From Invisible to Unstoppable: Building a Business That Heals with Marcella from On A Sew

Marcella spent years feeling invisible—so she built a business where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
Marcella's story is one you'll want to listen to twice.

She grew up speaking only Spanish after moving from Columbia to the UK at the age of 2, struggling to find her voice in a system that didn't see her. Picked on by classmates, dismissed by teachers who accused her of cheating when she excelled. Fast forward to motherhood—postnatal depression, isolation, mistaken for a nanny by other mums who wouldn't give her the time of day.

But instead of staying small, Marcella taught herself to sew. And then she built On A Sew—a sewing school where adults and children don't just learn a craft, they find their voice, their confidence, and their community.

In this episode, you'll discover:
✨ How to build a business from lived experience (not credentials or formal education)
✨ Why taking it slow actually accelerated Marcella's growth (she went from one class a week to a thriving school without burning out)
✨ The real difference between teaching a skill and creating transformation
✨ How Marcella uses her past pain to heal others—including apologising to children on behalf of adults who failed to listen
✨ Why surrounding yourself with people who see you is non-negotiable for success
✨ The non-negotiable boundary that protects her from burnout (and why saying no became her superpower)

This conversation is for you if:

You've built something meaningful, but still feel invisible
You're starting a business without traditional qualifications and wonder if you're "enough"
You've experienced loneliness, isolation, or postnatal depression and want to channel it into purpose
You're a creative entrepreneur looking to build community, not just customers
You want to see what sustainable, slow-but-steady business growth actually looks like

About Marcella:
Marcella is the founder of On A Sew, a sewing school in London where she teaches adults and children the art of sewing—but more importantly, helps them find confidence, community, and creative expression. A self-taught sewist with no formal education past age 16, Marcella has built her thriving business purely from lived experience, patience, and an unshakeable belief that everyone deserves to be seen and heard.

Connect with Marcella:
Instagram: @on.a.sew
Website: onasew.co.uk

Connect with Jess:
Instagram: @successfulafpod
Website: kalicoaching.co.uk

Love this episode?
If Marcella's story resonated with you, screenshot your favourite moment and tag us on Instagram @successfulafpod and @on.a.sew. I'd love to hear what landed for you.
And if you're ready to build something meaningful without burning out, subscribe to Successful AF so you never miss a conversation that might just change everything.

How to build a business without a degree
Creative business ideas
Self-taught entrepreneur success story
Postnatal depression and entrepreneurship
Building community in business

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Transcript

Speaker 0:01

You know that feeling when someone finally sees you, really sees you, not who they assume you are, but who you actually are, and that changes everything. Today's guest, Marcella knows this intimately. She spent years being invisible. A Colombian girl who didn't speak English, dismissed by teachers, mistaken for a nanny by other moms. But instead of staying small, she turned that pain into purpose. Now she runs on a Sew, a Thriving Sewing school in Brixton, London. Where adults and children don't just learn to thread needles, they learn they matter. And here's what blew me away by our conversation, Marcella apologizes to the kids in her classes on behalf of the adults who never listen to them. In this conversation, you'll discover how to transform adversity into a business that truly serves why slowing down actually accelerated Marcella's success. The difference between teaching a skill and creating a community. What makes a good teacher? And spoiler, it's not what you think, and my believing yourself isn't optional. It's everything. This is one of the conversations that reminds you why you started your own thing in the first place. So grab a cup, settle in, and meet Marcella.

Speaker 2 1:21

So really it's just welcome Marcella, to successful af. Thanks for being here.

Speaker 3 1:26

Yes. Thank you for having me. I'm very

Speaker 2 1:28

excited. I'm very excited about this conversation. I've got notes coming outta my ears. Tell us your story.

