually this looks spanking. ⁓ It really is. Especially when you've put some real hard graft into it as well. Cause as we all know, as decorators and

Emma (47:50)

Yeah, yeah, he's the best.

Laura (48:00)

probably other trades, it's all in the prep.

Emma (48:02)

100 % yeah I didn't when I first started I didn't realize how much how important it really was you know watched every video Joanne I used to watch every single video ⁓ Joanne, what a legend yeah I and Ria as well they were my holy grail if I needed any information but then I you don't realize until you're actually there

Laura (48:12)

Legend.

Yep.

Emma (48:27)

especially when you watch a video and then you go and do it in person and you think, am I slow? This has taken me, you know, four days of prep. But when you watch a video, it looks, you know, like a quick five minute job. When comes to it, it's days and days of prep. And that's just how it is.

Laura (48:38)

Yeah.

It is. I think personally, customers are starting to realize that the prep is worth it. Whereas you might still get the odd person that doesn't want that level of preparation. But, you know, when you compare it to one job that has had those four days of prep and then two days of painting, it's like chalk and cheese, isn't it? It's so different.

Emma (48:51)

Yeah.

Yeah, 100%.

I always I always say to my customers, It will look worse before it gets better. You just need to trust the process. Because a lot of people, don't know, lot of people, especially ones who have never had decorators before, will sand the walls down and they're sanding the walls? And they just don't know. I didn't know at the start and I was like, sand the walls.

Laura (49:15)

Yeah.

You

Yeah.

Emma (49:33)

It's just part of the process and then even worse when you start filling after you've painted they You've already painted and you're filling again a lot of people sort of questioning The older ladies they are lovely I love them to bits, they will they will They don't know that level of prep. I think the modern-day prep is definitely more in depth. We've got the tools we've got the

Laura (49:38)

do you have painted? What are you doing?

Yeah.

Emma (49:59)

all these

things make it a lot easier to get that perfect finish. I think back in the day they didn't have all these things so it's never going to be that same level without the products and the new technology and everything so it is good to be able to deliver that best finish but it shocks them doesn't it?

Laura (50:17)

Yeah,

it really does. It really does. Especially when you turn up and you've unloaded like half a house into theirs.

Emma (50:24)

Yeah, yeah and they're thinking is there much more?

Laura (50:27)

I

Have you got spare room that I can just put all my stuff in?

Emma (50:31)

In a hallway especially, that's

worst I think, because there's no base camp. A base camp is so important for me. If you're in a bedroom, there is a place where it can all go, but it's not in anyone's way. A hallway? You've got no chance!

Laura (50:36)

No.

Yep.

No, no, you've got to have a bit of the living room or a bit of the kitchen really, haven't you?

Emma (50:53)

Yeah,

bought myself a little table, cos I was sick of not having... somewhere, just one that folds out, it's nothing special. Sick of having nowhere, and I'd have to put things back in the van every night, and I'm like, this is slowing me down. So I've got a little table, no-one's gonna get upset when I put things on it because it's mine and I'm not gonna be paranoid. Erm, it's not in anyone's way, it's brilliant.

Laura (50:56)

Ooh.

That's.

Great idea, yeah. I was gonna say there's obviously, there's nothing worse than having to go in and out the front door constantly because you forgot your tin of Peel Stop or the brush for the Peel Stop that you always use or your pole. ⁓ That just gets me angry when that happens. And then that's like, my day is ruined because, yes.

Emma (51:29)

Nope. Yeah, the cage, anything. No, no. It does!

