Fame at last … thanks to Enterprise Nation!

Well, wouldn’t ya know, I have finally hit the big time! Yes, that’s right, I’m famous - I am currently appearing on the front page of the Enterprise Nation website, which is viewed by … oooh … LOTS of people! So thank you very much to Emma Jones, who runs the site, for thinking Mummo is a good idea and giving me some profile.

I have to say, though, that it feels very strange. For so long I’ve just been ‘bumbling’ along in my own little world, like an inventor in a shed, creating this thing called Mummo. But my world seems to be gradually getting bigger and things are starting to feel very real. It’s exciting, and a tiny bit scary too. I just can’t wait for the site to be fully built so that I can promote it properly and get mums across the country using it. That will be the true test! Will they like it? God I hope so!

Must also say thank you to John Williams, who runs the Scanner Central and Freestyle Success websites, for suggesting I get in touch with Emma.  Collaboration is the name of the game!

At the Innovation Edge …

I’d like to think that’s where I am every day, only I’d be kidding myself! But it’s definitely where I was yesterday, along with about 3,000 other interested people plus Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Tim Berners-Lee (founder of the worldwide web for anyone who doesn’t know - I didn’t!) and, wait for it, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister! We were all at the Innovation Edge conference at the Festival Hall, organised by NESTA. I have to say it was great. Well organised, professional and inspirational, with amazing chocolate brownies to boot!

So, some highlights (other than the chocolate brownies):

• Tim Berners-Lee talked via video link about his positive intentions for the web, and how he hoped it would be used for the good of humanity, to foster co-operation, collaboration and citizenship. He could have made millions, probably billions, from his invention … but he chose to give it away. And he’s now working in the new field of web science, trying to develop our understanding of how and why we use the web, and to ensure its social benefit. What an understated hero!

• Less understated but no less heroic, Bob Geldof paced the stage, swore occasionally and stirred things up a bit, as you’d expect. He spoke really eloquently about the absolute necessity of harnessing innovation to solve some of the huge challenges facing the world. According to him, if ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ then desperation is the father of necessity! And he painted a pretty desperate picture of what the future holds if we don’t work together to come up with some innovative solutions. He made most of our day-to-day concerns seem unutterably trivial and firmly focused attention on the bigger picture. It reinforced my commitment to making Mummo a way of harnessing the power of mums! Between us, we’ve got to be able to change things for the better.

• Channel 4 hosted a fringe event in the evening on the subject of ‘creativity beyond television’. It was fresh and invigorating … and confirmed something I’ve always known, which is that I want to work with creative people! Not only are they intimidatingly cool, but they really do seem to live on the innovation edge. Some of the stuff they showed us blurred the boundaries between fact and fiction, TV and reality. Morally debatable, perhaps, but certainly thought-provoking. Keep your eyes and ears open for a new project ‘central station’. I can’t seem to find anything about it on Google so I may have got the name wrong - let me know if you know!

• Also met a really nice guy from the company behind viewmy.tv, a website on which you can watch pretty much any TV channel from around the world, for free! So, if you’ve got a hankering to catch up on the French news or the American Woodworking Channel, now you can!

It’s always good to go to these events as I’ve come back with a million and one new ideas (not that I really needed any more!) and feel fired up with enthusiasm for life, Mummo and everything! So a quick salad Nicoise, courtesy of M&S, then big bursts of energy for this afternoon. See you soon …

Cold in Caister!

Yes, colder than I’ve been for about 10 years … and then I was 4,000 metres above sea level in the Peruvian Andes! Still, we were in a caravan this time, with just one tiny little gas fire to fend off the bitter coastal winds. I had forgotten what it’s like to be chilled to the bone to the point that, even with all your clothes on, you still can’t sleep! But hey, what are holidays for if it’s not to brave the elements and come out smiling the other side?! The difference is that, these days, instead of feeling really smug for surviving Dead Woman’s Pass on the Inca trail, I feel smug for managing an 8-mile round trip from Caister into Great Yarmouth and back, on a bike! With a two year old pinching my bottom!

Anyway, that’s where I was last week, on our lovely £9.50 Sun readers’ holiday. Another thing I never thought I’d ever do! Can’t really blame that one entirely on the children, though - it’s more to do with the fact that I’m spending all our money on Mummo and we’re skint. Scarily skint. I am starting to appreciate a bit more about the realities of ‘doing your own thing’. The website is taking far longer than anticipated to build so it’s now been longer than I care to mention with lots going out and nothing coming in. And it’ll be a few more months yet. I will just have to hold my nerve and hope that it’s all worth it in the end. Otherwise it will have been a very expensive learning experience!

Having said all that, I’m quite excited at the moment as I’ve teamed up with a great guy who’s helping me to work out an advertising and marketing strategy for Mummo … and who might even take the lead on Daddo at some point in the future. His confidence in me, and in the potential of Mummo, has really given me a boost. It’s also reminded me that so much in life is about just having the guts to go for what you want! So excuse me but I’m just going to go for … a(nother) chocolate biscuit!

Gone are the days …

Yes, gone are the days when a Friday night was drunken, debauched and (thankfully) difficult to remember! These days, instead of fighting my way to the bar, you’ll find me sat peacefully at my laptop writing my blog, with one eye on … wait for it … DIY SOS! If it wasn’t for the large glass of red wine by my side and, come to mention it, the bottle next to that, I’d worry I was properly middle-aged! And I’m not even 40 yet.

