Monday Mumpreneur with Candy Jannetta

Every Monday we feature a mumpreneur who’s ready and willing to open up their lives to us.  They share with us their motivation, challenges and proudest moments in business and they also tell us how they take time to nurture themselves. It’s lovely to have them here at Mums Got A Business and we hope you enjoy connecting with them too.

Please welcome our mumpreneur this week.  A mum who loves a challenge and has dealt with whatever has been thrown at her by adapting,  focusing and just getting the job done.   She shows us all what can be achieved if we really want it enough.  I love her attitude and determination!

Your name: Candy Jannetta

Your website:  www.howtomeetyouperfectmatch.com and  www.essencial.co.uk

Brief description:

The How To Meet Your Perfect Match blog is full of dating and relationship advice for single people as well as those in a relationship.

The Essencial site is promoting and explaining my work as a Business Coach, Motivational Speaker and Corporate Trainer.

How many children do you have?  Luca 3, Loretta 18 months

Where do you live?  London, UK

PC or Mac?  PC

Tell us about your business

I received some business coaching when I was working at an Internet Consultancy to help me deal with difficult clients.  I found the coaching so helpful and enjoyed it so much that I thought, “This is what I want to do.”  I researched what kind of training I could do and trained as a Certified Life Coach.

I then got as much experience as I could coaching and training within corporate environments.  I started lecturing for the ACCA (Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants) and soon began to specialize in helping finance professionals with strong technical skills to develop their soft skills, especially communication and leadership.

I love the variety of my work which has recently included a motivational talk on career development for Ford HR managers, a marketing workshop for museum staff across Yorkshire, coaching managers to get promoted within an investment bank and helping a group of accountants to improve relationships with their staff and clients.

The other side of my business is my brand How To Meet Your Perfect Match.  In my 20’s and early 30’s I was so career driven that I neglected the relationship area of my life and when I trained as a Life Coach realized that I needed to do something about this.

I went through a lot of pain and frustration in my search for my husband.  I set up my relationship coaching business to share all the tools and techniques which I had used to meet my soul mate.  I know how hard it is being single having spent most of my adult years up until 34 out of relationships so feel passionate about helping others to find the happiness they deserve.

What motivated you to become a mumpreneur?

My last job was working as an Account Director for a web agency where one of my most important clients used to complain if she called and I was out at lunch.  This job included long and unpredictable hours into the night working on client pitches.  I knew that if I stayed in this or a similar job and started a family, which was my vision, that I would only be seeing my children last thing at night and at weekends.

For me, this is not the right balance between family and work.  I set up my business to do something I love but also to be able to work more flexible hours.  I have managed (don’t quite know how) to keep my business going working 3 days a week. For the past 8 months, I have been working 2 days a week since I am paying for both my children to be in childcare.

I manage to pack everything into 2 days, evenings and some work at weekends.  I would never be able to have such a fulfilling job working 2 days or earn as much money if I had stayed working for an employer.

What's been your biggest challenge in business?

I have had many challenges including having the confidence to sell myself when I first set up but I think the biggest challenge has been keeping my business going through 2 pregnancies and 2 sets of maternity leave in close succession.  I worked right the way through my pregnancies and gave lectures perching on a bar stool because I was too heavily pregnant to stand for 2 hours.

When my first child was 4 months old I had corporate work booked as a master of ceremonies at an all day retail conference.  I was still breast-feeding so had to sit in the toilets at lunchtime and express milk.  I did bits and pieces of work during my first maternity leave but didn’t put my son into childcare until he was 9 months old.

I have found it a challenge rebuilding my business after taking 9 months out for maternity leave since I lost some momentum during that time and the business environment changed. I have also found it very challenging fitting all my work into 2 days.

How have you overcome it?

I like the challenge of dealing whatever is thrown at me and have adapted my strategies for business development and getting new clients.  I focus on highly paid work so that I earn as much money working 2 days as working 3 days.

What's been your proudest business moment?

I have to say that I have proudest moments when I receive emails like this recent one:

"Following a workshop with Candy on how to meet my soulmate, I took up the one to one coaching as I felt that I needed help in finding the man of my dreams.   During the first coaching session, Candy was able to identify things that I'd never even considered might be affecting this.

For example, how to recognise the types of behaviours that I was looking for in a man. This really helped me see that I'd been going out with people who were exactly the same as me, explaining why I'd always been out with my best friend! I also began to realise that I was unconsciously controlling relationships because I was scared of getting hurt, which was leading to precisely that happening.

Towards the end of the first session, I agreed on a plan that gave me the opportunity to test out some new behaviours and I put it into practice immediately.  By the time we had our second session, I was able to tell Candy that I'd met a man like no-one I'd ever met before and I know that this was because I had the confidence to trust her advice and just go with it.

During our second session, we were able to chat about how it happened and how I would recognise if the old patterns of behaviour started to repeat themselves. I now have the confidence to embark on this relationship knowing exactly what I'm looking for and having more of an idea of how to get it. Investing in Candy's time was a small investment for a massive return and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. Thanks Candy - I will let you know when to buy a hat!"

What's your catchphrase or favourite quote?

Just do it – I hate procrastination.

What do you do to relax or nurture yourself?

I get out of the house to go to the gym to do Yoga and Pilates classes.

What was the last treat you bought for yourself?

A fabulous pair of high-heeled turquoise sandals from the Office sale.

Favourite colour: Plum

 Favourite flowers: Daffodils

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

It’s something I learnt when I worked at agencies where I managed a number of client accounts – don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It is easy to become dependent on one steady stream of income such as a contract with a major company. My lesson is that steady streams of income can quickly dry up.  I have built a business on multiple streams of income from both business clients and personal clients.  I also offer different solutions from coaching to motivational speaking to training to workshops to written reports to webinars.

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.  And remember to drop by every Monday to welcome our latest profiled mum.