Ten on Tuesday No 31

This week it's the turn of Kerri from K Two,  a company with lots of gorgeous products on their website.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kerri Middleton, I am a mum, wife and business owner.  I own a company called K TWO – it creates products that help organise busy lives such as Calendars with pockets every month to store school permission slips, appointment cards, invitations and bills etc right next to the relevant date!

 2. How did you get started?

My first product idea (a flatpack cardboard tree for displaying Christmas cards) came to me when I was backpacking through Australia so I set about making a (very) rough prototype out of scrap cardboard and the nail scissors from my toilet bag in the back of my campervan.  On my return to the UK, I set up K TWO to produce, market and sell the product and haven’t looked back.

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I have two main ambitions for the next five years – firstly, that my family continues to spend lots of fun family time together, once they hit the teenage years I doubt I’ll ever see them so I want to make the most of them actually wanting to spend time with me now!

My second ambition is for my business.  I’d love for it to become a widely recognised name and have its own display in all the major department stores.  I’d also like to become a multi-millionaire and own a mansion, yacht and private jet but I think that’s a little ambitious!

4. What item would you be lost without?

I’m really busy and so find it really handy to keep my To Do Notes with me always so I can tick something off when I’ve done it and add more things to it as they crop up.  I find my i phone a brilliant tool too but nothing beats a paper list!  One day I WILL get to the bottom of my to do list...

5. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

What’s spare time?  Once you’re a parent, juggling work and family life I think any ‘me time’ is hard to come by.  However if I did find myself with some spare time, I’d probably force myself not to clear out one of the many cupboards at home that need attention and instead have a coffee with a friend, watch a film or read a book with my kids or go out to dinner with my husband.

6. What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

I have a sticky note on my desk with the phrase “Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you that counts” that is a great motto for work and business. I was told the phrase when I was going through major challenges with my business and it always inspires me to turn a negative into a positive and to learn from my mistakes. 

7. Do you have a favourite holiday destination?

I love New York and Hong Kong for their vibrancy and variety and the sense that anything is possible there.  We’d love to take the children to both of those places on day.  For family holidays we often go to France, there are so many lovely spots and places to explore and it’s so close.  When we can manage it, ski holidays with friends are great fun.  We also love camping (though I am a 2 night max kind of camper!) - the kids love cooking outside, the mud and sleeping under canvas.  For a bit more comfort we like family friendly hotels like Crieff Hydro as it doesn’t matter what the weather is like, there’ll be something to enjoy.

8. What's your favourite activity to do with your children?

Swimming is always fun.  I also like baking with them which they really enjoy too (and eating the results which are usually of varying quality!) We live near the beach and cycle alot on the promenade, nice and flat!

9. What do like most about where you live?

There are loads of families about so it’s a nice community feeling. The beach really makes where we live great; every day the school run is along the promenade, so the constantly changing scenery of the sea is such a unique and lovely way to start the day.  There’s plenty of outdoor space and parks locally for the kids to burn off their energy and they love a swim in the sea on the rare days when it’s hot enough!  There are also plenty of local shops and cafes (which I try and use as much as possible as I’d be so sad to see them go).

10. Any embarrassing moments you'd care to share with us?

I once sat next to Ian Rankin on a flight to London, I didn’t realise it was him, he was really nice, very understated and chatty and during the conversation I asked him ‘So what do you do’.....he said ‘Im a writer actually, I write about a character, you’ve maybe not heard of, called Rebus’ how silly I felt once I realised!!

K Two can also be found on twitter and facebook