Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This I admit is something I struggled with, especially in the beginning! Now that my children are all at school, I do find I’m better at separating my work and family time as I do most of my work while they’re at school. With so many sporting and after-school commitments now, it’s given me that space to stop work and be present with my kids. Mealtimes as a family have always been important to us and every night we still manage to sit down at the table, eat a nutritious meal and share our day with the rest of the family. At times it can still be hard to switch off, and my downfall now is once they’re all in bed I delve back into my work!
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
My biggest challenge thus far has been my own self-doubt and lack of belief in myself. I have always been a people-pleaser and do what I think others want me to do. This business has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and face many challenges, but I still don’t think I’m there yet. I still struggle with the thought of ‘why would anyone listen to what I have to say?’ or ‘what makes me an expert at teaching others how to overcome bedwetting? I’m not a doctor!’ Over the last couple of years, I have had to do a lot of work on myself and have become a lot better at listening to my heart and not my ego critic!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
So many pros! I feel grateful every day that I get to do something I love, work out of my home and around my family, and above all make a lasting difference on other children’s lives and their families. I get to express my creativity and come up with ideas and products that make overcoming bedwetting fun for kids, motivational and simple to understand.
The first con would be the pressure I put on myself to make it a stable and consistent income source for my family and, having an online business, the income can fluctuate quite a bit. The other cons would be procrastination and distraction! Running your own business leaves you accountable to no one (apart from my husband!) and unfortunately for me I get easily side-tracked when working from home and often find myself doing the washing or other household chores instead of productive work. We’re only human and at the end of the day I count my blessings that I’ve been guided to this opportunity in my life, despite the distractions of the day!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
If you’d asked me this question five years ago it would have been completely different! My journey in this business began with the broad aim to help make parenting easier. Through a series of circumstances and events it has now evolved into changing children’s lives through products I’ve developed and equipping them with knowledge, motivation and important life skills such as self-confidence, responsibility and resilience. My hope is that my programme and products impact the lives of many more children in Australia, New Zealand and around the world and The Parenting Garden becomes a well-known household name. I’m also currently working on my first educational children’s book which I can later incorporate into my product range and educational tools. Watch this space!
To find out more about The Parenting Garden and their services and products, check out their website. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.
