So here’s a wee bit about me. I’m lucky enough to have an inspiring, entrepreneurial Mum who encouraged me to do my own thing rather than just conform. She was always highly motivated, finding new ways to drive her own business forward.
Motivated by Mum
One of my Mum’s early business ventures was way back in the 80s. She sourced a second-hand knitting machine and set it up in the window of her shop. She would sit in front of the window working on her machine. People walking past would often come in to ask what she was doing.
More often than not after chatting with her they’d order a custom-designed sweater. This was the era when batwing sleeves were all the rage! They’d pay for their sweater there and then and she’d mail it out to them when it was finished. Her colourful sweaters winged their way all over the world. I remember people being so happy with their purchases that they would write to tell her, and often send photos of themselves wearing her designs too.
I was in awe of my Mum’s ingenuity and energy when I was a teenager. As well as running her own business she also had 4 kids to contend with! Even now, in her 80’s with a smartphone, she’s still coming up with creative ideas. She continues to inspire me on a daily basis.
My own entrepreneurial adventure in a nutshell
With my Mum’s entrepreneurial spirit embedded in me I ran several money-making ventures at school. No, none of them involved taking other kids’ lunch-money! However, travel was my passion. So I’d come home from a trip, work as a nanny or an events organizer, and once even with a film company for a long running TV series, just to fund my next adventure.
After visiting 42 countries worldwide and living out of a suitcase until my early 30s I thought it was time to get a permanent home. However, that also meant getting sucked into the 9-5. Very soon I discovered that I just wasn’t cut out for this. I felt like I was a square peg in a round hole. I wanted to be my own boss!
So eventually an IT specialist friend and I set up online and became our own bosses. Has it all been plain sailing? Well, not exactly, it’s been quite the roller coaster ride, but it’s certainly been exciting and interesting too.
Along the way we’ve met some great people and have worked with one-person businesses to the biggest publicly-funded body in the country. We’ve developed quite a skillset from web design to publishing courses, from writing puzzle books to software development.
As life-long learners we know that knowledge is power
The online world is already huge and only getting bigger, and I believe the most important investment any of us can make is in ourselves. Building the skills we need, feeding our curiosity, and backing ourselves to try something new.
To Your Success!
