Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
As a former workaholic, work/life balance has always been something I’ve struggled with. For me, motherhood has been the ultimate lesson in slowing down, staying present and being flexible.
While I still have a detailed calendar and love of lists, these days I’m lucky to do 1 in 10 things when they’re actually scheduled. Between teething, sleepless nights, unreliable nap-math and constant day-care plagues, I am never doing what I thought I would be doing on any given day.
In the last year of running The Mylk Society, not a single thing has gone to plan or happened on schedule. And I’ve learnt that that is not only ok, but presents an opportunity to think about how else things can be done. Being open to new ideas and focusing on how to solve problems instead of how to prevent them has not only made me a better business owner but a better person.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Shortly after re-opening The Mylk Society, we hit a huge issue with our overseas manufacturer. I was trying to place a large order for a new mini-collection in time to arrive for the Christmas season – but the manufacturer had shared some of the designs with a competitor who had managed to bring it out before us!
It was a mad scramble to rework the designs, wait for new samples, place a very expensive order with a very tight deadline, organise a new photoshoot, rework the promotional plan – and then cross our fingers it would all arrive in time to launch it.
In the end, the new collection did arrive in time, and I established much firmer boundaries with the supplier. But I felt rushed to make design choices I wasn’t entirely happy with and didn’t have time to test properly, and one of the pieces turned out to be a pretty big flop.
While the whole experience was pretty horrible, the biggest lesson of all was learning to balance fast decisions with smart ones, and I am now much more confident in my choices and leadership.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I love the flexibility of working for myself and being able to shape the vision and culture of the brand. It feels amazing to support other breastfeeding mums and know that I’m solving a problem and helping them feel great too.
But the flip side of that is being solely responsible for every decision and timeframe. Sometimes it’s hard to switch off when the to-do list and ideas never end.
Running a small business is a constant rollercoaster, but one that I’d always choose to ride again.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My dream is for The Mylk Society to act as a platform to support breastfeeding and pumping mums. As well as offering beautiful clothes that help women feel great again, we’ll be part of the conversation that helps normalise breastfeeding and empower mothers in their feeding choices. This brand is about building a community, and making sure that no mother feels alone while rediscovering who they are.
Visit The Mylk Society website to shop their gorgeous breastfeeding-friendly clothing. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
