Business Foundations for Mums

Today's episode is an interview with Emma Benyon. Emma is a self-care and motherhood coach and educator, supporting busy mums who are juggling the school run with a job and building a business with the tools to be less overwhelmed and have more balance, energy and clarity.

Emma is mum to a six year old and a qualified NLP, mBIT and Practical Magic Coach and full time post 16 educator. She is the editor of Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums and host of the Self Care and Motherhood Edit podcast. Her passion is to support busy mums to have more time and energy for the all the things they enjoy and to have the tools to support and nurture themselves. I spoke to Emma about some of the challenges that she has faced juggling business and Motherhood, and she shared some insights with me as to how she has worked through these challenges. And of course some book recommendations (see list below).

Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Emma talks about ease (helping Mums to find time in a simple easy way).
• Lessons learned from hitting burnout multiple times
• Self-care, non-negotiables, but also being able to pick self-care habits back up if they haven't gone to plan one day
• Making self-care easy and to fit into your life, rather than trying to force it. Find the small moments
• Journalling, and finding a way it works for you
• The gym
• The example we set for our children
• The quiet time of early morning. Having time to yourself for self-care
• Our environment is part of our self-care. Being in a space that works for you
• Showing up in a way that is authentic to ourselves. The best version of you
• How good self-care allows you to manage situations that may get thrown at you
• Self-care as a fundamental part of making changes in life
• Exploring self-care practices… What does and doesn't work, and what we need at that time.
• Sitting in a coaching business with a full-time job, family life, and one sense of care
• Reaching burnout, and designating specific time to make it simpler
• Making coaching more accessible through small pockets of time and messages.
• How a business became a "Space for me ", a creative outlet and a self-care practice
• Business has a sense of self, to help with postnatal depression.
• Stay in your own lane. You never know what is happening behind closed doors of someone else's business.

Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here.

In today's episode Kate talks about the importance of a Business Plan. Talking through each section of the business plan:

• Vision, Mission & Values
• Business Feasibility (market research and competitor analysis)
• SWOT Analysis
• Your Products/Services (now and planned)
• Financial Planning (including Pricing Strutcure, Break even point and Record Keeping)
• Your Audience
• Your Brand
• Marketing & Sales Strategy
• Organisational Structure
• Operations
• Risk Management
• An Action Plan

You can download Kate's free Business Plan template at https://businessfoundationsformums.co.uk/business-plan-sign-up

Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books here.

Today's episode is an interview with Sarah McCalden. Sarah is a dedicated financial wellness and personal growth expert known for her achievement, strength, passion, and expertise. Award-winning and an international best-selling author, she has trained with industry leaders like Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, and Kendall Summerhawk to master her skills in helping people achieve financial success and personal fulfillment.

Sarah's journey is a testament to her resilience. After overcoming a life-threatening drug addiction in her twenties, she turned her life around embracing motherhood and fitness, running marathons and ultramarathons. In 2018, she started her own business, achieving a six-figure income and making a real difference in the lives of women (and some men) by helping them take control of their finances and transform their relationship with money. And of course Sarah gave us some book recommendations.

Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Sarah's desire to home educate after seeing a lot that she didn't like in the education system.
• A lack of information about how best to manage the money that she was earning led to Sarah starting her own Money School.
• The difference between home schooling and home education. Education through play.
• Learning a different mindset and way of thinking about earning, money and wealth, through a network marketing business
• Shifting your mindset by taking more responsibility for your own journey and income. Seeking out and saying yes to opportunities.
• Low self esteem and low self worth following a long period of drug addiction. The journey forward - taking responsibility - being meant for more.
• Knowing your own comfort zone, pushing this slightly, taking tiny steps regularly to make massive change.
• Being put on the spot to speak at an international event. A small but very powerful moment of realising that others took inspiration from her story.
• Human design and being an introvert. Enjoying being around people and connection. But the need for time alone.
• Choosing the right opportunities rather than those that you feel that you "should" take.
• What other people think of you is none of your business. Looking back at times when fear, and what others think, has stopped her.
• Telegram as a good coaching and community tool.
• Zoom for video calls, group meetings, webinars.
• Networking - meeting each other through online networking.

Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here.

