Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I won’t lie, it can be hard giving 100% to the kids as well as my clinic. But as my gorgeous mum always said, anything that’s worth having is hard. I’m really mindful of being both physically and mentally present when I’m with my daughters, putting my admin aside until the evening. When I receive a picture of a positive pregnancy test from a client however, I am always going to stop in my tracks, do a little dance and respond with an inordinate number of ecstatic emojis. Other than that though, I think I’ve got pretty good boundaries in place. Now that the girls are a little older (my eldest started school this year!), I have more time to shape the clinic in the direction I want it to go. It’s enabled me to take on more clients and expand into corporate and lab work too. I love that my role is so varied but I have to say, there’s nothing better than working one to one with a client and seeing them achieve their health goals. It’s just the best.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Tragically, my mum passed away totally unexpectedly in May 2023. My youngest was 10 months and I’d only launched my clinic in the April. I would say everything stopped, but in hindsight it was the opposite. I threw myself into developing the clinic, probably in an attempt to ignore the grief going on in and around me. I couldn’t grieve really, not whilst I was trying to keep things as normal as possible for the kids and support my dad. Little ones still need feeding and washing and playing with and reading to. They’ve been a gorgeous distraction but I really do wish Mum could see them (and me) now. So much has changed and I know she’d be so proud of us all.
Another challenge is just awareness really. So many women (and men!) are unaware of the power of bespoke nutrition when it comes to optimising their fertility. And it makes sense really. It’s certainly not the first thing a doctor suggests when you attend your ‘We’ve been trying for ages and nothing’s happening’ appointment. But I’m fighting the fight! I host quarterly Fertility Support Drop Inns at a fun local craft beer pub (drop inn, see what I did there). It’s a great space for women and couples facing fertility struggles to come together and vent about how tough it can be. And lift each other up, that’s the best bit. We also talk about how we can support ourselves and naturally, nutrition always comes up, because I can’t help myself. Why wouldn’t I share such incredibly valuable information? I also think people in general are starting to realise how dramatically fertility rates are dropping and that ultimately, we’re in charge of our own reproductive health. And more importantly, that we can significantly improve it.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Pros:
- The passion. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I finally did and it’s awesome! I won’t lie, it’s scary leaving the safety net of employment to back yourself going solo, but you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, right? I’m pretty sure that’s a phrase…
- Being my own boss. This has snuck onto the pros list but it’s also a con. I definitely need to be held accountable on the admin side of things!
- It’s a boring one but it’s true: being able to work and still be around to do all the school runs. How fast does 6 hours go in between drop off and pick up!? It’s crazy!
Cons:
- Being self-employed can be quite lonely sometimes. There’s no Christmas party, there’s no one to ask for a second opinion and perhaps most tragically, there are no after work drinks. So to counter this, I set up KUTAC (Kick Up The Arse Club) in York, an anti-networking (yuk), supportive group for small business owners in York to come together once every month or so, share our wins and struggles and give each other a (very friendly) kick up the arse. It’s actually great! We have about 20 members now and we all get a lot from our meet ups. Perhaps I’ll organise a KUTAC Christmas party! Now there’s an idea…
- The what can feel like slavery to social media. There, I said it. The reality is that if you’re a small business that wants to market your wares, you have to be on social media. Which is fine, but I swear it’s an entire job in itself. And it doesn’t help that I’m a chronic perfectionist, so everything I post has taken me about 4 hours to write and format. Efficient!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
Let’s see, my private clients are doing great, I love my teaching role and I’m really enjoying getting into the nitty gritty lab work. But what I’m really looking forward to next is launching my fertility masterclass series. I’m going for a “that makes so much sense”, community and comradery kind of vibe. Live, monthly webinars will provide members with the building blocks to create their own solid foundation for optimal fertility. They’ll be given proven nutrition, lifestyle and supplement strategies that they can implement straight away to nurture top quality eggs, achieve hormonal balance and finally feel in control of their fertility. It’s going to be amazing! And because our bodies, hormones (and priorities) change so wildly during the beautiful whirlwind of a transition to motherhood, I’m even thinking of running masterclass series for pregnant and postpartum members too. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that!
You can find Laura online at www.lauranaylornutrition.com, on Instagram @lauranaylornutrition and on Facebook.
