After experiencing empowering, instinctive and deeply affirming births to her own babies, Emma O’Leary felt a desire to share her story. It was hypnobirthing that helped her feel calm, confident and in control, and she knew other women deserved to feel the same. Combining her passion with professional training, she launched Olibella Hypnobirthing (a name lovingly inspired by her children, Oliver and Isabella) while still on maternity leave. Now balancing motherhood, a part-time day job and the early stages of business ownership, she’s on a mission to spread the word about mindful, informed birth. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about what inspired her to start her business, the challenges she has overcome along the way, and her hopes for creating a supportive, empowering space for families preparing to welcome their babies.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
After having my babies, all I wanted to do was tell everyone how amazing giving birth was! I wanted to shout about how incredibly empowering the experience was, how I felt in control yet able to surrender to my body’s instincts! It was hypnobirthing that made that happen and I realised I needed to show other women how they could feel like this too! My children are my biggest inspiration – they are the reason I discovered hypnobirthing. In fact, my business name “Olibella” is a combination of their names, Oliver and Isabella.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I trained with a company called Love Your Birth Training while I was still on maternity leave. The advice was to start before you were ready, get your social media set up, start talking to people, share the knowledge and get your name known. It felt scary putting myself out there. I felt like an imposter! But the more I shared, the more I relaxed, and I was enjoying sharing this incredible advice with more people.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My business is still in its early stages. Currently, I am concentrating on brand development, increasing followers, and establishing relationships and trust. The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to be clear on who you are speaking to and speak from the heart – people buy into YOU, not what you are selling!
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It’s hard, especially because I still have my ‘day job’ 3 days a week and I want to be present for my children. I spend my evenings after they have gone to bed working on my marketing and visibility. At weekends when my husband isn’t working, I am usually out at events or maternity circles talking to women about the incredible benefits of hypnobirthing. I know I am making sacrifices now, but in the long term I know they will be worth it!
