For the love of Jenny

How Amanda Bloom turned her darkest hours into a runaway success

Feb 11, 2023

This story is to inspire other women who wish to follow their dreams, do what they love, and start a business from home that creates community, love, support, and financial freedom.

Last week I met with Amanda Bloom to talk to her about how she found strength at her darkest hour to survive, find joy, build a supportive structure, and unexpectedly create a runaway success for a business.

What I love most about Amanda’s story is that her trust and belief to follow her heart were the measures of her success. Which prompts the question: What is success, and what is truly important?

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Amanda joined me on a retreat in 2019 encouraged by Carol who had already signed up for the trip. They were connected through a support group for women who’d lost their daughters. Amanda’s daughter Jenny had died eighteen months before, and in her words, it felt as if she had not left her sofa since, physically frozen, yet still working and doing her best to take care of herself when the will had gone. So this trip was to be her first tentative step back to life.

When Amanda emailed her application form she was frank about her apprehensions to come on retreat; she had not gone anywhere since Jenny’s death, nor had she practiced yoga for 48 years since leaving school. But, I assured her there would be a way to accommodate her and everyone else's needs during the trip.

What struck me most when I met Amanda, was that she had all the characteristics for success wrapped up in the most unassuming way. Or maybe I should say, all the qualities and values that I believe lead to an authentic life;

She was softly spoken, yet did not suffer fools, she could communicate her needs with kindness to disarm others immediately, and she demonstrated enormous strength in recreating herself in the face of defeat, having done so on more than one occasion. Her approach to life defied stereotypes, as she chose only to do what she loved whilst touching everything lightly. No laboured business plan, no alter ego. Everything she did was simple, clear, and real.

When I commented to Amanda I loved her gentle strength she paid the compliment back, and said when we met on retreat, she saw in me that same softly-spoken, strong woman that made her feel it was possible to be both. I was fascinated by Amanda, as she was exactly what the teachings of yoga encourage; be strong in yourself, follow your heart, and do what you love without ego because those ingredients alone bring success. And her success was proof of this.

Amanda’s early career was spent buying and selling property as a way to build a future for herself and her daughter. And in doing so she generated a tidy profit through her portfolio and she chose to invest in a housing opportunity. It was sold to her by a reputable organization she knew well, so she saw no risk in the project. However, it didn't work out as she imagined. Her business partner lost the lot and left her with a huge mortgage that had been intended to fund their next project.

Devastated by this misfortune she was left with no choice but to come up with an idea to make a living to support them, so having previously been a hairdresser she decided to open a hairdresser's salon. With no budget for the refit, she ‘begged, stole, and borrowed’, to create a salon with a difference made from repainted, and repurposed furniture, with an ambiance so inviting and homely, she quickly grew a loyal client base.

Just as Amanda was beginning to pay her debts back, Jenny was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. She was fifteen years old and Amanda knew immediately she would need to close the hairdresser's salon and find another way to work to take care of Jenny from home. Initially, Jenny’s condition was challenging, but as she began to improve Amanda booked for them to go on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Barbados. It was there, towards the end of their trip that Amanda felt the need to come up with an idea that would financially support them. They joked about Amanda starting a sex line, something silly and unprintable on a passport, yet, sitting around the pool searching online for ideas, Amanda noticed an advert for a beauty subscription box and commented to Jenny how she would love it if only it were filled with a crochet project rather than beauty products. And that was their light bulb moment.

When they returned home Amanda started searching online to see if there were crochet subscription boxes already on the market, but her search came to nothing. She knew then this was their financial solution to keep them busy and distracted as Jenny’s health deteriorated. And since they both loved crochet this ticked all the boxes, and boxes were how Amanda began.

Once she had sourced the box, choosing the contents each month would be the easy part. After a lot of research, the only supplier she could find was an importer, not a fabricator, based in the SW of England. Although some distance from her, she had a hunch that this would work out. So one weekend when Jenny was staying at her dad’s, Amanda put a tent in the car and drove from Manchester to Dorset to meet Morgan, with whom she placed her first order for 50 boxes.

The fun could then begin, with Jenny being the brains behind social media and Amanda being the creative mind that sourced the products and crochet patterns, they created “Little Box of Crochet’. Their business became an instant hit; within two years, they went from nothing to selling 2000 boxes a month with a turnover of £800,000. They inspirited an incredible international community of crocheters through Instagram, of mothers caring for and supporting them during this time, which kept growing as their story spread and inspired others in a similar situation.

With their success, they had to move twice from their apartment to a bigger house, as the place was full of yarn and boxes stacked high to the ceiling. At this stage, Amanda and Jenny were still managing all aspects of the business from taking the orders to packing the boxes and then sending them. All of which Amanda said was a blessing, as they were too busy to dwell on Jenny’s illness. The business also afforded them a comfortable lifestyle to enjoy their time together without financial worry and reassured Jenny that Amanda would manage financially after she died.

As Little Box of Crochet grew so did the companies that supported them. Morgan the box distributor was able to invest in the machinery needed to become a fabricator, thereby producing a British product. They also had to outsource storage and packing to another small family-run business in the UK.

