Business Foundations for Mums

This is the show for you if you are a Mum either in the early stages of business, wanting to turn a sideline into a full time business, or dreaming of having your own business but not really sure where to start. Through joining myself and my guests as we talk all things business and motherhood, we will discuss the challenges, inspiration, recommendations, along with practical and mindset episodes.

061 Making Self Care Easy for Busy Mums with Emma Benyon 10/15/2024

061 Making Self Care Easy for Busy Mums with Emma Benyon Today’s episode is an interview with Emma Benyon. Emma is a self-care and motherhood coach and educator, supporting busy mums who are juggling the school run with a job and building a business with the tools to be less overwhelmed and have more balance, energy and clarity. Emma is mum to a six year old and a qualified NLP, mBIT and Practical Magic Coach and full time post 16 educator. She is the editor of Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums and host of the Self Care and Motherhood Edit podcast. Her passion is to support busy mums to have more time and energy for the all the things they enjoy and to have the tools to support and nurture themselves. I spoke to Emma about some of the challenges that she has faced juggling business and Motherhood, and she shared some insights with me as to how she has worked through these challenges. And of course some book recommendations (see list below). Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Emma talks about ease (helping Mums to find time in a simple easy way). Lessons learned from hitting burnout multiple times Self-care, non-negotiables, but also being able to pick self-care habits back up if they haven't gone to plan one day Making self-care easy and to fit into your life, rather than trying to force it. Find the small moments Journalling, and finding a way it works for you The gym The example we set for our children The quiet time of early morning. Having time to yourself for self-care Our environment is part of our self-care. Being in a space that works for you Showing up in a way that is authentic to ourselves. The best version of you How good self-care allows you to manage situations that may get thrown at you Self-care as a fundamental part of making changes in life Exploring self-care practices… What does and doesn't work, and what we need at that time. Sitting in a coaching business with a full-time job, family life, and one sense of care Reaching burnout, and designating specific time to make it simpler Making coaching more accessible through small pockets of time and messages. How a business became a "Space for me ", a creative outlet and a self-care practice Business has a sense of self, to help with postnatal depression. Stay in your own lane. You never know what is happening behind closed doors of someone else's business. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/33468162

060 A Business Plan 08/21/2024

059 Taking Responsibility for your own journey and income, with Sarah McCalden 08/13/2024

059 Taking Responsibility for your own journey and income, with Sarah McCalden Today’s episode is an interview with Sarah McCalden. Sarah is a dedicated financial wellness and personal growth expert known for her achievement, strength, passion, and expertise. Award-winning and an international best-selling author, she has trained with industry leaders like Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, and Kendall Summerhawk to master her skills in helping people achieve financial success and personal fulfillment. Sarah's journey is a testament to her resilience. After overcoming a life-threatening drug addiction in her twenties, she turned her life around embracing motherhood and fitness, running marathons and ultramarathons. In 2018, she started her own business, achieving a six-figure income and making a real difference in the lives of women (and some men) by helping them take control of their finances and transform their relationship with money. And of course Sarah gave us some book recommendations. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Sarah's desire to home educate after seeing a lot that she didn't like in the education system. A lack of information about how best to manage the money that she was earning led to Sarah starting her own Money School. The difference between home schooling and home education. Education through play. Learning a different mindset and way of thinking about earning, money and wealth, through a network marketing business Shifting your mindset by taking more responsibility for your own journey and income. Seeking out and saying yes to opportunities. Low self esteem and low self worth following a long period of drug addiction. The journey forward - taking responsibility - being meant for more. Knowing your own comfort zone, pushing this slightly, taking tiny steps regularly to make massive change. Being put on the spot to speak at an international event. A small but very powerful moment of realising that others took inspiration from her story. Human design and being an introvert. Enjoying being around people and connection. But the need for time alone. Choosing the right opportunities rather than those that you feel that you "should" take. What other people think of you is none of your business. Looking back at times when fear, and what others think, has stopped her. Telegram as a good coaching and community tool. Zoom for video calls, group meetings, webinars. Networking - meeting each other through online networking. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/32544862

