With that in mind I’m conscious of how much work I take on – sometimes I get it wrong but mostly I’m aware of when I need to ramp up or when I need to scale back. It also helps to do something you love to do and it’s so important to know your reason why you show up to work each day because that joy and energy ripples into other areas of your personal life and then you have this beautiful flow of energy between your work and life.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Trying to juggle being a single parent with setting up a new business was really hard; I had to learn how to ask for help and let go of the expectation and responsibility I placed on myself that I had to be all of the things all at once.
It also meant I had to be organised and disciplined with my time management (there were a lot of late nights getting things done) and focused on the big picture.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Pros – You can consciously create whatever experience you want to have – you have complete control over who you work with, when you work, how much money you earn and what kind of work you do! The flexibility and freedom to be able to spend time with my son and take days off when I need them is invaluable to us.
Cons – When it was just me, I missed the community of a workplace: making friends with women who were in the same boat as me and co-working together helped a lot but it can still get lonely.
Also switching off when you work from home is sometimes challenging because it’s too easy to pop into the office and just do one more thing. I have a designated area in my home that’s setup as my office so I try to honour my boundaries; when the day is done I close the computer, close the door and that’s that.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I really want to support women and help them to reach their full potential through the work that they do. In the immediate future, I hope to provide scholarships or support to underprivileged women launching or growing a business.
But in the long-term, who knows? I’m open to all things happening. I would love to see MĀHA become a certified BCorporation as that completely aligns with my vision to curate businesses that balance purpose and profit.
I also see us employing a diverse community of talented and skilled women: coloured, indigenous, single mums and SAHMs that the traditional “9 to 5 Monday to Friday” business models don’t or won’t support.
Visit the MĀHA Creative website to find out more about the support and services they offer. You can also join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