Speaker 3 1:35

So I. Was born in Columbia, moved to London when I was three years old. I didn't have the easiest upbringing when I was younger because I was raised Colombian. I was raised speaking Spanish, so when I went into school I didn't know English and I didn't get comfortable with the English language until I was in year seven. So even though I went to nursery primary school and everything, um, I really struggled for those first few years. And then when I got into year seven, I found the confidence. So I wanted to answer all the questions. I knew everything. It was so exciting. But I was called teacher's pit, and that just went downhill very quick. Lost my voice. Also struggled with the teachers because I couldn't find the balance of do I speak or do I not speak. And the only way that I could communicate was through being creative. But obviously you can't be that creative in every subject. So I was unfortunately. One of my teachers, my geography teacher, decided to, in year seven we had to bring Bo Volcanoes in. I went all out on my project. He put it to side and said that I was disqualified basically from taking part in the lesson because I had clearly not done my homework. My teachers, my parents had done my homework. Obviously he didn't know, they didn't speak English. So there was no way my parents could have helped me. And I think that set my journey even more so obviously I struggled with the language. I was picked on in year seven, very early on, and then my teacher also decided to pick on me and I actually went very quiet at the beginning and, um, lost my confidence and I went basically my young life with very little friendships. And then when I had my children. The small friendships I had, I then lost because, um, they weren't having children at the same time I was, I got postnatal depression and, um, everything became even more quiet and lonely. And, um, that then drew me to sewing. So I had had to go at sewing in school when I was in secondary school. It was only a short period, but I felt that I really enjoyed it. Um, I also grew up watching my mom sew. She didn't have the ability to teach me because I've come to find out that teaching isn't for everybody. So I went down the sewing path of teaching myself. And, um, eventually once my children were older, I then decided to create a business teaching others how to sew. But it all came from that very lonely feeling to then creating a space and a community where people could feel like there were a part of something in a group and just everything else. So yeah, so that's kind of where I'm at the moment, owning my own sewing school.

Speaker 2 4:39

I think it takes a very special sort of person to take that adversity and that. Challenge and channel it into something so positive and not just for yourself. You know, when we spoke, I was so moved and we'll get into it, but like, by how much care and attention you take to make sure that every single person and person, both adults and children in your lessons are heard and they have a voice and they're understood. And I think it. It's so easy to go in and be like, life isn't fair and it's really hard, and da da and sort of, blame the universe because nothing happened to you, but none of it was your fault. But you just took it and you're like, okay, right. How can I make this better for myself? And I think that's a really unique perspective. And not many people, I think it's, it's a lot easier just to blame the world, isn't it?

Speaker 3 5:35

So, uh, I, so growing up, I always remember saying to myself only once I sat down and said to myself, I wonder why me? There's gotta be like a bigger reason for it. And I think just that once. And then from that point I chose to either continue to ask why me or make something of it. And now that I'm an. Adult, I can now look back and I will say to myself, God, I was put through so many experiences and challenges and just everything. And that's now brought me to where I am, where I'm working with adult and children. And, um, I have no education because I pulled out of school after year 11. I tried college, but I just couldn't find my feet. I felt like I'd been put down so much that there just wasn't any point of trying. So, um, no education. So I feel like my life experiences have been my education to then bring me to where I am to be able to support basically everybody that I support, children and adults. Yeah, you've got, you've got the two choices. You either choose, go down that path, you feel sorry for yourself all day, or you go down a path where you actually create something out of those experiences. And, um, yeah, it's been, it's been challenging, but it's been very enjoyable.

Speaker 2 6:52

Amazing.

Speaker 3 6:53

Yeah.

Speaker 2 6:54

I now have a question. I know lots of people ask you this and you touched on it as well, that the fact that teaching isn't for everyone. How do you start teaching people and what makes a good teacher?

Speaker 3 7:05

It's quite, I dunno. So when I started sewing, um, I knew I had this desire to help and, um. I had the desire to want to help, but I didn't have the confidence to believe in myself. And when I had my daughter who's my first born, she's actually taught me more. And now that experience, it's helped me to then teach. I remember like sitting her down and saying let me teach you to sew. And it was really stressful. It's so hard to teach. But she reminded me that we don't have to be perfect. She basically taught me to teach. And um, I say it to her all the time, you might not know this, but you were a huge part of my life to get me to where I am. So she taught me patience. She taught me that if I was not kind, but if I chose my words in a better way, that she would deliver more. And that's how I basically built up on it, tr testing it on her.

Speaker 2 8:11

It's amazing.

