Got to grow …

A really quick one as I am just about to rush off to my SEED meeting! It’s only the second one, so I haven’t got a clue how it’s all going to work out, but the idea behind it is great. It’s a peer coaching circle for women entrepreneurs, and is part of the SEED network, which was set up by Lynne Franks, PR guru and jungle celebrity! I’ve just noticed on the website, as well, that there’s now a SEED branded ‘Women into Enterprise’ programme which looks excellent. I’m emailed off to find out more because, of course, I’ve got loads of spare time for studying!

I say this having done next to no work at all today. And I am SWAMPED! Came into the office this morning and thought I’d clear the decks of all those irritating little jobs that I’ve been meaning to do for ages, so that I could concentrate on the really important tasks afterwards. A good plan, I thought. Only I spent the next six hours on the ‘phone to various telecomms providers, banks and so on, trying (unsuccessfully) to sort out things that they’ve done wrong! I have come to the conclusion that there are very few big companies who actually offer any kind of meaningful customer service … and that, if they did, it would be one surefire way to wipe out the competition. Twenty minutes with my mobile burning my ear to speak to three different people in three different countries, to get precisely nowhere and then be told to write a letter - it’s just as well I’m a laidback kind of a person! Hmmm!

Anyway, must go now as otherwise I’ll be late for my meeting and that would really finish the day off nicely! I’m looking forward to a large glass of wine and a good bit of female support and encouragement. I think tonight we are going to focus on our current business challenges, which means it’ll probably be a challenge finishing by 9.30pm! But I’m looking forward to hearing other people’s perspectives on my problems and learning from how they approach things. After all, there’s always room for growth, and that’s just how it should be. Keeps life interesting!

The hare, the tortoise … and a baby elephant!

What can I say, I just hope that the moral of the hare and the tortoise turns out to be true for Mummo. Whilst some websites seem to be put together and launched really quickly, this particular website is taking its time! I was hoping it would be 9 months from conception to ‘birth’, but we’re overdue now. If we’re not careful, we’ll be looking at an elephant’s gestation period … and that’s a scary 22 months! And I don’t want to give birth to an elephant, especially not a white one!

So here I am on a Saturday evening, Mummo No Mates, sat in the office on my own with a list of jobs as long as my arm … and then an Asda shop to do on the way home! And guess what, one of the jobs on my list is to write an article about ‘how to have fun’. Not sure I’m properly qualified for that one! If anyone’s got any tips (other than “stop working”) please let me know.

Which reminds me, when I did the One Life show, I asked people for their own personal tips on how to be happier. You won’t be surprised to hear that sleep, alcohol and chocolate all featured quite prominently, along with ‘me time’ and ‘letting go of the guilt’. For obvious reasons, I didn’t get many men answering the question, but it’d be interesting to know what they (you?) might have said!

Anyway, better crack on now. Hope your Saturday night is more exciting than mine!

Wobbling

Yes, I have to admit that I’m wobbling a bit at the minute. Having spent most of the afternoon in the office, and most of the evening in front of my laptop, I am seriously questioning my mental health! What on earth possessed me to think it was a good idea to start a new business, on this scale at least, whilst my children are still so small?! I came home to find them outside, playing on bikes and trikes in the early evening sunshine, chatting and giggling and looking as if they hadn’t a care in the world. They ran straight over to me … and my littlest gave me a giant hug and said “Mummy, I want you!”. Talk about tugging at the heart strings! And yet, the truth of the matter is that I’m so preoccupied at the moment that I’m not even giving them my full attention when I am with them. I find it really hard to just click out of work mode and into mummy mode … and I sometimes wish I didn’t have to.

And then, of course, there’s the scary fact that we are haemorrhaging money in every direction, with no real prospect of any coming in to Mummo for quite a while. I always knew it was going to be a big, long-term project and that I was going to have to hold my nerve, but some days that’s harder than others. And the hardest days are always the ones, like today, when you have to pay a whole load of bills! So I will have to get round to listening to my Paul McKenna CD. I’ve just finished reading his book ‘I can make you rich‘ which, I have to say, takes a much broader view of what rich means than I was expecting. And it was actually really useful. He talks about “thinking rich” and how, if you do that, you no longer fear being without money because you know you will always find ways to make more. I have my moments of thinking like that (if I didn’t, I definitely wouldn’t be doing this!) but it’s obviously something I still need to work on.

Anyway, enough of the negativity. As the old advertisement used to go, “weebles wobble but they don’t fall down”!

Life after One Life …

Yes, I’m back … and it’s taken me till now to recover! My weekend at One Life was ‘full on’ to put it mildly - 21 hours on my feet saying the same thing over and over again, not to mention the setting up and packing away and so on. I’m just glad I saw sense and booked a nearby hotel, rather than having to trek back home every night as well! And it was a real family affair. My sister came all the way down from up north to help out on Friday and Saturday and my mum, bless her, spent her Mother’s Day standing on my stand! Hey, it was hard work but really good fun. I met some great people, had some lovely conversations and, best of all, got some really positive feedback about Mummo. After a few recent ‘wobbles’, I came away from One Life with renewed confidence in what I’m doing. I got a glimpse of success, just enough to fire me up again and give me a new burst of energy …

So I’ve been back in the office beavering away, trying to capitalise on the contacts I made as well as test the first part of the website. And, of course, I don’t have the luxury of admin support these days … so there’s no-one else to enter email addresses into the computer but me! I’m suddenly scarily busy, and the children are already reacting to the fact that they don’t see mummy as much as they used to. It’s definitely a mum thing - I’m racked with guilt for working 3 days a week plus a very occasional evening or weekend, whilst daddy disappears 5 days out of 7 and never questions it! But don’t let me get on that soap box right now, I’ve got too much to do to start ranting!

Yes, I’ve got a cuppa waiting and a book by the bed, and I really want to calm down and listen to my ‘Just ten minutes‘ CD before I fall asleep. But I must just tell you about horsesmouth, who I met at One Life. I’m sure you’ve probably heard about it already as they’ve had a fair amount of press coverage, but it’s a really interesting idea … and a great way to give something back without having to step out of your comfort zone. I think people often find it easier to open up to an online stranger than to a real friend face-to-face. As long as we don’t end up living our entire lives in a virtual world!