Anyway, as Nick Knowles is not as good viewing as he might like to think, I thought I’d update you on a few things that have been going on in my world. Firstly, I forgot to tell you that I went to my first Ladies who Latte meeting the other day. Bit of a bizarre experience to start off with as there was only one other woman there - I was just about to do a runner when she spotted me and then there was no getting away! But as it turned out, I met several really interesting people and it only cost me a coffee, so think I will definitely go again. After all, the networking ‘experts’ say that it’s about relationships rather than referrals, so even though I don’t need a luxury black coach, a wedding photographer, a caterer or an image consultant right now (okay, that last one’s debatable!), who knows what might happen in future?!

As the Mummo website is beginning to take shape, slowly but surely, I’m starting to think more about how to spread the word once it’s live. For example, I’m contemplating attending the Prowess conference in February next year, but then there’s also One Life Live and The Baby Show and The Business Start Up Exhibition … and I can’t do everything! Or can I …?

Perhaps coaching would help me to make some of these decisions? And to challenge my limiting beliefs?! Striding Out offer monthly coaching circles where you get together with a handful of other entrepreneurs to share your business challenges, bounce ideas around and generally pick their brains. Sounds great, but it costs … and of course it also means trekking into London. I still remember the first time I did that, just after the nanny had started working for us and I’d finally got a bit of freedom back. It was a magical experience back then … but I have to admit that the novelty has slightly worn off now!

Really don’t want to complain, though, partly because I’m still attempting to live in ‘Pollyanna’ mode, and partly because I’ve just read an article about Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese freedom fighter, in January’s Easy Living magazine. I’m ashamed to say that I’d never heard of her before, but I am now in awe of her courage and the incredible personal sacrifices she’s made for what she believes in. She effectively gave up her husband and sons in order to fight for justice for the Burmese people, and that is something that not many people could or would do. I can’t imagine what cause would ever prompt me to give up my children, but I guess in the end it’s all about keeping the bigger picture in mind. Food for thought.

Didn’t really mean to get quite so profound, especially as it now feels inappropriate to go and stuff my face with Jaffa Cakes. But there you go, life sometimes seems like one great big confusing muddle of chaos and contradictions. I’m sure that somewhere in the midst of it all is the little peace of calm that you find at the eye of a storm, but hey, right now, I’m loving the mess round the edges. And my quest for mindfulness continues …

Bits and pieces

Guess what, slowly but surely it feels as if things are starting to take shape. There’s a holding page on the website now - www.mummo.co.uk - and a few people have even registered their details! Including one mum I just happened to get chatting to in the park. I’m so thrilled that she actually remembered the web address and was interested enough to have a look, seems like a really good sign. Word of mouth is definitely the way this is going to work, and I’m going to have to overcome any shyness and just put myself ‘out there’!

Should be getting to see the second wet proof for the logo colours this afternoon. There was a bit of a problem with the first one and what should have been a lovely vibrant pinky-red with a subtle shade of silver turned out a horrible bright red and dull dull grey! Looked like an 80s boy’s bedroom! The designers were mystified, the printers were mystified, Pantone in America were mystified … and I was just inclined to choose a different colour and get on with it. But apparently, for whatever reason, this new wet proof is much better so hopefully we’ll be able to finalise the stationery and send some stuff to print. And then I might finally be able to start giving out professional-looking business cards and spreading the word in earnest. Although, having said that, there’s only so much I can talk about something that doesn’t really exist yet, and a holding page isn’t going to hold anyone’s attention for long!

As for the rest of the website, well, I’ve been working with the designers to agree some of the templates that will determine the overall look and feel of the site. Once we’ve sorted these out, they’ll be passed across to the ‘techie’ people who’ll begin building the thing. It’s a long slow process but I’m really pleased with what’s been done so far.

So, as I mentioned a couple of blogs ago, the only downside recently has been finding out that I didn’t get an award from UnLtd (www.unltd.org.uk), the organisation that supports social entrepreneurs. I’ve asked for some feedback but haven’t heard back yet - all they’ve told me so far, in the rejection letter, is that competition was really tough. Guess they were just trying to soften the blow, but I think I deserve a little more detail after all the effort that went into the application process. Have to say, though, that there are probably other people who need the money and support from UnLtd more than I do. After all, they’re working with lots of refugees who really have nothing and no way of getting a bank loan or anything like that. So, whilst I’m disappointed, I guess I’m not downhearted. If anything, it’s just made me even more determined to make this a big success!

And finally for today’s ‘bits and pieces’ blog, have you by any chance been watching ‘Millionaire’s Mission‘ on Channel 4 ? I have, and it’s been fascinating. Entrepreneurs worth millions and millions are actually, in many ways, quite ordinary. And yet, some of them, also quite extraordinary! I was so impressed with the ‘Teach Inn Uganda‘ project that Seb, Deirdre and Tony set up - if I didn’t have two small children I’d be off out there like a shot! Then again, thinking about it, perhaps I should take them with me??? And do a Mummo.co.uganda?!! Now there’s an idea …