Speaker 3 8:12

But yeah. Yeah, it's, um, it's a funny one. I don't, I don't know if teaching can be taught. It's not something that I went down, I didn't study to do this. I have literally just taken my life experiences to, um, help me to teach. So it's, I say the desire to want to help allows me to then be able to teach. Yeah.

Speaker 2 8:32

So it's at, that's such an, because there's so many bad teachers out there. I mean, you referenced one, right? You know, you're geography teacher you like and what you've just said, the desire to wanna help because not all teachers have that.

Speaker 3 8:46

No.

Speaker 2 8:47

And maybe that's what differentiates a good teacher and a bad teacher.

Speaker 3 8:51

Definitely. I was gonna say, I, I've, um, had a few conversations with children who have had similar experiences to myself and, um. It's really interesting to hear what they have to say about their teaching. And it's kind of sad to know that I experienced that so many years ago and it still happens sometimes. But what I've taken from that is, like I said, not everybody has that ability to teach, but as an adult with. What I've done now is that I apologize to the child on behalf of that adult and just say, you know, we don't all have the ability to cheat, teach this certain age or this certain subject. Sometimes we get overwhelmed. We get frustrated. It's not an excuse, but just bear in mind it's not you. And that kind of like helps me. Again, I learn from my experience of teaching in my lesson, my children, and then I can take that forward. So having experiences has helped me. Teacher,

Speaker 2 9:49

the kids who you come across and the adults, but the kids de

Speaker 3 9:51

adult Yeah.

Speaker 2 9:52

Are are very lucky because I think it's very rare that as a child you're apologized to by an adult.

Speaker 3 10:03

Yes. Which is what I always found. So my experiences growing up, like I said, English wasn't my first language, so I found it really hard to communicate certain things. Um, so I was always being put down. Um, you're so angry, you don't understand, you don't try. But the adult wasn't listening to me in the few words that I was saying. They weren't listening, but they were just so quick to blame. My behavior as of something negative and, um, I've never had an adult apologize to me. And so I carried my rawness for a very long time. And I learned that I had to basically kind of forgive. So my way of giving back is I'm gonna apologize on behalf of adults because it's really hard to apologize. And like I said, you carry that with you for so long. So if I can do my small bit of apologizing on behalf of somebody, it also teaches us young children to then apologize as well because mm-hmm. It helps us to understand what it feels like to be apologized to. Yeah. So that's

Speaker 2 11:09

so beautiful. And I'm really sorry that all those adults didn't listen.

Speaker 3 11:15

Yeah. But it's helped me to get to where I

Speaker 2 11:18

am

Speaker 3 11:18

today.

Speaker 2 11:18

I know, I know. But I wanna apologize on half of them. So I'm sorry that you had to go through that.

Speaker 3 11:24

God, thank you.

Speaker 2 11:24

And actually, given all the things you've achieved, I think you might have got there anyway, but we'll come to that talking of which actually, what does success mean to you?

Speaker 3 11:36

I was gonna say, to me, success is being able to make a difference. Yeah. To, to be able to kind of, obviously through teaching successfully, teaching somebody the skill of sewing but just being able to make a difference in a bigger, like a bigger picture. Yeah. So it's, to me, it's, uh, being able to get. The message across to teach and to help people find their confidence. Yeah.

Speaker 2 12:09

And has that definition changed as you've grown up or as you've built the business bigger and bigger? Or has that always been your core, I guess mantra?

Speaker 3 12:19

I, it's funny because I don't think I ever saw success as being something for me. So. I don't think I had a definition of success at the beginning except for having a full-time job and staying in that job. Um, just making sure that I wasn't just sitting at home doing nothing. So that's not, yeah, my level of success was so minimal before it was just kind of living and surviving. Whereas now success is something a lot bigger and it's not the, I have to have a job, I have to have a family, and I have the success that everybody knows.

Speaker 2 12:55

Yeah.

Speaker 3 12:55

So that's definitely shifted. But definitely before I had no success wasn't for me. Um, so I don't think I actually had a definition of success, successful surviving. Whereas now I do actually have that definition because I do believe it's for me. So yeah,

Speaker 2 13:14

a bit

Speaker 3 13:14

different.

