In the best company

Nic Sowden (left) and Rachel Hirst (right) are the women behind event series In Good Company, which launched in Sheffield in June 2021.

Rachel Hirst and Nic Sowden are the creative minds behind the Sheffield event series In Good Company, which aims to connect the women of the city through immersive and meaningful social evenings. Since launching their original concept in June 2021, Rach and Nic have hosted numerous soul-stirring events, attracting an amazing cohort of Sheffield women that continues to evolve.

Having attended a number of the events myself, I can attest to the incredible energy that emanates from inside the high ceilinged hall of IGC’s chosen venue, The Mowbray, as one approaches its impressive glass doors. Once inside and mingling with the creative, stylish and industrious women that these events attract, any sense of self-consciousness or trepidation is quickly dispelled. These women are impressive, yes, but they are also welcoming, down-to-earth and - quite simply - lovely.

This positive atmosphere is in no small part down to hosts Nic and Rach, whose backgrounds in art direction and copywriting respectively have made them a powerhouse team, capable of creating something that is not only aesthetically beautiful but is also experientially valuable. I caught up with the two best pals recently when they popped in for a mini shoot, to ask about their inspirations and ambitions for the future.

You’ve created something really special with IGC and you must be incredibly proud. What have you found most surprising and/or gratifying about its success? 

Thank you for your kind words. Not completely surprising (because we had a hunch there would be an appetite for this), but definitely most gratifying is the huge response we've had and the incredibly inspiring, diverse and lovely community we have built. For that, we are immensely proud and thankful to everyone who attends our events, interacts with us on social media, and spreads the word. 

You’re both women who work in the creative industries. How do you find navigating that world as women and what advice would you give to others wanting to make headway?

There's no denying it's an industry dominated by males, but being a woman in these creative spaces is definitely a superpower - it allows us to look at things from a different perspective and bring fresh, relatable ideas to the table. We both feel very strongly about making sure we're visible for younger women to see two passionate 35+ women working hard and still in love with our careers. 

Around the same time you launched IGC, you both went freelance (I think?!). You need to have a good amount of self-belief and confidence to this. Do you find that confidence arises easily or is it something you continually have to work on? 

We'd both say that confidence and self-belief don't come easily and freely every day, but it does grow. We draw upon the many years of experience we both have in our professions, and we're each other's cheerleaders for those moments of self-doubt. 

Lots of women of our generation feel a pressure to be on top of things in all areas of our lives, all at once. As freelance creatives who are also running this event series, how do you manage to balance your time and maintain your mental health and general wellbeing? 

We're really thankful to have created The In Good together as best friends, and it's because of that connection we certainly prioritise each other's (and our own) wellbeing and mental health. We love running The In Good, so it is always a pleasure to work on, but when life does get busy, challenging, or just too much for one of us, the other is right there, ready to pick up where we need to and keep plates spinning. 

Finally, what are your future ambitions for In Good Company? 

This is a hard one to answer because I think we could speak all day about what we'd dream of for The In Good. Our main aim for now, though, is to keep growing the community, creating spaces for more meaningful connections to be made, spotlighting Sheffield talent and providing events that light women up. It's an absolute privilege for us to be at the heart of this brand, and while it means so much to so many women, we will continue to work hard on it. 

To find out more about In Good Company and to book onto their next event on 8th November visit www.theingood.co.uk or give them a follow @theingood

Introducing Fern River Studio

Welcome to Fern River Studio - I’m so excited to welcome you to my new website and tell you a little more about me and what I do.

Where it all began

I started Fern River Studio during my maternity leave from my other business, Department Two, a creative content studio I run alongside my husband, Arran. We’re based in Aberdeen Court just off Division Street, next to Steam Yard coffee shop. From our studio we develop concepts and produce photo and video shoots for brands in a range of industries, from fashion, lifestyle and interiors through to manufacturing and more. While our base is Sheffield, a lot of our shoots take place around the UK and beyond.

My journey to Fern River Studio

Like many women I worked right up until my baby was born. Other than a few adjustments (i.e. replacing the office chair for a birthing ball and taking plenty of breaks) I was able to do pretty much everything, including travelling to meet clients and work on long shoots.

All that changed when River was born.

While I had planned on taking some time off, I wasn’t as prepared for the huge shift in how much work I could do - or indeed where I could physically get to - while also looking after my small child. With childcare being so expensive and me not wanting to spend too much time away from my little one, I soon realised that I didn't want to be be working long days in far flung places. For the time being at least, I wanted to base most of my work in Sheffield.

Not only this, but having experienced the incredible journey of pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood, I realised how lucky I was to have the tools and skills at my disposal to capture each precious moment. These days we all have access to cameras on our smart phones and while the images we take are of a decent quality, there’s nothing like a beautifully lit, artistically captured photograph taken by a pro. I’m lucky to have a library of wonderful high quality, artistic photographs of myself and River, taken by me and Arran over the past year or so. I wanted to give other families an opportunity to have their own memories captured in this way, too.

And so, aptly combining mine and my daughter’s name, Fern River Studio was born. We’re based in the same studio space as Department Two - which means all of the tools and resources are right at my fingertips!

A safe, confidence boosting space for women

While Fern River Studio is open to anyone, I specifically wanted to create a safe and calm space for women. Experiencing my own changing body throughout and after pregnancy made me realise how amazing and strong women’s bodies really are. This is something I want to help women see and feel in themselves through my photography, whether they’re pregnant, postpartum or simply want to celebrate their body and the various journeys it has taken through life.

In a world that often bombards us with unrealistic beauty standards, I believe that every woman deserves to feel confident, beautiful, and valued. Through my work, I hope to help women embrace their bodies, celebrate their unique journeys, and enhance their self-esteem. My portrait shoots aren’t about objectification or being desirable to others. They’re about celebrating your beauty as it exists in this moment, right now. My hope is that you will find the session itself to be an invigorating, transformative experience, before you even see how beautiful you are in the final images.

Get involved!

So whether you’d like to drop by for a portrait session, book a baby shoot or even have some product shots taken for your small brand, I’d love to hear from you. I’m always happy to meet up for a coffee and a chat to discuss your needs (though be warned - River may be in tow!).

Drop me a DM on insta or email me at fern@fernriverstudio.com