Abbott Lyon founders on finding a work/life balance as a young entrepreneur
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Rapidly growing and setting standards in personalised jewellery, Abbott Lyon founders Jezz and Asha have pivoted their brand from a lockdown project to a £50 million company.
Starting a company – and a family – Jezz and Asha are advocates for prioritising family life while running a successful business at the same time.
With other well-known founder couples claiming you don’t need work-life balance if you love your job, Abbott Lyon founders Asha and Jezz have a very different mindset. They share tips to help other young founders find their way and navigate work-life balance for a fulfilled professional and personal life.
Asha emphasises the importance of separating work and personal time, especially after the birth of their daughter: “We definitely had to learn how to separate work from home life, especially after Tilly was born. Before that, we were working late every evening and even on weekends. Now, we make it a rule to stop work at weekends to focus on family time. It’s all about setting boundaries—work is important, but so is making time for each other and our daughter.”
- Set Clear Boundaries
Asha emphasises the importance of separating work and personal time, especially after the birth of their daughter: “We definitely had to learn how to separate work from home life, especially after Tilly was born. Before that, we were working late every evening and even on weekends. Now, we make it a rule to stop work at weekends to focus on family time. It’s all about setting boundaries—work is important, but so is making time for each other and our daughter.”
- Embrace Flexibility
The COVID-19 pandemic turned things upside down, but their flexible mindset allowed them to grow their business: “There was a point when the fashion watch trend fell off, influencer marketing changed, and we were close to going bust”, says Jezz. “It was scary, but at the same time, it forced us to rethink the business. Asha had just joined, and then COVID hit, so we pivoted to jewellery. There were a lot of sleepless nights, but we worked through it—literally shooting product photos in our garden!”
- Divide Responsibilities
Jezz and Asha have divided their roles to leverage their strengths as the company has grown. “We used to work very closely together, but as the company has grown, we’ve started to divide things up more. Jezz handles the big-picture vision, product and branding, while I focus on social media and influencers. It works well because we each bring different strengths to the table” says Asha.
- Find Inspiration in Personal Life
The birth of their daughter inspired new product lines, such as thumbprint necklaces, demonstrating how personal experiences can drive business innovation. “It’s definitely shifted our perspective. She’s also inspired some of our jewellery designs, like our thumbprint necklaces. When you become a parent, you start to understand why people want personalised jewellery—it’s so meaningful to have your child’s name or birthstone close to you.”
- Maintain Perspective
During challenging times, Asha and Jezz stress the importance of keeping a sense of humour and remembering what truly matters. As Asha quips, “As long as it’s a nice cardboard box and I get my cup of tea at 9 p.m. every night, we’ll be fine.”
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