Speaker 2 13:14

Good. And success is definitely for you. Yeah. Um. Again, I'd love to know like what you would advise someone who is looking to start a business because you said that like, you know, your, your definition is to make a difference and I think there's something you can really tell when you interact with a business that is trying to do that rather than just trying to make money. But I'd love to hear your perspective.

Speaker 3 13:39

Yeah, so I do get a lot of questions. So, um, people see my growth as being very quick. I started my business just under three years ago. I was working at a fabric shop. I was getting a of questions where people were saying, I've got a really silly question. They'd ask a question, I'd be like, oh my God, I'm really enjoying answering these questions. So I decided to, while working at the fabric shop, move into trying to teach people to sew. And that very quickly picked up because, um, I think we've gone into a generation where people wanna do things with their hands. So basically it's just finding the thing that you enjoy, find the thing that you enjoy and then just put yourself out there and do it. When I had this idea, I was told by a few people that it was a very silly idea and it was never gonna make money. I didn't want to make money. I just wanted to help. And I think that's what's helped me to build the business. So if somebody out there wants to start a business in offering creative lessons, just go out there and do it. Don't listen to anybody. Don't. Think that you can't do it because I went into this. I'm self-taught with sewing. I didn't obviously get the education. Everything that I've learned, I've learned myself. When I went into the business, I didn't believe in my skill. I don't think it's so much about the skill. I think it's about how you get the, um, message across and how you teach the lessons. So just go out there and get yourself started. Start small, offering free lessons and just getting to know the community because they will help you to grow. So just put yourself out there, talk to as many people as you can, and, um, take it from there. I think that could work in any business as well. So yeah,

Speaker 2 15:31

that word, word of mouth piece and the community, I think something that, I know you've built a huge community around honor, so we haven't actually talked about the name of the business, which is on so, so yeah. On ASO not honor. But you know, I. There's some, you've talked about the fact that people do wanna do things with their hands these days, and also we're all quite lonely. You know, we're all,

Speaker 4 15:52

yes,

Speaker 2 15:52

for the most part. Sitting behind screens and interacting through screens and actually bringing people together to do something that, I guess like our forebearers might have done around a fire in a sort of tribe scenario and, you know, must be so rewarding. But also to something that's quite alien in, in our current society.

Speaker 3 16:14

Yeah. Yeah. Um, like I mentioned, I started this business out of loneliness. Um, you know, I had my children, I was at home all day. Um, so I went down the rabbit rabbit hole of trying something. I was really scared. It was, it wasn't gonna stick because nothing I had tried, I had enjoyed this much. Through sewing. I met friends that I have become so like special to me. So I went from you know, being completely by myself. Obviously my husband's working, I'm at home with two babies. Um, I don't really have adults that I can interact with because I was going to baby classes. Nobody will talk to me because I was considered a young mom. So everyone would automatically assume that I was the nanny and I dunno why they didn't. Different. Yeah. I remember I was taking my daughter to drama club. She'd been there for a whole year and, um, it was the first time someone spoke to me and when she did, she said to me oh, so how long have you been taking care of them? I had my two children and I was like, they're both mine. And she was like, oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you're a nanny. And then she would speak to me a bit more from that day. And because I was desperate to have a conversation, I just took it all in and I was just babbling nonstop. And it just felt so nice. But it helped me to understand why I was going to parks and and clubs and no one was talking to me. Again, that experience, I was able to take it and say, do you know what? I'm gonna create a community where everybody's welcomed. Everybody can come and feel like they can have a conversation. And it's quite nice'cause I get quite a lot of new moms who are looking to, do something, but mostly just have a conversation. One thing that I focus on is that I keep my sew lessons very small because obviously big groups can feel very intimidating and also when you're in smaller groups it kind of forces you to have those conversations. So I do it with the adults and I do it with the children. And, um, you'd never know that, you know, my first few years. Until I was in year seven, I barely spoke a word. I'd keep myself to myself and I'd occasionally talk to the teachers, and that was it. And then to go from that to where I am now, where I do a lesson, I teach it for two hours and I won't shut up, basically. Mm-hmm. I just keep on going and going. And yet it's, um, it's helped me to help others. You go from loneliness, this is what you do. The amount of people I, that I get constantly as well and say to me, oh, I've seen your story. That you basically had postnatal depression. Loneliness. I've come because I feel the same way. Then you just see everyone just grow. And, um, the sewn community's so kind. Anybody who wants to learn a craft and come to these lessons, they are so kind to each other. They help each other, even though they've come to learn, they're helping other people in the lessons. They're having conversations. They come back the following week and they say, oh, how did that, um, you know, date go? How did it's, yeah, it's really nice. So be able to, um, take something like that and then help grow community.'cause we we're becoming so lonely with screens.

