Hi all,
Welcome to our ongoing Q&A feature, where we introduce a member of the Artfinder team to our community. This time, we speak with Joshna, our E-commerce Director.
Q: Could you start by introducing yourself to our community?
Hello, my name is Joshna. I live in London with my husband and my son (he just recently turned 2)! I’ve lived in this part of London my whole life but we’re hoping to move just a little bit outside of it soon.
Q: How long have you worked with Artfinder and what is your role in the company?
I joined Artfinder in September last year as the Head of Digital Marketing. I look after our marketing, curation and community team and am part of the leadership and management team. You may not see a lot of me on the forum but I’m always there in the background seeing what’s going on.
Q: What have been your highlights of working with Artfinder so far?
The biggest highlight by far is the team of passionate people we have working at Artfinder! It’s rare to meet so many people that really believe in the company’s mission. I love that everyone is willing to share their views on how we can make Artfinder a better place for our artists and customers. And what’s more I love that Artfinder is a B Corp - it’s not your typical business just set out to make a profit but it’s there to actually make a difference in the world!
Q: Do you come from a creative background? Do you engage in creative activities yourself?
I’ve never really considered myself to be creative even though I probably am to an extent. Being in marketing you constantly have to think outside of the box in order to get your brand to succeed. When I finished school, I went on to study Business, French and German at university (Business was my safety net and the languages were my passion). I enjoy trying out different creative activities, a few years ago I learnt to crochet (I wanted to learn how to knit but I found it a bit difficult) and more recently I have taken up embroidery (thanks to a bit of guidance from our very own Community Leader, David).
Q: What does working for a B Corp mean to you?
This was one of the main things that attracted me to Artfinder. I love that we are a B Corp and everything we do is looked at from all angles and not what’s going to make us the most money. It’s really refreshing to be able to make decisions that are going to benefit the world and our community. I also love that we have a tree planting initiative to try to do more for the environment and I can’t wait to see what other initiatives we launch.
Q: What do you like doing in your spare time?
Being a mum to a toddler, I have very little spare time for myself. A lot of my time is spent running around after my son and trying to get him to explore the world around him (when we can). If I’m not busy being a mum, I enjoy reading (I like to read a few books at the same time through different mediums - I’m currently listening to an audio book and reading another book), I love going for walks and exploring new places (something which we haven’t been able to do much of during covid), I also enjoy cooking (I’m a bit of a feeder) and more recently have enjoyed doing some embroidery.
Q: How have you been coping with the recent Covid situation and do you have any words of advice for anyone who is not coping well with it?
I haven’t coped very well if I’m honest. During my pregnancy, I developed prenatal depression which left me in a very bad place. I was really well supported by the NHS (and my support network). I was in therapy throughout my pregnancy and then for the first year of my son’s life (because of course if you have prenatal depression, you tend to have postnatal depression too). So I started the pandemic during a difficult time in my life but I was fortunate enough to be supported by a therapist. Since the pandemic has continued, I have found myself trying to find new ways to cope with everything - some things that worked before were no longer accessible to me or didn’t make me feel ok. I would say to anyone struggling with the pandemic or anything, it’s ok to not be ok and don’t feel like you can’t talk about it. Sharing your thoughts with someone else makes you realise that you’re not alone. If coping strategies that worked before no longer work, try something different - keep doing things that make you happy and cherish the world and everyone around you (you mean more to everyone than you sometimes realise).
Q: If you could take only three items with you to a desert island, what would they be?
That’s a tough one - can I take my son?! If not, I’d take my photos/videos of him, I’d take my kindle so I can read and my duvet (really odd but I love being all cosy under a blanket - and yes even on a hot deserted island)
Q: Finally, do you have any message for our community?
Thank you so much for everything you do - we wouldn’t be here without our community and we will continue to do whatever we can to help you live your dreams of doing what you love!