058 Surviving the Summer Holidays 08/06/2024

057 Giving back through Charity for other families with Disabilities with Danielle Gibbs 07/29/2024

056 Imposter Syndrome 07/09/2024

055 Taking Leadership of her own life with Hannah Keys 07/02/2024

054 Confidence Blocks that Mums in Business face 06/27/2024

053 Returning to her Creative Roots with Kat Wilmore 06/11/2024

052 Instagram Algorithm Updates 05/28/2024

051 Using photography to show your authenticity with Hannah Martinig 05/21/2024

051 Using photography to show your authenticity with Hannah Martinig Today’s episode is an interview with Hannah Martinig. Hannah is an Empowerment and Personal Branding Photographer based in Aylesbury. She left the corporate world in 2019 to focus on her Photography Business full time. Hannah specialises in Body Confidence, Female Empowerment and Personal Branding. Her father was a photographer and she had always taken an interest in it from a distance and appreciated the skill involved. However, it wasn't until she got her first DSLR camera for Christmas in 2010, from her husband, that she realised her real passion for it. Hannah's focus is on the client; to give you a relaxed, positive and empowering experience and to create images to treasure long after the moment has passed. Hannah want to help you promote your business' biggest asset; YOU! And make you stand out from the crowd. And want to show the world the version of you that she sees when she looks through her lens and she want you to see that person smiling back at you in the mirror. Away from the camera, Hannah loves all things vintage and retro; She is a fan of Country music and an avid bookworm. She owns far too many pairs of Irregular Choice shoes and likes tea in a pretty cup from a teapot! I spoke to Hannah about some of the challenges that she has faced running business, and she shared some insights with me around the body confidence issues that she is passionate about helping Women to overcome. And of course some book recommendations. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Working from home with pets and children How photography which started out as a hobby, developed into a passion and then a Business. How fear of developing photography into a business disguised itself as a desire to keep it simply as a hobby, and particularly a fear that it would feel like a chore if it was something that had to be done every day. The realisation that body image issues come from external expectations and sources, and that photography could have a place in helping women with this issue. Hannah‘s photography focuses on creating positive and beautiful images of women as they are without manipulating or airbrushing the photographs. The female body in particular tells a story of our lives and children. Embracing our imperfections Hannah was inspired to take her business full-time, but immediately after she did so we were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hannah embraced the time became available to her as a result of the pandemic, to decide upon a focus, and to set her values and aims for her business. This also gave Hannah the opportunity to continue to work with businesses and realise that her skills of showing authenticity through the camera also had a place for business owners, who wanted show their authentic selves in their business... to show their personality and how they are relatable through photos. The importance of "People buy from people" and "know, like and trust" in branding photos. Photos as the attention grabbing element of social media. Hannah talked about the importance of the person who a customer sees in the image must be the same person who they then meet. Outdated or formal photos may not be an image of person that you are in reality. You know that you are following your passion when you know that you would still get out of bed every day and do it, and still enjoy it, even if your weren't getting paid. Being perfectly imperfect. How scars can be part of our story. We are all unique and special. How it is now the normality within society to want to change ourselves. How we compare ourselves to the models who wear the clothes we life. We are always comparing and measuring ourselves to others, in image, business, lifestyle. We don't always know what others may have experienced to get there. But also how many of the images that we see of others (or ourselves) may have been manipulated, so we are actually comparing ourselves to something that is not reality. Whilst it is personal choice whether to have surgery or lip fillers, botox etc, there should not be a societal expectation that we SHOULD do that. Our bodies are amazing for growing babies, and this should be celebrated. Everyone to some extent can be body conscious. How we feel about ourselves is fluid and fluctuates. Women are sometimes told that we shouldn't "let ourselves go". But actually should we BE "letting ourselves go" - not caring about expectations from society and what others think about us. These comparisons are also part of what held Hannah back from starting her business. Fear of what others think. There will always be parts of business that you don't enjoy, but as your business grows you can outsource the parts that you don't enjoy. Fear and excitement are the same emotion, so if you can flip the way that you are talking to yourself about your fears and make them into something exciting. The fear around not having a regular monthly wage... but again flipping this to realise that you could actually end up making so much more money than you did when employed. You can choose your own clients. It is OK to say to clients that you do not want to work with clients if they are not the right fit for you. Being a role model to your children. Hoping that your values rub off on your children. Hannah talked about her daughter being her own person, and not caring what others think, and that hopefully that will not change as she gets further into the teenage years. Hannah has a visual content club. This allows members to spread the cost and the images over a year, with regularly updated photos to use in their content. Life is too short to not do what you love. You never now when your time is up or it might be too late. Authenticity - be yourself - you will attract the kind of people you want to work with. Business and life can overlap and are part of each other. For Mums in business, our children and family are often involved in our businesses or are the "why" behind the business. For Hannah, it is not just finding our about what you do, but also WHY you do it, and different again... WHY did you keep going - because our reason "Why" can change over time. Whilst Hannah loves Canva, I asked her to chose another tool today. And that was to use a good CRM. The one that Hannah uses is Studio Ninja which is specifically for Photographers and those involved in events and creative industries. A good CRM will manage your appointments, contacts, workflows, contracts. We talked about Mel Robbins as an author and podcaster - Hannah described her as a little life coach in your pocket. How relatable she is. How she talks about her struggles. Steven Bartlett as a role model - He has good stories, and great knowledge. A preference for an audiobook read by the author themselves Glennon Doyle book - Untamed - a book full of ah-ha moments. "Who was I before I became who the world told me to be" How something can be simple or obvious, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy. Networking works to grow your business, audience, but also to meet other like-minded people and others who can support your business in a variety of ways. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/31397452