Speaker 2 19:25

Yeah. Yeah. I really love that you found your voice and you shared it with everyone else,

Speaker 3 19:31

right? Yeah. It's really nice.

Speaker 2 19:33

Amazing. We've talked a lot about barriers and challenges you've had to overcome. Is there anything else that you think has been a real challenge? Even if it's just with setting up the business or, or anything really?

Speaker 3 19:46

Yeah. I wasn't like, with the experiences that I've had, My first barrier was my confidence and actually believing in myself. Mm-hmm. Because I was always told, um, you know, I was made to feel I couldn't do anything. I wasn't going to be anybody. I was. Told by other people who I was, and it took me a long time to realize actually that isn't who I am. This is who I am. Um, so it's the kind of like the self-esteem, the confidence. Those I think, were my biggest barriers. And then going into a business that I almost knew nothing about. I didn't know how to start a business, so finding that information. But yeah, just. Myself really, I think have been my biggest barrier in anything that I've done. So building myself up. Yeah.

Speaker 2 20:42

And how did you do that? Like was it small steps or was there like a light bulb moment? I know we talked before when you said like when your children were born, it was a real sort of turning point for you, but I'm really curious to hear a little bit more about that.

Speaker 3 20:56

It was actually my husband.

Speaker 2 20:58

Okay.

Speaker 3 21:00

Oh, that's get me emotional. Sorry. Yeah, no, it was my husband. He saw what I couldn't see and he would always say to me, oh, you're so creative. And I'm like, you are like messing me around. I'm not, oh, he just highlight little things about me. Say. I'm kind and I'd be like, I'm really not. I'm the meanest person around there, because that's what I'd been told. So he was the one who saw me before I saw myself, and then he helped me to see that.

Speaker 2 21:32

Aw, it's real love, like they say. I can't remember who it says it, but like, it's like the notion that like you need like flame protectors. So like, you know, people who will hold your flame for you when you can't hold it for yourself. And yeah, it sounds like he was really one of those very special.

Speaker 3 21:51

Yeah, definitely. And that, again, has helped me, which is what I then go into doing to my lessons where, um, mostly with children, and you see about adults as well, where they come, where they, you can see that they're lacking confidence. And, um. It's really nice when you say to them they'll come in and they'll say, I'm not good at this. I can't do this. This is, this isn't for me. And then just be able to say, well actually I can see this. And this is like, you know, straight lines. Straight lines are really hard to do, but you've managed to stay on the line for like this amount of time. And just being able to highlight. That for other people. So what my husband has taught me and done for me, I'm now able to do for our, for others, which is, um, really nice, but it was just having one person to believe in me that helped me to build my confidence and, um, he's always pushed me and my children do the same as well. My children are very good at like saying to me if I make something like I like making trousers. I've made myself a pair of trousers. I'm not a hundred percent sure on the fabric I've chosen. My daughter always comes in and says to me, that's a really nice fabric. I like that. Oh, you can wear it with that jumper. And I'm like, oh, I didn't think of that. Yeah, no, no, you're right. Basically my family, my husband and my children, mostly my daughter who's the oldest, have really helped me to pick my confidence up and actually some of my customers as well. One of my very first customers she, I remember she said something really kind to me and I was just like oh, my husband says it, but now a stranger has said it. Oh, that actually like. Confirms what he's been saying to me this whole time because I don't listen to him. You know, he is, he doesn't know what he's talking about, but a strangers come along said the exact same thing and I'm like, oh no, it's true. Having surrounding yourself and like really nice people that can just tell you the positive things that you were missing out before has really helped me to shift the way that I think about myself.

