It’s been a while since my last post, in fact, more than a while. Last time we chatted I ended with something about needing time to not only live my dream but also to live my life, as me, a mummy, a wife and everything else that is in the mix! That was in May, it is now August so I’ve had some time!

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour”. John Heywood

I continue to work away quietly behind the scenes with my business, grabbing hours here and there to practice, build and choose which direction Kate Stoddart-Scott Photography is heading in. So many of John Heywood’s lines ring true right now! No, Rome wasn’t built in a day and yes there were people constantly working on it! Everything I see is a potential story, a piece of art for someone’s wall or a memory of a precious moment and it is through my eyes. Naturally there are those who see things differently … it is those who see things similarly to me that I am after, my tribe! Before I can get to those people though I need to find the right people to help me build my business.

I thought that finally making the decision to go professional and doing the Training byLumiere course was the ‘tribe moment’. It was, however what I am learning now is that it was just one of them. There are so many elements to a business and naturally, a tribe is a human social group … so I am working on building my human social group!

Running your own business and being a work at home mummy can actually be quite a solitary profession, there’s no water cooler chat or brainstorming sessions to inspire or frustrate. With the rise of childcare costs  it is becoming more and more common for mummies to stay at home and work, generally setting something new up, rather than to return to work. There is an army of people like me out there, the skill is to tap into the right regiment! I tried a handful of networking groups and eventually found the right fit.

Danni McCabe of Mama Tribe … I know that I am not the first person to say thank goodness for her genius! She has ensured that networking in 2018 is current … rather than the somewhat dated and corporate approach that can be a little blind to the necessity of social media being part of your business plan! I met with Danni and Gracey in Milton Keynes (along with some other greats such as Susie, check out Wiki Places for Kids and Adele of Nutmeg Wall Art ) and left feeling like I could take on the world. Taking on the world, that feeling needs nurturing and feeding in order to keep it going and that is just what Mama Tribe does. Not only that, it introduces you to like minded individuals and it gives you the freedom to talk about work and then to switch topics and laugh about the intricacies of being a work at home mummy …  you are simply someone with two jobs and you are allowed to discuss both jobs. Don’t misinterpret this though, it is not a child discussion session, no! It is an understanding that you are more than likely to be working when the children have gone to bed or you head to a meeting, turn the iPad on and Paw Patrol blasts out rather than your business plan.

My human social group aka My Tribe is growing and in turn my business is growing, as are my children and my family  (we recently bought a puppy, thought that we needed to jazz things up a little!). Meet Zola. She’s amazing.

What isn’t growing is my bank balance, not yet. I think that it is as important to talk about that as it is talking about what your business is and what you are about.

When anyone makes a decision to do something completely different it is a risk. It is a controlled risk if you manage it and the most important element to manage is the expectations of others, at this stage. From day one of making this decision I have screamed from the rooftops that I will not make the mega bucks within the first three years. In fact, I won’t make much at all as with any new venture everything is outgoing rather than incoming! That combined with the fact that I am a stay at home parent is a huge thing. Financially, emotionally … and quite honestly, sometimes depressingly. I haven’t had my own pay slip for four years and now that I am doing my thing, living my dream I am essentially receiving a negative pay slip!

… and do you know what, I wouldn’t change it for the world! Don’t panic, I’m not completely delusional. I have this magic power to create extra time so, in that magical time, I’m a virtual assistant. It doesn’t inspire, it contributes and it reminds me why I am doing what I am doing now.

Take the risk, live the dream and accept the consequences … oh and find some amazing people to help you do it along the way.