Monday Mumpreneur with Kerry Hales

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.

Our message is “If we can do it ~ then so can you!”

This week's featured mumpreneur is a girl after my own heart. She's a mumpreneur who inspires other mumpreneurs and helps them find balance in everything they do.  She's my kinda gal. I love her focus and drive and I think you're gonna love her too.

Your name: Kerry Hales

Your website: www.kerryhales.com/blog

Brief description:

I blog about my every day goings on and turn them into a lesson to learn; how to get things done with a bit more ease, a sense of humour or a moment to take a breath and see that you are not alone out there in mumpreneur land. I am here. Doing it. Sharing it. Laughing at the insanity of it too.

Tell me about your children: I have two Boys: Frankie who is four and just started school. He's a kind little man with a memory that is astounding and has a wonderful gift for language. His father's son. Sullivan is three and is just getting over the tantrum of being three... And is full of character, determined beyond measure... He is a handful. Hmmm... His mother's son!

Both are gifts as I really thought we had left it too late to have them. They are 14 months apart and when people say 'Ooh that's mad' I can only but agree.

Where do you live? Whitstable, Kent UK

PC or Mac? Iphone and PC

Tell us about your business:

I am a life and business coach who supports mumpreneurs getting the balance right to be able to love being both a brilliant mum and entrepreneur.

I am fortunate to have found a career that I love and be very good at. I have trained for years to be able to say that. What I do changes people's lives, I take it very seriously because my clients need to trust they are in capable hands when they pay me to do my job.

I coach on a one to one basis, mainly over the phone or Skype, as I have clients from all over the globe. I am also in the process of setting up group coaching for my mumpreneur clients who cannot afford to have me to themselves...yet.

I am also a motivational speaker, who gives talks to mainly groups of women about how to change their lives with a lot more fun.

What motivated you to become a mumpreneur?

Having children and wanting to be there for them. I used to work in the NHS as a senior manager and this meant that I had to make sacrifices to enable me to work long hours. I was finally made redundant and decided that although running a successful business is far harder than being an employee it is worth every minute to be able to be the mum I want to be and run a business that I love. It is not easy, it is in fact really tough at times, but would I rather be doing this or working for someone else, being told what to do... nope. I work for the toughest bitch around now, but I know she has my best interests at heart!

What's been your biggest challenge in business?

Transferring my skills from being an employee to entrepreneur. I was a very organised employee, but my skills had to change to suit working for myself. I had to learn to put in a strong structure to my day, to make a clear plan and then to make marketing real for me.

How have you overcome it?

Making a plan. I set a task every day that I have to complete. I write out my daily To Do list before I open emails. I tell myself out loud that 'I would like to create... today'. To be honest it hasn't been easy and I found the best thing was when I really focused on who I wanted to work with. Once I realised it was my fellow mums, it became so much clearer for me.

What's been your proudest business moment?

Getting my new website was very exciting. It really made me look at my business as a business instead of a hobby. I am a brand now and that scares the living crap out of me - but I am far more excited than scared.

What's your catchphrase or favourite quote?

I love quotes and share them a lot via twitter and Facebook... 'Life shrinks in proportion to one one's courage' Anais nin is one on my office wall.

But my favourite favourite is a poem...Marianne Williamson's famous one and I have it on my wall in my kitchen... I love it every time I read it and can feel myself saying 'yeah come on!'

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we
are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of
God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around
you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make
manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us;
it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own
fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

What do you do to relax or nurture yourself?

Now that's a great question. I have recently found knitting and it has become my meditation. I go to a knitting club one night a week and it's a wonderful place to be, with other creative souls chatting and knitting - it soothes me.  I also love a hot bath with some organic bubbles in it - oh yes please!

What was the last treat you bought for yourself?

My Samsung tablet - it's a marvellous thing!

Favourite colour: Green, Purple and Red. Not all together. I know that's three, but I can't choose!

Favourite flowers: Wisteria growing along a fence or a wall makes me very happy.

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

Get focused and keep going;you are on the right track - you just may need to take a turn here and there, but just keep going! Good luck and have fun! Why else would you do it!

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.