Speaker 2 23:54

And then you're now doing it for so many other people.

Speaker 3 23:56

Yes. That was one of the reasons I went into it was, um, that just that one thing that was said to me made such an impact. Now can I take that experience and help others as well? Yeah, it's not just sewing. It's, it's so much more. I've always said like, sewing is my therapy in so many ways. Not only being able to like, create things, use my mind, use my hands, but it allows you to talk and, um, you end up sharing experiences that you've probably not spoken about to anybody, and it just builds that confidence up, which is really nice. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 24:33

It's also, I guess, because you're not looking at someone like you're looking at. Sewing. And so actually you can, it's easier to be a bit freer when you are not. It's that you can have a better conversation with someone when you're in the car or when you're walking than if you're sitting someone in a dinner table and they're like, so, and you're like, well, it's no too much pressure. And you can almost take the pressure off and give your brain a bit of a break from the whatever is going on because you're busy focusing on something else, and you're sort of able to kind of maybe work through some more emotions, I'd imagine.

Speaker 3 25:03

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And like I said, it works for adults and children. And who would've fought? Uh, yeah.

Speaker 2 25:11

I'm really interested to hear your answer to this question. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Speaker 3 25:19

To my younger self, it would be to listen to my own voice rather than listening to others. If I remember growing up and always saying to myself, I'm kind, I'm a nice person, but then somebody would come and say to me, you know, oh, you didn't do that. Like, yeah, making me feel a different way if I had listened to myself because I have been saying it to myself for so long. I'd probably have achieved what I have sooner. Um, and what I'm doing at the moment is good. I'm happy with where I am. I'm happy with the experiences that I've had. I just wish I'd been kinder to myself.

Speaker 2 26:00

Yeah. And what permission do you want to give other people through your story?

Speaker 3 26:08

To believe in yourself. Just always believe in yourself. And, um, even if you have an idea, you are not a hundred percent sure, give it a go. And if it, for whatever reason fails, you are learning. Because making mistakes is so important. Without those mistakes, we would learn nothing. Yeah.

Speaker 2 26:30

So true. I think it's, it's a privilege to fail.

Speaker 3 26:36

Yes. Because honestly, with without it, you don't learn. The way that I got to where I did in my sewing journey was making mis. I spent three years making mistakes and I loved every single one of those mistakes.'cause now I take those mistakes and I go into my listen and say 10 years ago I did this, and I'm telling you this so you don't go and do it. So without those mistakes, I would've learned nothing. But instead I've learned more than I probably would've learned going to like school, university or anything like that. So yeah, definitely mistakes are just big part of everything.

Speaker 2 27:12

Yeah. And they're a badge of honor, right? Because it means you've tried and any, you know, the people who don't make mistakes are the ones who never put themselves out there and,

Speaker 27:21

that's not that fun.

Speaker 3 27:23

No. And you know, we don't need to be perfect in any way, shape, or form, and mistakes just make us who we are and it's really nice. Yeah.

Speaker 2 27:34

Hundred percent. I'd love to know, because I know you, you make a lot of garments. What's the favorite, your favorite thing you've ever sewn?

Speaker 3 27:44

My, the, my favorite thing to sew are my trousers. I love making trousers. I'm obsessed with like how different you can go into it, but I've made so many things over the year and every person who sews will say, this is my favorite, and then next month you make something else. And it's, no, this is my favorite. And it just kind of, there's, I don't think there's a favorite. I can't, you can't have a favorite.

Speaker 2 28:09

They're like, if I just ask you the equivalent of like trying to choose between your children.

Speaker 3 28:13

Yeah, exactly. The children always say like the, the children who come to my lesson always say, what's your favorite? And I'm just like, I can't. Everyone's, everyone and everything's my favorite for different reasons. I made my wedding dress and that was a very beautiful experience, but it's not my favorite because I've made so many things I can, like my trousers, I love my trousers, but yeah, they all hold different meanings to me.

Speaker 2 28:39

Amazing.

Speaker 3 28:40

Yeah.

Speaker 2 28:41

Lovely. Marcella, are you ready for quickfire?