I'll be sat there trying to use my key and then it'll...

thinking I should have just gone to the van. The other week I was working in a house where the customers were on holiday and this is terrible. I'm absolutely mortified. So they were on holiday. I walk in. There's a little cat there. hello. He must have had one of those automatic feeders or something. And he stayed upstairs. So was like, okay, we're just going to keep our distance. I was in the living room. So there's a shut door in between us.

and erm I just thought it was their cat. The neighbour comes round on the second day she says I've lost my cat I don't know if you've seen him anywhere I said oh there's a cat here do you want to check that it's yours and she said oh no no they do look similar that's their cat mine's missing I said oh let me know if you find him I'll have a look you know Freddy come out anyway gets to about Friday so I've been there all week with this cat I let

He was crying to go out, so I said, right, OK, let him out. And he ran straight next door and I'm thinking, they must be friends. Then I messaged my customer after she's back from a holiday, she's paid her invoice. I said, did you cat neighbors cat ever come back? And she said, yeah, he was in our house the whole week. And I said, was that not your cat? And she said, no, ours passed away a few weeks ago and the neighbor wouldn't have known. So the neighbor thought we all thought that it was their cat. And I kept it for a week.

Laura (52:55)

no.

⁓

My goodness.

Emma (53:03)

my gosh. ⁓

Laura (53:05)

You weren't to know

but

Emma (53:07)

They had cat posts because their cat had only passed away a couple of weeks ago. Terrible. Terrible. Poor cat. God. Hello! At least I let it out. God, it could have been there forever.

Laura (53:15)

Poor thing. At least they had a scratch post.

Yeah. Bless. That's the thing

though, innit? Like when customers have got pets and stuff, or if like they leave you in the house and they go to work and stuff, like there's so many other like life things that can happen that are not really anything to do with you, but you should, you feel a responsibility. It's like when parcels come.

Emma (53:32)

Yeah.

Yeah, I was just about to say that. Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (53:48)

like

knock at the door hello mister or mrs yeah can you do you mind giving me your name for this parcel sure thing yeah take a picture exactly

Emma (53:51)

Yeah.

you can't say no, you wouldn't say no would you? yeah

no and or sometimes you'll get neighbours coming around something like that they're not here no ⁓ something i'm so paranoid about and i don't know why is that if my customers are away at work on holiday and they get burgled i don't know why

Laura (54:05)

I know it's like do you say no or do you say they'll be back soon?

I know.

Emma (54:22)

What if they think it's me or what if they think I sent someone? I would never do that, but it's just that thought in the back of your head, isn't it?

Laura (54:30)

It is,

it is. It's like before, like if you finish the job before they are home, do you keep the key and then have to go out of your way to take it back to them or do you post it through the letterbox? Because the many occasion that I've had to lock up, triple check the door handle and then post it through and then check it's gone all the way through and dropped and then gone around the corner and thought,

Emma (54:42)

Yeah. Yeah.

Laura (54:59)

Did it drop or did I actually not lock the door? No, honestly.

Emma (55:00)

You don't hear it, do you? You don't hear it at all. No, no.

Yeah, it's a lot of pressure having a key as well. You're like, where did I put that key? It's in the same spot in the van, but you think you've lost it. ⁓ God.

Laura (55:14)

Yeah, always keep it in the same pocket. ⁓ don't, don't. It is the things we have to deal with, honestly. right, okay. Let's let's do the quick fire question round. Are you ready? Coolio, okay, won't be too difficult. Tea or coffee?

Emma (55:16)

Yeah, yeah, and then you put it in the wash. my. It's a lot of pressure. ⁓

⁓ Okay, I'm ready. Ready as ever.

Okay.

Tea

Laura (55:40)

painting or wallpapering.

Emma (55:42)

painting 100 % for me.

Laura (55:44)

Driver or passenger?

Emma (55:46)

Driver, I'm a terrible passenger. I'm hanging onto the thing of pressing the brake pedal. Get away from the curb! I'm terrible.

Laura (55:54)

Hall stairs and landing or a flaky bathroom?

Emma (55:57)

my gosh. Halls, stairs and landing. Best transformation. See you all.

Laura (56:00)

Really?

Fair play, good shout. And dogs or cats?

