On weekends, if I am not at the markets then we aim for a family ‘something’ together. Whether it is a movie night at home, a trip to the beach or playground, a visit to a friend’s house or a walk/ride together.
I am big on eating dinner together as it is one of the only times we can all sit together and have a chat. It also encourages the (fussy) little people to eat as they see what everyone else is eating is the same as them and that is what is expected.
Finding time with my husband is probably the hardest. Days get busy and by the night you are so sick of talking you are done. You are tired and sometimes you feel like you just have nothing left to give. I am currently pregnant too, so add that in and you’ve got yourself a bag of fun! Communication is vital between the two of us so we can both feel present.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
So many. There are challenges each day. From trying to get more exposure on social media (it is harder than you think!), to travelling around Australia for 3 months and arriving at your new home in a different state to be told you cannot operate your commercial kitchen from your own home. I remember being rejected by cafes, being quizzed endlessly about products which were otherwise simple, having people place a large order in the early days and making it and having them do a ‘no show’ (they pay up front now!) and having zero people turning up to workshops.
We have just moved from Perth, Western Australia to Noosa in Queensland to be with family and starting from scratch over here is by far my biggest challenge at present. Trying to make friends, connections, gain trust with the locals and build rapport with businesses around me is proving to be harder than I thought. Again, I will get there!
I love what I do and it is personally rewarding. Like anything, I will feel more valued with the same gratitude once I am making an adequate income.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
In terms of pros, I love using my creativity and sharing my passion, love and knowledge with everyone. Having more time for my children is also a positive, less time at daycare and less sickness. I can be flexible and am able to move things around if needed, plus I can work more at night to work less during the next day if required.
The cons are always having to be creative and coming up with new content and recipes for my books and social media posts. Having a much smaller income early in the piece was hard, as opposed to being employed and earning a salary immediately. There is also no guarantee of the month’s income ahead and it was very difficult to project in the early stages.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I have more e-books on the horizon, more wellness classes based on using Young Living’s amazing Essential Oils and products and more new recipes, tips and tricks. That is a reality.
My dream would be to have a space that people could come to and taste and smell and try my amazing goodies and the beautiful oils we use. Young Living has 36 culinary oils compliant with Food Standards of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), so making tasty treats infused with geranium for Turkish Delight flavour, tangerine for Jaffa flavour that pops and peppermint for that Choc Mint hit are like nothing you have ever tasted.
I would absolutely love hard cover copies of my books to be published, as I love a good cookbook I can hold and flick through and keep.
I would also ultimately hope that more and more people became chemical aware as they are in everything. I also hope that more people become food aware. Each year, the number of processed and man-made products in our supermarkets increases a lot. By being aware, we are all protecting and serving our family the best way we can. Every big choice you make begins with baby steps.
To find out more about Mumma O, check out Odette’s website. You can also join her Facebook and Instagram communities.
