A devoted mum, primary school teacher, psychology graduate and wellness lover, Liz Charles pours her heart into crafting mindfulness tools to support children in expanding their wellbeing toolkit and developing positive rituals to navigate life’s challenges. She created Young, Wild and Mindful to uplift and empower kids, teens and young adults through bright, positive affirmation cards and journaling products that encourage them to embrace the present moment and practice self-love. With nature-inspired designs that radiate bright, happy vibes, Liz is dedicated to nurturing children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Young, Wild and Mindful, the pros and cons of running her own business, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I have always had an interest in mental health. I studied psychology first, however made the switch to primary school teaching and have now been teaching for 11 years! I absolutely love learning alongside children, helping them to grow and develop in a supportive way. The many children I’ve worked with over the years, as well as my own family’s history of mental health struggles and becoming a mum myself, have inspired me to create tools to improve children’s lives. I love creating mindfulness tools, mainly affirmations and journaling products, that nurture young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health. I want to help them cultivate a positive life, so they can live a life of self-love, and have the tools to navigate challenges that arise.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I started by creating our Positive Affirmation Cards for Kids, as they are a great overall tool to support children, filled with positive words that spark mindful conversations and foster beautiful moments of connection within families. They took almost a full year to create, as there was a lot of goodness to pack into them!
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My breakthrough has been just slowly getting my name/products out there and receiving amazing feedback from parents. It makes me keep going and strive to get my business out there more, in the hope that more children and families will benefit from the mindfulness tools that I create.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
My business is very much for passion and creative outlet; however, I really try to practise what I preach and remain present with my family. It takes me many, many months to circle from an idea all the way to the finished product, as I really take my time, working on it when I can in between teaching and mumming!