050 Balancing Business & Motherhood 05/14/2024

049 Forming Real Connections with Real people, with Dr Jemma Andrew-Adiamah 05/07/2024

049 Forming Real Connections with Real people, with Dr Jemma Andrew-Adiamah Today’s episode is an interview with Dr Jemma Andrew-Adiamah. Jemma is a Holistic Empowerment Coach and Mentor for mums helping them to shift out of survival mode to crystal clear clarity, confidence, and fulfilment, so they can rediscover their purpose and identity beyond motherhood in a way that’s on their terms. And of course some book recommendations. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Twin parent life - gruelling, overwhelming but so much beauty and magic. Gratitude for having her own business when the twins arrived, allowing Jemma to wind up and down according to her families needs. Having to rebuild the business after having twins. How her business has saved her sanity and allowed her to be the multi-faceted human being that she is. Jemma talked about her journey from blogger to holistic wellbeing, to then wanting to connect more deeply with her audience, so training as a coach and setting up her coaching business. Being grateful to have something for herself that is totally detached from Motherhood. Jemma built her business by working early in the morning, late at night, or snatching moments during nap times. How much of a privilege it is to do something that you love and not be tied by the constraints of reality, and the need to bring in a wage. Jemma talks about being empowered by her clients, just as much as it is her job to empower them. Being in Business allows you to find a group of like-minded people who “just get it”. Networking as a place to connect, encourage, support and celebrate each other. The importance of being seen, heard and validated by people who understand your experiences. Jemma talks about starting her blog as a hobby and creative outlet when she was studying for her PhD, as a way to connect with others on a similar journey to having a healthier relationship with food. Through her blog, Jemma started her journey into exploring holistic well-being, not just focusing on the food on your plate and how much you move, but also how you feel and think about yourself, your mindset, how intentional you are with your energy & priorities. Jemma talks about the challenges of juggling a full-time job, a commute to work, her husband who works very long hours, and trying to figure out the best option for childcare, all coming together which prompted her to go all in on making her blog full-time career. The rise of the influencer and how this impacted on the blogging world. Jemma said that she set up her local networking group for Women for selfish reasons, after 2 communities that she gained support from closed down. Jemma was keen that her women’s networking group should be a place for honest conversations, real connections with real people, rather than the corporate elevator pictures and salesy, Shmoozy networking that cause fear for introverts. - Whilst the Facebook group is a really important place to reinforce the connections that are made, the real connections are made when women meet face-to-face. The importance of getting to know people, and the know, like and trust factor that then means that you want to recommend them to your friends, family and contacts. Jemma I talked about the fear that many people feel about going networking, and the perception that it will all be very corporate and formal. The different feel and dynamic of women only networking which is often more friendly, supportive open and nurturing than male dominated networking, and often is more focused on the connection. Imposter Syndrome - how we all feel it at times. Feeling like a fraud or not good enough. Jemma sees it as coming from always wanted to be our best, and talks about turning away from how her business “should” be according to the cookie-cutter approach, and doing things her own way, using an intuitive approach Turning away from the expectation of being an overnight success story, or having a six figure business. Working towards your own definition of success. Success as a subjective and personal concept. How the concept of success shifts when you become a mum. For Jemma success which allows balance and flexibility for her family and allows her to contribute to the family income. To live the lifestyle as a family, creating memories on days out. When we see successful six or seven figure entrepreneurs, we do not know what circumstances and resources they have which have allowed them to get to that place in their business. It is easy to compare our businesses but we do not all have the same childcare availability, family support, household income, and we do not always see the years of work that may have gone in to the Business behind-the-scenes before that level of financial success has happened. Jemma loves using Canva to bring some fun and creativity to her business. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/31173627

