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A former TV presenter from Lincolnshire now runs a successful international crafting business which offers luxury retreats and online workshops. Rachel Pierman, who lives in Spalding with her husband and daughter, previously featured on channels like ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, working with the same agent as Davina McCall.
After giving birth to her first and only child, Rachel looked for other work and decided to join the Ideal World shopping channel. One day, the presenter of a sister channel called Create and Craft fell ill, so Rachel took over and soon became a hit with the viewers.
In the summer of 2019, her time at the channel came to an end and she started up her own crafting business named CraftyMonkies. The business went from strength to strength, with plans for six luxury crafting retreats across the country, until the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020.
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Despite the pandemic putting a brief end to in-person events, Rachel believes it ultimately “saved” her business by helping her to expand internationally through Zoom video calls. She said: “We decided to run our classes online because nobody was doing it at that point in May 2020.
“It sold out within a day so we put on more events and they all sold out too. Without covid, I’m not sure where I’d be today. For me, the pandemic saved my business and actually created a business.”
Rachel says the classes very quickly went from just local people attending to people from all over the world. She then reached out to international teachers who brought their audiences with them.
The mum-of-one is keen to promote the mental health benefits that crafting brings. She said: “There is a strong correlation between mindfulness and creativity and people found that during covid times.”
With covid restrictions now a distant memory, Rachel is once again planning some luxury retreats for craft-lovers to enjoy. The next one will take place at Rutland Hall Hotel on Friday, September 8 which is nearly sold out and also includes a dress-making day.
Next year, Rachel is heading to Pennsylvania in America to host a midweek crafting retreat with four CraftyMonkies tutors. Rachel added: “It’s interesting that I’m in Spalding and I’m opening a window with people in it from all over the world. It’s all about bringing communities together and the mindful aspect that people do need to take some time out.”
For more information on how to attend CraftyMonkies classes and luxury retreats, visit their website.
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