Emma (56:05)

I've got one of both that feels like situation No, no both

Laura (56:06)

what? ⁓ yeah. ⁓ you can't choose then if you. All right. OK. Fair

play, fair play. Rollers in the washing machine or not?

Emma (56:17)

Yeah, washing machine. Don't tell anyone! No, don't tell anyone! In the washing machine. It's the easiest way! 100%, 100%. I'll scrape them off and then I'll rinse them and then whilst I'm rinsing them I think... Sometimes I'll think, yeah I'll just wash this here and then less going in the washing machine but no, in the wash, 100%. A dust sheet or something, yeah.

Laura (56:19)

Don't tell Harry.

Isn't it? Do you pre-rinse them though? Yeah.

Yeah.

Definitely. With a few tea towels to soften the blow. And

last one, beach holiday or sightseeing weekend.

Emma (56:51)

beach. I love the beach. I'll sit there the whole week and not move. That's me. Can't think of anything worse than tripping around. I sound really lazy now.

Laura (56:56)

Me too. No, not at all, not

at all. You deserve it. Get one booked. it. one this afternoon. There you go. Sorry, Harry, I'm making her spend money.

Emma (57:08)

Maybe I will. Maybe I will.

Yeah,

solo trip, can stay here.

Laura (57:16)

There

we go, it's fine, it's fine. Brilliant. So last couple of questions. If you could be a different trade, what would you choose and why?

Emma (57:24)

my gosh, I love this one. I... I don't know why, all I can think about is sparkies, you know? Yeah, I think that's it for me. Thought the amount of times I've been electrocuted... my god, I don't think I'd be any good. It's terrible! to tape up a plug socket and I'm getting bloody electrocuted. Yeah, yeah. ⁓ no, I probably won't be any good, but I'd probably say sparky. ⁓

Laura (57:30)

Would you? Yeah?

Bit of zapped.

Nice, fair play. I don't think we've had many people say Sparky. Yeah, cool. And what trade or who do you think I should have on the podcast next?

Emma (57:53)

Mmm.

Oh my gosh, this is intense. Oh, you've had so many people on already that I can't say. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. My mind has just gone.

Laura (58:10)

or even just a trade,

or even just a trade that you'd like to know more about.

Emma (58:15)

my gosh, this is terrible. I need to... someone right now. The only person I can think of is Mel and she's already...

Laura (58:22)

I'll have her back, don't you worry, I'll have her back.

Emma (58:24)

⁓ again

⁓ I'm so sorry at least pressure crumbling under the pressure

Laura (58:28)

No, don't be sorry. That's okay. It

is a bit of a... I have caught you off guard with this because I don't normally... Unless you've listened to the show before or recently, you know, I didn't tell you I was going to ask you this. So that's fine. Don't worry. I'm happy to have Mel back on.

Emma (58:40)

Fresh one! Gosh. I'm sure as soon as I get off...

She's an angel. As soon as I get off I'll think of someone and then I'll... I'll have to...

Laura (58:50)

That's fine, yeah.

I'll add it on at the end. Beautiful, beautiful. All right, so where can people find you, Emma?

Emma (58:54)

I'll send you a video.

Oh gosh, I'm on Instagram, I'm on TikTok. I wouldn't bother with Facebook, I'm not really on there. Emma's Painting 1 Emma's Painting was taken, so gotta put the one at end. I know, I can't even find her. So Emma's Painting 1 that's me.

Laura (59:06)

Neerr

rude.

Beautiful. All right. Well, I will make sure that they're both in the show notes for the podcast episode and yeah, thank you very much.

Emma (59:27)

Thank you

for having me, it's been amazing.

Laura (59:30)

You're welcome and I'll be happy to have you back on the show as well. Again, we'll do it all again.

Emma (59:34)

Again! Brilliant.

Next week. ⁓

Laura (59:40)

Next week, why not? I've got, yes, I'm free. Perfect, lovely. Well, thank you again. yeah, stay in touch, all right? See ya.

Emma (59:43)

You too.

Thank you, see you later.