enrich & endure

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what do you do at Enrich & Endure?

My name is Sarah and I am co-founder with my brother Lorcan of Enrich & Endure. We make Irish Linen Aprons for restaurants, cafes, chefs, home cooks and all sorts of other creative people. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to set up Enrich & Endure?

I have always been very creative and my brother Lorcan is very entrepreneurial so when we decided to work together (seven years ago!) we tried to merge both our strengths so created an ecommerce company. Our town (Banbridge) is famous for it’s Irish Linen heritage. It’s a fascinating industry and we both feel very passionate about continuing to tell and share its story and craft as it has sadly declined from it’s former glory over the past few decades with cheaper manufacturing moving over seas. We started by creating home ware products like blankets and cushions but very quickly found our niche was more kitchen focussed. I absolutely love to cook and spend a lot of time in an apron myself so it’s very cool to work alongside so many talented people within the food industry. 

What/who influences/motivates you?

Our Apron Community. The people who wear our aprons put them on them on to get creative and make their magic in- from creating candles, coffee, cakes, flower arranging, ceramics, hairdressing…and so many other amazing skills. They are so talented and do incredible things that inspire us on a daily basis. Our office is at our parent’s house and so we constantly get to bounce ideas and ask advice from them if they are about. Hands down they are our biggest inspiration and motivators. 

How do you manage having a work life balance?

My work life is definitely not 9-5. I try and do what I have to do in a day and if that means working late or at the weekends because I want to squeeze in a run in the hills when the sun is shining then I’m more than happy to do that. I absolutely love the outdoors and spend a lot of time in the mountains, sometimes I get up at the crack of dawn to do emails so when the sun comes up I can lace up my shoes and set off knowing everything is under control. When you run your own business you never really clock off. You are constantly aware and thinking about it. Sometimes it can be long hours, days and weeks and other times it can be quiet and there is more free time to do what makes and keeps you happy.

What are your goals/dreams/ambitions for your business?

Our goals for Enrich & Endure are to continue to grow the company organically and to keep our customers and apron community happy. We love to collaborate so are hoping to develop more product collaborations in the future.

Could you give some advice for any young, emerging entrepreneurs?

Be patient. Small businesses take a very long time to find their feet. It can feel like you are constantly starting from day 1 and you kind of are because each day is an opportunity to grow and learn. Try the very best you possibly can and if you need help, ask. If you need inspiration or an opinion, talk to people. Don’t be too hard on yourself – it’s not always easy.

Where can people find you?

You can find us at our website - https://www.enrichandendure.com/ or on Instagram @enrichandendure