The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I would say my biggest challenge has been going self-employed and taking the leap to leave Education and work for myself. However, the flexibility of working around family life definitely was the best decision and to be able to support women during their pregnancy, birth and postpartum period really is amazing. I believe if the mother is looked after, she is then able to take care of her baby with ease. I have also overcome the challenges of moving some of my business online (and I mean beyond social media). This was new to me at first but I am loving being able to support women from different areas of the UK and even different countries!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I would say the pros are definitely the flexibility of being able to work around family life and choosing your freedom! However, this is sometimes matched with the challenges of the lack of continuity. Some weeks are busy, some weeks are quiet and this cannot always be anticipated in the beginning. Lots of my work comes from ‘word of mouth’, which takes a while to build up, so it is not an overnight process. However, I am in this for the long haul so won’t give up when the going gets tough at times! If I can just help one woman to overcome breastfeeding challenges, the ripple effect will slowly spread and could build into something amazing in the future.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I have so many ideas and dreams of where I would like my business to go. I want to create a podcast/YouTube channel for mothers to tune in, speak their minds, be heard, and know they are not the only ones feeling how they are feeling about all things motherhood. I also have a ‘preparing to breastfeed’ course in the making. So, look out, exciting things are on the horizon for Calma Mother!
Visit the Calma Mother website to find out more, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