In today's episode Kate is talking about surviving the summer holidays. The summer holidays can be a busy time for mums in business, with so much to juggle. But there are different ways to get through the holidays and here we will explore a number of ideas that may work for different mums. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Scheduling your time is so important.
• What childcare options are available to you?
• Consider a child swap with another business Mum so you each get a day to work.
• Keeping the kids busy during the holiday when you need to work.
• Time blocking is a great way to see what your time will be taken up by.
• Family days out and different activities you can do.
• Communication is key with friends, family, clients etc during the holidays.

Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books here.

Today's episode is an interview with Danielle Gibbs. Danielle has multiple projects on the go... from her Podcast, Mummy Mayhem, to her work as a virtual assistant, and the Charity that she is setting up to offer a place for other families with disabilities to have an accessible place to spend some time together away from the stresses of day to day life. And of course some book recommendations.

Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Grand-parents as childcare especially for children with disabilities and additional needs.
• Working as a Virtual Assistant.
• Charity - Accessible holiday space for families with disabled children.
• Organising time as a busy working mum and multiple business owner.
• How we should remember to judge ourselves as our friends would judge us - rather than more critically.
• Self-development as an important part of business.
• The importance of self care as a business owner and Mum. Making time for this. Avoiding burnout.
• Business evolving and pivoting.
• Do what you enjoy - it doesn't feel like work.
• Holidays with a child with a disability.
• Comparisonitis.

Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here.

In today's episode Kate talks about Imposter Syndrome and some suggestions on how to manage it. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• "The persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has to be legitimately achieved as a result of ones own efforts or skills".
• Constant self doubt that "I am not good enough" or "I am going to get found out as not the brilliant person they think I am".
• Most women (and some men) experience this.
• Many very successful women have openly talked about Imposter Syndrome.
• Talking with others can help.
• How Imposter Syndrome causes self sabotage.
• Identify where the self-doubts stem from - What voice do you hear when listening to them.
• Give the inner voices a name - thank them and move on.
• Recognise and acknowledge your achievements.

Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books here.

Today's episode is an interview with Hannah Keys. Hannah helps Mums who feel stuck in the 9-5 build a scalable online income in a way that aligns with the life they want to live. A previous healthcare professional who traded her uni-degree-career of shift work for the opportunity to build a business that allows her to spend more time with her son, and have more choice in her life. Being self employed held lots of unknowns for Hannah, but she says "it has truly given me the opportunity to get to know myself; play to my strengths, improve my weaknesses and also find a community of like minded women which has been so empowering. I am now passionate about sharing this with others who are feeling stuck."

Hannah told us all about finding a good middle ground between self-employment and being employed along with tools and tips that have helped her in business. And of course some book recommendations (see list below). Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Stepping out of your comfort zone
• The influence of mindset
• How networking plays a role in business
• The "right time" doesn't exist
• The importance of breaking up your time (and taking breaks)

Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here.

In today's episode Kate is focusing on the confidence blocks that Mums can face when running their own business. Kate talks about how to face these blocks and find support networks to help you. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• The fears that come along with starting a business
• The role imposter syndrome can have
• The negative impact of comparison
• Balancing family life and business
• Ways to work through confidence blocks
• Looking at goals and how to get there
• The importance of support networks
• Self care is important as a Mum in business
• The benefit of taking action despite your fears

Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books here.

Today's episode is an interview with Kat Wilmore. Kat told us all about her nature inspired artwork and how she found her way back to creativity. And of course some book recommendations.

Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Snatching moments where you can as a busy Mum
• Carving time out for yourself, for something that you care about.
• The importance of treating your business as a business from day one
• Setting boundaries is essential How helpful block scheduling for social media can be.
• The freedom that running your own business brings you.
• Why it's important to do what you care about.

Find the show notes and the links to recommended tools and books here.

In today's episode I talk about the updates to Instagram's algorithm. Social media algorithms are changing constantly and it's hard to keep up, so I felt it was time for an update given that a lot of the information in my previous episodes about Instagram will be out of date. Here are some of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Algorithms are constantly changing
• The possible changes to the hashtag limit
• Original content is favoured over shared/repurposed content
• The risk of banned hashtags and shadow-banning
• The importance of reels and stories
• What is classed as good engagement?

Find the show notes and any links to recommended tools and books here.