Monday Mumpreneur with Kate Codrington

Every Monday we feature a mumpreneur who’s ready and willing to open up their lives and their business to us.

They share with us their motivation, their challenges and their proudest moments in business and they also tell us how they take time to nurture themselves.

If you’re looking for inspiration then our featured business mums show you what’s possible.

I'm delighted to introduce you to this week's featured mumpreneur for many reasons, but one important one is so that you can see how a portfolio business really works.

I'm constantly encouraging  my business coaching clients to create multiple streams of income and here's a lady who does just that and shows us how it all works beautifully together . . . enjoy and share with your friends x

Name: Kate Codrington

Your websites
www.fruit-nation.co.uk
www.pregnancymassage.me.uk
www.biodynamicmassage.me.uk
www.pregnancyandparenthoodalliance.co.uk

Brief description:

Fruit nation – helping small business people take control of their websites and social media.

Pregnancy Massage – supporting women through their transition into motherhood and beyond.

Biodynamic Massage – working with women who experience stress related conditions and are looking for more meaning in their lives.

PAPA – a heart-centred support network for birth professionals who come to share the triumphs and challenges in their working life, also a directory of excellent businesses and therapists in Watford and Hertfordshire for birth, pregnancy and young families.

Tell me about your children

Alex is 9 and loves trains and likes to know how things work. Bella is 7 and tells me the best things in her life are her friends.

Where do you live?   Watford Hertfordshire, UK

PC or Mac?

Apple first pulled me into its sticky grasp about eighteen years ago and has never let go.

Tell us about your business

As you can see there are four different strands to my working life; the websites and social media work at fruit nation, Pregnancy and Biodynamic massage and the PAPA business network. This year I am celebrating twenty years of working with massage!

The theme that runs through all of them is support: creating a place where people can come with their issues, be they business or personal, and together we un-tangle them and I support them in finding a practical solution.

There’s lots of cross-over, for example I find myself using my therapeutic skills with website clients; there’s a lot of un-picking, shifting through focus and purpose that needs to happen before we can build the site. My allowing, listening and non-judgemental approach is the same whatever I'm doing.

What motivated you to become a mumpreneur?

I only survived in an office for 6 months! Since then I've always been self-employed and had a portfolio career. After I had children it was natural to weave my interests into my work.

What's been your biggest challenge in business?

My biggest challenge has always been my belief that I was somehow not getting it right, that a portfolio career wasn't a ‘proper’ business model.

How have you overcome it?

The proof is in the pudding! All self-employed people will recognize that work ebbs and flows and we learn to work with that, making adjustments to our products and services in response to customer feedback and economic shifts. With my portfolio I can change emphasis depending on where the demand and my energy lies.

What's been your proudest business moment?

I think, every time a client ‘gets’ it, when I see the light bulb go on. It can be after a massage and they just feel SO good in their body or when a birth professional realizes how much acceptance and expertise we have in PAPA, or when a client sees how easy it is for them to manage their website. My heart swells with pride every time!

What's your catchphrase or favourite quote?

"Just breathe"

What do you do to relax or nurture yourself?

Loads of yoga, massage, acupuncture, Zumba, gardening and red wine.

What was the last treat you bought for yourself?

A pair of gold, lace up brogues from Chie Mihara on ebay. Sigh.

Favourite colour

Spring green

Favourite flowers

Umbellifers – all kinds of fennel, ammi majus, cow parsley…

What one piece of advice would you like to give to a new mumpreneur?

To go with your guts. No one can make the right decision for you, when you can feel a softness and relaxation in your belly that’s the right direction to go in.

Fancy featuring as one of our amazing mumpreneurs? Drop me an email over on the contact page - and I’ll be in touch.   Or let me know in a comment below.