048 What kind of Business could work for you? 04/30/2024

048 What kind of Business could work for you? In today's episode Kate talks about the different styles of business and what could work for you. This episode is for Mums who know that they want to start their own business, but are unsure of what business would be best suited to them, or how their skills could be turned into a business. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Traditional business models can include e-commerce (selling something online), service based businesses, bricks and mortar businesses, such as a shop, a food outlet, a salon, or studio. These can include a room in your own home, or garden studio, where clients can come. Mobile food businesses are also very popular at the moment, as well as pop-ups and concessionary stands and stalls within other food outlets. Product based businesses, where you make, up-cycle, re-purpose or buy and sell items can also be a fantastic way to do business. Personalised items can work well - whether that be items that you make and personalise or buy in items to personalise. Art can be created and sold in traditional sales methods or online. As a Mum, items that are child or Mother related can be helpful. Maybe even something that solves a problem and that you couldn’t find in your role as a Mum. Multi-level marketing can be a good way of getting into business, learning, and potentially getting some sales experience with a team behind you. Be cautious as there are some MLM’s with questionable practices, and this is not the right route for everyone but if you find a product that you love it can be a good starting point or additional stream of income. Another option is online/Digital products. E-books, PDF downloads, Workbooks, courses, memberships. (With the exception of memberships) these products are passive income to some degree. Freelancing/consulting in a corporate area that you are skilled and experienced in can also be an option. You have control over your hours and who you work for. Other “passive income” streams include affiliate marketing, rental income, royalties, books. Be cautious of “passive income”. No income is 100% passive. There will always be Marketing that needs to be done, decisions that need to be made, or follow-up work that is needed, but some streams of income are certainly more passive than others. Whatever business you decide upon, you need to factor in the space that you will need for stock, automations and systems that you need to put in place to streamline, especially if you have multiple streams of income that all need to be managed. Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/30999218

047 Living Life by Design with Lolly Williams-Gibbs 04/23/2024

047 Living Life by Design with Lolly Williams-Gibbs Today’s episode is an interview with Lolly Williams-Gibbs. Lolly is a Life Design Coach and conscious parenting mentor. She empowers Mums, particularly SEND mums and those with chronic illnesses, who have lost their self esteem and self identity, like she had. Teaching them to live life by their design and create the life they truly desire, with a bit of conscious parenting and behaviour support thrown in. After all, once we've learnt how to live our best lives, isn't that what we all want for children? If we can teach them, the tools and new positive beliefs in their childhood that they can embed and use naturally into their adulthood, we may, just may end up with the next generation not in such a mental health crisis! And of course some book recommendations (see list below). Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: The importance of teaching your children the same tools that your learn about living life by design. Being a parent carer. Designing your life around you health, your family. Planning as a family. Planning sessions, and communicating regularly. Prioritising time for this. Playing to the strengths of each partner, and learning from each other. Embedding small habits to get the foundations for life and business in place. Body Doubling for ADHD. Using screen time when needed to allow you to get things done as Mum. Fibromyalgia and how this has forced Lolly to re-assess & prioritise self-care. How being diagnosed with ADHD, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety affected her. Self awareness - listening to your system and body rather than being stuck in masculine hustle. How a business evolved from offering advice after leaving a job in teaching. Helping Mums who feel lost without having to niche her business as she was being told by the experts. Incorporating Life by Design into her every day life Leaving a narcissistic relationship and finding herself again. Ignore everyone else's advice and follow your own path. Morning Success Ritual. How this sets Lolly up for the day. Not looking at your phone until you have finished your morning ritual. How to avoid being sucked in by notifications on social media. How allocating days to "be mum" is beneficial. The importance of mental health awareness in the educational system Listening to what your body needs and taking action to help Weekly planning sessions as parents The impact of a morning routine on mindset for the day ahead Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here. /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/30939253