This aspect of their business was something Amanda is very proud they achieved. For her, it was important the business was founded on good relationships, all the way from supplier to her wider community as they all became an extended family, and like family, would step in at all hours to make things happen.

Amanda also loved going to trade shows and being the unsuspecting business women, not dressed in a suit to impress buyers, only taken seriously when she outlined the business and turnover. She said;

“Women have a tendency to think small and I’ve always thought big and wanted to be the best at it. I am proud that I built my business around real emotions, as there was nothing corporate about these achievements, which proves you don't need to be someone other than yourself to create something extraordinary”

‘A trip to the seaside’ by Little Box of Crochet
(a lockdown project to take a virtual holiday and escape to sea)

Amanda and Jenny’s success was based on a few important ingredients;

Firstly, they loved what they were doing and had an abundance of ideas that made creating each month’s box a dream task.
Also, Amanda’s predisposition to be an excellent problem solver meant she was always quick to think on her feet and never feared how she would manage the business or get it off the ground.
They valued their community and nurtured the relationships. And in turn, their community did the same for them and were there for them throughout.
The other aspect about Amanda was she touched everything lightly, and never too attached due to her fear of loss which meant she was not defined by her work and could let go and evolve as and when needed.

In fact, when I asked Amanda what defined her, she instantly said, being Jenny’s mum was the only permanent, and who she was. Everything was about Jenny. She had waited for Jenny her whole life and when she was born it felt as if the light had come into her life because everything before had been so terrible. Suddenly there was this beautiful girl that was so kind and funny.

Before Jenny died in 2017 Amanda passed the news to her community, who unbeknown to her did a whip round to enable Jenny a luxury two-night stay in a beautiful hotel in Switzerland. And when Jenny said she would love for her coffin to be joyful and decorated with crochet flowers, they all got to work and Amanda received 11,000 crochet flowers in the post from around the globe. In fact, there were so many parcels for Jenny they broke the royal mail depot as they couldn’t cope with the quantity for one address. But it meant in Jenny’s last hours Amanda and her would lie together and open the parcels and read the cards from everyone. And they knew how much they were loved.

Amanda continued with Little Box of Crochet and moved back to where she had gone to school in North Yorkshire to open a craft shop. This was intended as a complimentary business, however, she soon found it overwhelming and a lot more hard work than she had considered. Partly because for the first time she was available to the general public, her loyal customers and followers could visit, wishing to hug her. As Amanda said, their intentions were all very kind, it just became too much for her managing everyone else's grief. So, very quickly she decided to sell the shop and found new owners to take over.

It was only towards the end of the Covid period, did Amanda decide to make the next change and sell Little Box of Crochet. Despite it being at its height of success, she craved a simpler and smaller business. She no longer had the adrenaline rush that kept her going throughout Jenny’s illness and now wished for something smaller, with less stress. And she wanted to find someone that had the right energy and love to buy Little Box of Crochet. This desire was met and the business sold.

Despite knowing that this was absolutely the right decision to sell, she found it hard to let go. Even when deep down Amanda knew that wherever she went next, Jenny would follow her in spirit. Amanda has since created Cosy Life Box, the evolution of Little Box of Crochet that is a business without the stress, fewer overheads, more spontaneity, no defined schedule, and filled with beautiful British-made products to provide rituals for living, that is a delight to open; from receiving the suggested playlist to the candle you light or the letter writing paper. Each box contains her signature style craft project, only this time it could be sewing, knitting, or crocheting. While the products are different each month, Amanda’s vision is the same;

to encourage others to enjoy making and doing something they love as the antidote to life’s challenges to improve mental health. And, she wants to make Jenny proud of her.

Amanda now lives in a beautiful one-bedroom cottage with a charming garden that imbues peace and tranquility. When I questioned her about what was magical in her life at the moment, she said “This place!...and that I have created an attic studio with a staircase hidden in a wardrobe, so every time I go to work I feel like I am entering Narnia!”

I asked Amanda what advice she could offer others wishing to start something they love, and she said without hesitation;

“just do it and do it this week. Make a start, that's all that matters if you don't do that it won’t happen. It doesn't matter if it doesn't work. All that matters is you start and start anywhere”

I feel very honored to have met Amanda. She is such an inspiration and her words and experience, a reminder of how fragile life is….. And what is success? Amanda demonstrates that by having the courage to take the risk to do what you love you can go beyond the should-do’s to realize your brilliance. And, in the end, what really matters? That we live with all our hearts and love every moment and everyone we get to share the journey with.

Suppose you would like to discover Amanda’s beautiful boxes!
In that case, I recommend following her on instagram where you get a sneaky peek of her ‘box reveals’ with all the lovely things she has taken time to source and pack before they are available to buy. Or you can shop directly through her website at Cosy Life Box .

Are you looking to start that next project
and seek time and space to develop your ideas?

Or maybe you have a project but have lost your way?
Join me this June and October on my Coaching & Yoga retreats for women:

‘Explore Your Extra-Ordinary’
realign your creative potential to discover the meaningful work you love

It’s set in a magical ancient barn in the Massif Central, France, with a dining experience at 2 star Michelin restaurant, Maison Bras.