Beyond the Brand is a series of slow conversations with incredible people building things that matter. We talk about the quiet parts of the process—the shifts, the pauses, the choices that don’t always make it to Instagram. These are stories of shaping a life and a livelihood with care.
This month we’re excited to share our conversation with Funmi, co-founder, alongside her husband, Thomas, of Conscious Craft – a space where creativity, sustainability, and soulful parenting come together through thoughtful toys for play and making.
What inspired you to start your brand?
I was teaching Art Foundation when, after five hopeful but difficult years of trying, I discovered I was pregnant. Having experienced the difference it made to be fully present during my first child’s early years— I knew that that meant finding a way to work from home. Around the same time, my husband and I were searching for safe, sustainable art materials. We were surprised by how few options felt right — eco-friendly, non-toxic, and beautiful enough to inspire both children and adults. That gap sparked something.
We imagined a shop that offered the kinds of materials we longed for as parents and creatives — tools for making, for playing, for growing. It started with art supplies, and a year later, expanded to toys, after watching our children light up over their first Grimm’s puzzle. From the beginning, it’s been about quality, creativity, and care — and creating a space where childhood can unfold gently.
How has your brand evolved since its launch?
Our growth has been quiet and deliberate — shaped by our values, our family, and the rhythm of real life. What began as a handful of eco art materials has gradually become a carefully gathered collection of toys, crafts, and tools that nurture open-ended play and creativity. It’s been a real journey of learning and adapting. As the world has shifted—economically, culturally, environmentally—it’s sometimes felt incredibly challenging to stay true to our values, constantly discovering new ways forward. Yet through every change, we've tried to remain rooted in purpose and guided by our community.
What does slow business mean to you and how do you integrate it into your work?
To us, slow business means moving with intention. It’s about choosing depth over speed and making decisions that feel aligned — not just efficient. We only offer products we believe in deeply, rather than chasing trends or stocking what sells fast.
It also means honouring the relationships behind the scenes— the makers, the suppliers, our small team — and building relationships based on trust, respect, and shared purpose. At its heart, slow business is about creating something that feels good to stand behind. Something that nurtures the world, childhood, and the quiet magic of play.
Are there any specific tools, rituals, or daily habits that help you stay true to your business values?
In the early days, we worked from instinct, guided by what felt right. But over time, especially during slow seasons or moments of pressure, we realised we needed something to help steady us.
Working with Rebrandr helped us pause, reflect, and name what matters most. That process gave us a framework — a compass, really — to guide decisions, big or small.
Now, everything runs through that lens, helping us stay rooted even when the path feels uncertain.
How do you ensure your business stays aligned with your values?
For us, it’s about staying close — to our purpose, our community, to the why behind every choice. We pause often to ask: does this still feel right? Does it reflect what we believe in?
We talk things through as a team, make space for reflection, and recalibrate when needed. It’s not always perfect, but we lead with care — and that helps us stay on course.
How do you connect with your customers in a meaningful way?
We genuinely enjoy connecting with our customers — whether through a message, phone call, or a conversation in person. People often reach out for guidance or inspiration, and we welcome that. As a small team, there’s a personal thread running through everything we do.
Every Christmas, we carve out time for a local stall — even in the rush of our busiest season — because it’s one of the rare chances we get to meet our customers face to face. It reminds us why we started. We also love hearing how our products are used in real family life — those stories help shape what we offer.
What role does community play in your approach to business?
Community has always been at the heart of our work. We’re fortunate to live in a place where creativity, connection, and conscious parenting are deeply valued — surrounded by forest schools, home schoolers, Montessori and Waldorf educators. It’s shaped how we parent, and how we run our business.
The support, the shared ideas, the conversations — they remind us that we’re part of something bigger. It reminds us that we’re not just selling toys; we’re nurturing a way of life. Our community keeps us grounded and gives our work meaning. It’s a daily reminder that what we do matters, because it supports families choosing to live with care and intention.
How do you define success beyond profit?
For us, success isn’t measured in figures — it’s felt in the small, quiet ways. In a team that feels supported and proud of their work. In the joy of a child discovering a toy made with care. In knowing that we’re offering something meaningful to our community — something that supports creativity, connection, and conscious living.
