The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
To get to this point, there have been many challenges. And yet without them, I don’t think I’d be on the path I am today.
I was born with a port wine stain birthmark on the left side of my face, which led to bullying throughout primary school. My best friend, her sister and their mother were killed in a car crash when I was 11, leaving me with severe anxiety. The bullying worsened in high school, and I left in year nine and moved out of home to complete my schooling by distance education. I developed severe agoraphobia but successfully completed by VCE. Despite the rough start to life, I achieved my dream of becoming a writer when I landed a journalism cadetship at the age of 17, and embarked on my career in newspapers. At the same time, I found myself in an abusive relationship of five years, before finally finding my way to freedom and regaining control of my life. I was finally diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2011, explaining a lifetime of pain and illness. I met my husband in Victoria in 2012 and we moved to Cairns, where I launched my business as a copywriter before becoming a nutritionist and later a birth worker. It was there we got married in 2017, had a miscarriage and survived our car plummeting down a mountain range in 2018, and birthed our beautiful baby son at home in 2019. We returned to Victoria in March this year to be closer to our families, only to arrive in Melbourne the day the first lockdown began. And now I’m trying to overcome the challenge of parenting in a pandemic while managing three businesses from a city apartment, six months on and counting.
But all of these challenges have shaped me to be the person I am today, with the lived experience needed to help other people. And I live every day grateful for how lucky I am to have all that I do.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Running my own business and working from home has allowed me to prioritise my own health, eat well, rest when I need to, and work hard to help people, while being a full-time mum, and creating a life I love.
It’s also challenging to juggle all of these responsibilities without the luxury of a weekly pay day, time off or holiday leave. And if I’m tired or unwell, there’s no one else to step in. But I wouldn’t change anything, because the freedom and flexibility of running my own business far outweighs the challenges. I’ve never spent a day away from my son, and I’m so grateful for all the time I get to spend with him, which so many other working parents don’t have.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I’ve been working online for the past seven years and the world’s overnight adoption of telehealth and online communication has reinforced my commitment to continue working online. I enjoy having the flexibility to work from anywhere, and the ability it provides to reach and support people from all over the world.
I have less time for one-on-one appointments these days, so over the next twelve months I plan to launch more online programs and services supporting natural and holistic pregnancy care and birth preparation, as well as programs for people going gluten free. We also have plans for my husband to join me in the online business world, supporting fathers and partners in their role of preparing for birth and parenthood.
Together we hope to move out of the city and have plenty of space to grow our own fruit and vegetables, live self-sustainably, and raise our son with an appreciation for nature.
To find out more about Michelle and the services she offers, visit the Birthwrite website and join her communities on Facebook and Instagram.
