The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The biggest challenge I face is the misunderstanding about what I do. The term ‘sleep consultant’ is often marred with misconceptions, particularly in the online space, and I really want to change that so that people don’t immediately dismiss my line of work. I am invested in helping parents and babies in a way that is individual to them, in partnership with them, and I only ever recommend an approach based on a thorough screening before we begin. I am respectful, kind, and supportive, as well as well-researched and thorough. I have a Masters in Teaching and Learning and a good understanding of child development, as well as a successful teaching career that gives me a lot of transferable skills. I just want whānau to know that they are safe with me and that I have their best interests at heart and I think I have taken good steps to overcome this so far.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I really love running my own business and the flexibility that it gives me. I am so proud of myself for being brave enough to step out of my comfort zone and completely change my circumstances when I felt like things were becoming unsustainable. I love teaching, and I am very good at it, but it was too much trying to do everything at the highest level, as well as be a great mum, run our household together, and find time for things that make me happy. I am still busy, but I am more in control of my life. At the start, it felt very jarring to not be ‘on’ all the time as I don’t feel like I have ever really slowed down, but now, I can’t imagine it any other way, especially not while Ollie is so little.
In terms of the cons, I think that the things I am not naturally drawn to are the more perfunctory parts of business such as the accounting side or trying to navigate the Instagram algorithm. I struggle with the idea that I need to put time into making content, when I feel like it seems trivial compared to actually helping people. I love being creative and making more educational posts, but things like reels are still something I am working on. Watch this space!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My hope for Village Sleep is to help as many people as possible and to educate people on the science of sleep so that they feel informed and empowered. I just did a couple of workshops where people signed up to learn about infant sleep from newborn to 12 months of age and afterwards, they received some resources and a gift voucher for a personalised consultation. My dream is to keep growing these and do a series of toddler workshops, as well as releasing them online so that I can make them accessible to people all over the world. Sleep consultancy is a big investment, and I want to help as many people as possible. These workshops are very affordable so that I can reach as many people in my community as possible, especially if they can’t afford a consult. One of my dreams is also to write a children’s book in the future – I have some ideas and I hope to bring them to life one day!
Visit the Village Sleep website to find out more and join their supportive communities on Facebook and Instagram.