If our work uplifts others, nurtures our team, and leaves the world a little better — even in a small way — that, to us, is success.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in growing a business at your own pace?
Growing slowly — and on our own terms — has meant doing things the long way. Without external funding, every step forward has relied on patience: saving, experimenting, learning through trial and error. From website updates to expanding our range, nothing has happened overnight. It’s a patient process, and not always easy.
Another challenge is holding firm to your values when the pressure to grow faster, cut corners, or follow trends creeps in. We’ve always chosen quality and care over quick wins - which can feel risky when the market is moving quickly around you. Balancing rising costs with staying accessible and sustainable is a constant dance. But we’ve learned that doing things with integrity may be slower, but it’s stronger in the end.
If you could go back and change one thing about how you started your business, what would it be?
If I could go back, I’d give myself permission to ask for help sooner whether that was advice, mentorship, or simply a bit more structure. In the early days, we did everything ourselves, guided by instinct and reacting as things came. That gave us freedom, but it also meant learning some lessons the hard way.
Still, those challenges shaped how we work today. So, while there are things I might have done differently with hindsight, I wouldn’t trade the thoughtful, grounded foundation we built. It’s part of what makes the business feel so real — and so ours.
What exciting projects or launches can we expect from your brand soon?
We’re always on the lookout for beautiful new brands — especially those not yet available in the UK — and we’ll be introducing these over the coming months. We’re also working with a few of our most loved partners to create exclusive pieces, which we’re excited to share.
Behind the scenes, we’re developing a Substack: — a space for seasonal ideas, playful inspiration, recipes, nature reflections — and a deeper connection with our community. It’s our way of offering something thoughtful, beyond the shop.
Where do you see the brand in five years?
In five years, we hope to grow — not just in reach, but in depth. We’d love to expand our offering, partner with more like-minded brands, and launch our own sustainable children’s art line.
We also plan to deepen the content we share — from seasonal crafts and nature-based learning to reflections on slow living and conscious play. Our hope is to keep growing with intention, so that the business continues to feel meaningful — both to us and to the families we serve.
What's one small change every business could make to be more mindful and responsible?
Start by pausing. Ask: Do we really need this?
Whether it’s packaging, a new product, or a marketing decision, that simple question creates space for more thoughtful, responsible choices.
We’re still working on this ourselves. Slowing down can feel counterintuitive when the to-do list is long. But making space to reflect — even briefly — helps us stay true to our purpose. And that, we’ve found, is always worth the effort.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start a conscious business?
Begin with your values — get really clear on what matters most -and let that be your guide.
It’s easy to be pulled in different directions (we certainly have been), especially when you’re trying to grow without losing sight of your purpose.
This year, though, I’ve felt a real shift. Working with a mentor helped us reconnect with our roots. That clarity — that framework — became an anchor. So my advice is this: be patient. Trust in the small, steady steps. Stay grounded in your truth. What you build may take time — but it will be real, and it will last.
Where do you see the future of conscious business heading, and how do you hope to contribute?
We believe the future of conscious business lies in depth over scale — in moving away from fast growth and surface-level sustainability, and towards works that’s rooted in care, transparency, and intention.
People are looking for more than just products — they want to feel a connection, and values they can recognise as their own.
Our hope is to keep contributing through a slow and thoughtful approach — supporting families, nurturing creativity and play, and offering products that are truly considered. More than anything, we want to show that business can be human, honest, and quietly impactful.
What is your connection with Rebrandr?
After 10 years of running the business, I was feeling overwhelmed. Things had started to drift, and we needed a way to reconnect with our purpose. I took Abi’s course through Rebrandr, and it was exactly what we needed — not something new, but a return to what we already knew deep down.
The course helped us create a framework that felt both practical and human. It offered tools, better systems, clearer time management, a firmer grasp of the numbers — but also space to reflect, re-centre, and remember why we started. Abi’s approach is accessible grounded and holistic. For me, it’s the modern, meaningful way of doing business — purposeful, kind, and real.
Head over to Conscious Craft to learn more about Funmi and Thomas’ inspiring approach to mindful living and browse a beautifully curated collection of toys, crafts and books designed to nurture curiosity and connection.