Speaker 3 28:45

Yes. I've actually made a note'cause I'm so forgetful, so I'm trying to, yeah, go on. I'm ready.

Speaker 2 28:52

One word to describe your current relationship with success.

Speaker 3 28:56

I had to think real hard about this one and I landed on grounded.

Speaker 2 29:00

I love it

Speaker 3 29:01

there.

Speaker 2 29:03

Love it. Okay. Your non-negotiable boundary that protects you from burnout.

Speaker 3 29:09

I had to learn this one the hard way, but I'm a bit of a people pleaser. But my new boundary is you just, I can't oversubscribe anything. I can't. Yeah. So not over fulfilling my schedule. If my calendar is full, we're done. I'm so sorry. It breaks my heart that I can't give you more options when I've had to stop myself because I was doing too much. So that's hard, I guess. Saying no as well I think is really important. Yeah. Learning to say no,

Speaker 2 29:43

especially as a woman, I think, but yeah. Yeah. What does rest look like for you?

Speaker 3 29:50

Shutting down. So shutting down any thoughts of the business? So, um. I have forced myself to take Thursdays off and, um, I always get this itch where I'm just like, just one, one, email, one this. No. I've finally learned that I shut completely down to laptop and everything goes away, and I pull out my sewing machine and I sew. So if the children are, are at school, my husband's at work, I give myself. Permission to, so for a solid four hours. And that is actually so restful for me. It's allowed me to bring all my ideas out and then obviously the usual spending time with a family, you know, playing games with the kids, going out for a coffee with my husband, but it's just literally shutting down for one whole day.

Speaker 2 30:39

I love that your respite from your business, which is about serving and sewing, I think that's so beautiful and it just shows that you've really, hit, found your purpose.

Speaker 3 30:49

Yeah, a lot of people say don't work with your hobby. And I've always been so conscious of that, but I've also come to realize that. My maybe work doesn't feel like work because I enjoy talking about so, and I enjoy teaching it. Um, when I do have time off, I do so, plus my customers inspire me all the time. Every time they make something, I immediately say, oh my goodness, I need that same jacket. And as soon as they, they've left the lesson, and if I bought some time, I start cutting everything out, and then Thursday comes out, I've sewn it up in no time. So sewing for me is really restful.

Speaker 2 31:31

I love that. I do think I sometimes wonder if the people who say you should never work with your hobby are the people who really hate their jobs and are maybe just a bit envious of those. You have worked with a hobby and absolutely love their jobs, but maybe that's just, just a little theory that I'm gonna put out there.

Speaker 3 31:47

Do you know what I think it is as well? It's the, um, I don't think everyone knows or have learned how to set boundaries, um, because when we overwork ourselves or not allow, we're not giving ourselves time. Than to do the hobby. Because I did go for a point where I was constantly working and I ha, I mean, I'm, I'm still at that kind of point. I am getting better, but it's, um, giving myself the rest, forcing myself to have a day off, which means I can actually sit down and enjoy the hobby.

Speaker 32:22

Yeah.

Speaker 3 32:22

And I just don't think we give ourselves enough time to do both. So I think it's learning that, but working with your hobby, I think is the best thing ever. Yeah. And you enjoy every day as a Yeah. Every day. Every day. I'm talking about sewing. Every day I'm sewing yeah.

Speaker 2 32:40

I love it. What's one thing, actually, this interesting following question didn't, I've forgotten this one was in here. What one thing you wish more people knew about building a sustainable career?

Speaker 3 32:51

One thing I wanna say, you can take it slow so you don't have to go into it. Where, like I say, you're working 24 7 to make it successful. You can take it slow. I started teaching lessons on the side and still working my part-time job, but I never went through burnout. I was okay. I was being consistent. I was still allowing myself time and I took it really slow. I started working one day a week teaching sewing. Then over time when I felt comfortable with that lesson, I'd add another one in. And then it has, even though people tell me it's been quick, my growth, I consider it to be slow because I have taken my time to add something in. I'll do a whole, whole term and then next term I'll add something in. So it's just taking it slow. You don't have to rush. And, um, if you do have two jobs, that's okay. That's how most of us are. I wasn't given money. I didn't, it wasn't something that was just handed to me. I worked for it, but I took my time to do it. Yeah, so you don't, because people always say to you, you know, if you've not made it, I think, is it three years or something like that, then you're never gonna make it. I don't think that's true. We all take our time however we want to, and if you wanna take it slow and to extend that period to be successful, that's okay.