046 The Importance of a Mailing List 04/16/2024

045 Creating support networks within and around your business with Amanda Heritage 03/26/2024

045 Creating support networks within and around your business with Amanda Heritage Today’s episode is an interview with Amanda Heritage. Amanda works with her Clients to contribute to the delivery of their brand objectives and business strategy, by delivering creative, engaging and memorable messaging for their brands that drive engagement and sales growth, and ultimately to #makeyourbrandworkharder. She has worked in marketing for 23 years, the last 5 running her own digital marketing company. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: Amanda helps businesses to find digital solutions to work their brands harder, using her background in retail marketing. Amanda started her digital marketing business after learning about LinkedIn through some training, and then developing her own personal use of digital platforms. Amanda is Mum to a 17 year old and is loving sharing her knowledge with her son who now studies business. Working in the corporate world Amanda always felt the guilt of both being present for the important times in her son’s life and education, and now loves the flexibility she has of being involved whilst running her own business. The importance of an amazing support network. - Amanda talked about her use of LinkedIn for clients, understanding her clients target audience and making sure that they are present on those platforms. How LinkedIn has evolved since Covid, where people have become more engaged and used it as a platform to be more honest about how they were feeling. And use of the platform as a networking tool. Evidencing what you deliver to clients by doing it for yourself too. Amanda had a burning desire to start a business but was not brave enough to take the leap for a couple of years and was worried about giving up her corporate salary. But lost her partners Mum, who was a huge support within the family. The commute and managing remote teams became a problem, pushing Amanda into a job that she didn’t enjoy. Whilst times aren’t always easy in Business, Amanda said that she has never looked back. She wanted this business so much that she made it happen and made it a success, for her family and herself. Meeting people at networking as Amanda and I did. Some networking isn’t for you, whilst others are full of people you click with and who are in the same boat. And friendships with others who are in a similar position, who become a support network within your business. Creating a network of people whose skills you can utilise, share and connect with. You can grow relationships, and once your network know you, they will recommend you and connect you with other business connections who can benefit your business. Try to maximise the fact that you are running your own business. You are in control of your diary, so make sure that you do things for you… work the hours that work for you, book a hairdressers appointment in the week, and choose if you will work the weekend, build in time for self care. You don’t need to be tied to your desk or work to someone else’s working hours. Learn how to use a scheduling tool for social media. Scheduling in bulk can save a lot of time. You can do it from your phone when you have pockets of time. Meta, and LinkedIn allow you to schedule content. Amanda gave her book recommendations, and talked about why she loves books and podcasts by Steven Bartlett. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/30544053

044 Early morning starts 03/19/2024

043 A mindset shift after surviving cancer with Sharon Goodway 03/12/2024

043 A mindset shift after surviving cancer with Sharon Goodway Today’s episode is an interview with Sharon Goodway. Sharon is the owner of Nails by Sharon Gabrielle, a salon that offers Manicures and Pedicures in a private intimate salon. Her main passions are Nail Art (especially anything Disney related) and helping Nail biters kick the habit with my Well Being Package. Through her love of nail art she also designs Luxury Press on Nails on her Etsy page, for those wanting fabulous nails short term. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode: A diagnosis of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma made Sharon realise that there is more to life than being stuck in a job that you don't enjoy. Being an inspiration to your children. Being able to work within school hours, to be there for your children. Not needing to ask anyone else for time off. Shifting from a corporate role, to fulfil a more creative passion. The accomplishment of being your own boss, and being a role model for your kids. A shift in mindset after cancer treatment - if I can survive cancer, I can do anything. Priorities - changing the mindset of clients to help them to see that a manicure is affordable, if you are willing to give up some other small items. Overcoming the fear of talking to clients, by finding common ground, and then meeting people who you wouldn't meet otherwise. Adjusting lifestyle, and the children also adjusting their expectations, whilst getting the business up and running. The investment necessary to start a nail business. Calculating your break even point, your profit, and the uncertainty of income, and taking time off. Pricing for your own circumstances and costs, rather than picking a figure based on what others charge. Factoring in your time in your pricing. Fear of not being liked. People buy from people who they know, like and trust. Fear of failing - what if it doesn't always work. Learning to use systems and take the help that is offered. Only so many hours in the day, especially as a mum. Mum guilt when working on your business can be really hard. Both the guilt when you spend time on your business, and not with your family, but also the guilt when you spend time with your family and not on your business. Keeping on top of social media and the challenges that this brings. Working on your wording, your images, and the amount of time that it takes. The ideal client - your avatar - what messaging attracts them. Thinking outside the box - Nails for nail-biters Stay in your own lane. Don't worry about others who do things differently, charge more or less than you, have more followers. Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books . /episode/index/show/c48d003c-7a5b-474f-96fa-172512e104fc/id/30330648