S4 E10: The career setbacks that led to success & campaigning for mums with Grace Carter of Business & Babies

TRIGGER WARNING: Baby loss, depression and suicidal ideation

Grace Carter didn’t tell any of her clients when she had her first baby, a year into her business. And no wonder. Working in a male dominated industry, when Grace announced her second pregnancy, she lost £15k in recurring monthly revenue almost overnight.

Motherhood and running a business took their toll on Grace’s mental health. But instead of becoming smaller in her struggles, Grace took up space. She started talking about her experiences on LinkedIn - not the usual place for personal, mental health sharing. Grace saw how little support there is for women and mothers who are business owners - the law is set to protect male entrepreneurs, go figure. So she set up Business & Babies, who are campaigning for structural change to protect our interests and businesses. 

I’m an ambassador for B&B because I love what they are doing. We need more Grace’s in this world and on LinkedIn. 

Resources mentioned

Hyer Culture100 Award: https://www.hyer.co/feature-c100-awards

Takeaways

• Motherhood and business are intrinsically linked in Grace’s journey

• Working in a male dominated industry made Grace feel unable to tell clients that she’d had a baby, and lost revenue overnight when she announced her second pregnancy

• The toll of the balance of motherhood and business ownership on Grace’s mental health

• Everything is a chapter in life

• You never know how close to success you are

• Running a business in a compassionate way, how it ‘could’ be rather than how it ‘should’ be 

• Advocating for women and mothers in business

• The appearance of success v the feeling of it

• Grace’s reality or workaholism and the cost to her overall wellbeing

• Social media and the balance between anxiety and narcissism 

• Grace’s link between business success and her ADHD

• Where Grace finds joy

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Grace Carter and Her Ventures
03:02 Navigating Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
05:55 The Challenges of Childcare and Support
08:47 The Birth of Business and Babies
12:07 Mental Health Struggles and Business Pressures
15:03 The Impact of Motherhood on Business
17:47 Finding Purpose Amidst Challenges
20:50 Stubbornness and Determination in Business
24:07 Creating a Supportive Work Culture
27:12 Advocating for Women in Business
30:14 The Dark Side of Growth on Social Media
35:14 Resilience in the Face of Economic Challenges
46:39 Finding Joy Amidst the Chaos of Work and Motherhood

Links:

Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Grace Carter

Grace Carter is the visionary founder and managing director of The Metamorphose Group, a business collective that embodies Grace’s dedication to creativity, craftsmanship, and empowering women. After owning her skills as a journalist, Grace founded Aphra in 2017, a brand and campaign agency named after Aphra Benn, the first British female playwright to make a living by her pen.

With a dedicated team of talented professionals, Aphra has flourished under Grace's leadership, forging impactful partnerships with leading organisations. Grace's entrepreneurial drive extends far beyond Aphra. She established The Metamorphose Group to serve as the umbrella for multiple entrepreneurial brands that resonate with her core values of mental health, social equity, and entrepreneurship. These include ventures such as Consistently AI and AI-driven software solutions, and Business and Babies, which supports entrepreneurial mothers and the female body, advocating for women's health and wellness. Grace is also the founder of the Fast Female Fund dedicated to accelerating female motorsport through funding and mentorship. 

To highlight Business and Babies, which is how I first came across Grace and I'm proud to be an ambassador for, Grace wants to change the law. After discovering herself at the very start of her mothering journey and receiving four key business emails that needed her attention during her C-section, Grace wants to change the law, which has been written for male entrepreneurs. And while all the large corporations, banks and governments are talking about the need to create investment pots for women to create better gender equity and entrepreneurship. No one is talking about the infrastructure also needed for these women to thrive.

Business and Babies held their first summit on 21st November 2024. And Grace is a mother to two little girls.

Grace Carter’s Links:

Website(The Metamorphose Group): https://metamorphosegroup.co.uk/
Website (Aphra): https://www.weareaphra.co.uk/
Website (Business and Babies): https://www.businessandbabies.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-carter-metamorphose-group/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessandbabies.hq/