Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I’m going to be honest and say I am still trying to figure this out. As the business grows, I find myself needing to rebalance repeatedly. As a small business owner, it is hard to switch off and I often need reminding from those around me to do so and also getting into the habit of telling myself it is OK to stop and take a break. I’m very aware of burnout and I never want this passion to die down, so when I feel I need a break, I find myself going within, listening to the universe and my intuition. If it’s telling me to slow down or stop, I do it and I never feel guilty in doing so.
I often get asked do I practise what I teach in my birth classes. My answer is always yes. I regularly do breathwork and meditate to refocus and centre myself.
As most of my classes run on weekends, we as a family are fortunate to have some weekdays free, so we try and plan a family outing where we switch off and have some fun. My family is everything to me and I’m very conscious that my boys are little for only a short time.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Just like so many small businesses in 2020, COVID really put a halt on all my offerings. All my classes at the time were only offered face to face. I was also heavily pregnant with my second baby, so the decision to stop all classes early prior to taking maternity leave was an easy one, but that did mean the stress lingered in my mind.
Despite the challenge and initial stress, I will forever be grateful as it allowed for some much-needed downtime to really reflect on my business philosophies, plans and how things had been running for the first 12 months. The time not working allowed for forward thinking, planning, setting goals and really putting everything into action.
All my face-to-face classes moved online. At first I was not on board as I really love that connection I build with my clients at in-person classes. This energy I had around online offerings was really putting a dampener on my drive and I knew I needed to adapt and thrive or sit and dive!
Funnily enough, during Melbourne’s second lockdown, I developed and launched the Baby Essentials Live Online Class. I never had this class planned at all for my business, but I felt so drawn to develop and share my knowledge with expecting parents, particularly in a time where that connection felt lost for so many. After running a pilot class with 16 couples, I felt this spark light up and online teaching was fun. I love that this challenge was thrown my way as I now can offer all my services online to anyone in Australia or overseas. It has allowed for much more reach and more time with my family as I can plan around them.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I am forever learning in this business, which I love and it keeps me on my toes. I guess the cons would be working for yourself. I have amazing connections but sometimes I want that other person who is on my level and has the same vision to help bring Illoura Birth‘s dreams to light.
A big pro is the flexibility I can set for myself around my family. Admittedly, this is still a work in progress at times. My all-time pro is the amazing couples I get to connect with and holding that space for them, being that anchor and guidance when they need and instilling the confidence all couples deserve leading into birth and their parenting journey.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My mind is always dreaming, it never ends. Initially, I thought this would be a side gig, something fun and different to do from my nursing job. It has now developed into something much bigger that requires my focus and attention. I would love for this to be my sole role. I really feel so connected and fulfilled when I do this work.
I’m currently in a zone at the moment where I am really nutting out where I want Illoura Birth to go and be in the next few years. My classes are now at the point where I am planning on expanding the capacity in each group setting. There are more product developments happening behind the scenes in labelling and new products to support women right from conception.
Visit the Illoura Birth website to find out more about the wonderful services Vanessa offers. You can also join their supportive communities on Facebook and Instagram.