Speaker 2 34:17

Yeah. No timeframe to success. Yes. What is the success metric that matters most to you right now?

Speaker 3 34:27

The, okay. I think it's been able to do what I'm doing and still balancing my personal and family life. So I am there for my community, but I'm also there for my family.

Speaker 2 34:41

Amazing

Speaker 3 34:42

and just, yeah, balancing both of those.

Speaker 2 34:45

And finally, and this might be the same answer, what makes you feel most successful as fuck?

Speaker 3 34:52

Helping to know that I've actually taught somebody that, if they've come back, that tells me they've enjoyed it. So whatever I'm doing, I'm doing it right. I think the f when I was doing, when I started teaching, I started teaching children and when they came back the following term, I was like, oh my God. Okay, that's good. Then they came back again and I've had some of these children for like three the whole time I've been teaching, and that to me tells me that I've basically, I've made it.

Speaker 4 35:21

Yeah.

Speaker 3 35:21

People wanna come back, they wanna keep seeing me, they wanna keep learning from me. You that I'm done. I'd happily like, yeah. I'm gonna say walk away from it, but not walk away from it. Yeah. And that a very good point. And I know that I've made it when people want to actually come back to the lesson.

Speaker 2 35:38

Amazing.

Speaker 3 35:39

Yeah.

Speaker 2 35:41

Amazing. Marcella, how do we find you for all those of us who are now incredibly inspired to come and learn? How so where are you?

Speaker 3 35:48

That would be amazing. Remember it? Um, yeah, it's, yeah, it's more than just sewing, but I am on it. I'm on Instagram and it's on, so e it's basically the same everywhere. Um, Instagram, Facebook, and the website's also on So uk.

Speaker 2 36:08

Brilliant. We'll tag it all in the show notes. Well thank you so much. You've such a beautiful story and yeah, I'm just in awe of how you really channel. Like everything that you needed as a child, you are just giving to all these children and adults as well. And I think it, it's, we talked before about adults need this as much as kids do, but I think often we're seen as like, oh, you're an adult now you're, you're a grownup. You should be able to do this yourself or sort it out. And actually it's not true at all. Like, we all need care and we all need kindness and we all need to be heard. And I think. You're doing is just, as you say, so much more than sewing, but just such an incredible gift to the community that you're in.

Speaker 3 36:52

Yeah, definitely. It's really funny'cause obviously I started focusing with children because that's where I found that all my problems almost started. But as I've been teaching more, I've come to realize that adults also need that help, support and space. Especially with, um, everything being so digital, we're always on our phones or working from home. Sometimes we forget how to interact with other people. So to be able to offer a space that everybody has been. It been, it's been so fun for me. And also like I said, I went from being very lonely to having so many friends within my customers as well. Never would've thought that. Now I'm just like, oh my God. Wow. I need more time to have all these conversations. So it's been lovely. Yeah.

Speaker 2 37:41

Well, thank you so much for joining us. It's been an honor to hear you tell your story and yeah, thanks.

Speaker 3 37:48

Thank you so much to my customer who also mentioned your podcast. I've listened to like all your episodes and you do really learn a lot from everybody else, so thank you for what you are doing as well. It's.

Speaker 38:01

If Marcela's story stirred something in you that reminder that your struggles can become your superpower, I'd love to hear about it. Screenshot your favorite moment. Tag me at successful AF Pod or Marcella at honor so on Instagram, and let us know what landed for you. And if you're building something that matters, but feeling invisible doing it. Remember what Marcella said. Start small, take your time and focus on helping one person at a time. The community will build itself around that intention. We've got another incredible guest coming in a couple of weeks, so make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it. Until then, keep showing up. Keep being kind to yourself and remember, success looks like making a difference, not making it perfect. I'll see you next time on Successful af.