For part two of my ‘Women Living With Passion’ series I was lucky enough to attend the More FM Child and Baby Show and interview local Dunedin ladies doing what they love and showcasing their talents. Any event that brings together and celebrates women and mothers doing something they love is my kind of heaven. Every lady I spoke to was extremely passionate about the venture she was a part of. I scooped up their experiences, wisdom and advice and melded it together here for you all to enjoy.
I just love listening to ladies talk about their network marketing teams. It seems to be a way of working together that appeals to women and particularly mums. Motherhood can, for some, be an isolating and frugal time. Network marketing teams provide support, income, training and flexibility. It’s not a pyramid scheme but rather a mutually beneficial web of women working together. Any woman I’ve spoken to about their network marketing experience has literally glowed as they’ve told me about the brand they work with.
I just love listening to ladies talk about their network marketing teams. It seems to be a way of working together that appeals to women and particularly mums. Motherhood can, for some, be an isolating and frugal time. Network marketing teams provide support, income, training and flexibility. It’s not a pyramid scheme but rather a mutually beneficial web of women working together. Any woman I’ve spoken to about their network marketing experience has literally glowed as they’ve told me about the brand they work with.
Anna, Me (Bron), Janet and Melissa from Arbonne This was certainly true for Anna Crawford (seen on the left). She’s a self-confessed non sales person with little interest in selling skin care and yet, when I met her at the show, she was excitedly representing Arbonne. How can that be? Well, because Anna’s journey to working with Arbonne wasn’t about a mum trying to make a buck. Anna came across the botanically based products when she was on the search for skin products that could help her child’s eczema. A friend from the states sent her some product from Arbonne and she was amazed with the results. She’s joined the team because she wants to help spread the word that there is an alternative to steroid based creams that don’t cost the earth and are transparent about their ingredients. On top of that, Anna’s been able to create her own handpicked team, working with mums who want to earn money, feel supported and also have time with their children. “Arbonne are very much about the empowerment of women – being able to have their own business and not feel alone”. That’s a beautiful thing.
I also found some beautiful things when I popped over to Nicole Moore’s Bibblers stand - handmade bibs and teething rings with gorgeous prints and designs. I love hearing stories like Nicole’s. The story about the mum who looked for a product or service and when she couldn’t find it – she created it. That’s women, I feel, in a nut shell. We see needs and we fill them, I just love our gumption and get on with it attitudes. Nicole’s little boy got his first teeth at just 12 weeks old and to say he dribbled slightly would be a major understatement. Nicole grew frustrated trying to find dribble bibs that worked in the way they should and didn’t cost a fortune. She started making her own, people took notice and voila – a business was born. Nicole chatted with me about her process of trying different materials to find the perfect combination for durability, washability and absorption. Like so many mums doing what they’re passionate about, money isn’t the main motivator for Nicole. She likes being able to provide an affordable product that wasn’t available when she needed it. She loves seeing her bibs on bubbas when she’s out and about and importantly, she values the friendships she’s gained from selling her bibs to mums who need them. “Making friends once you’ve had children can be hard sometimes. It’s nice to have my business as an avenue for that”. I totally agree Nicole, having that supportive network is incredibly important.
The importance of support was also what Jorinde Robbers from Blossom Tree Home Based Early Childhood Care talked to me about when I caught up with her at her stand. Her journey to providing home-based care started when she began looking after her friend’s children at home (like great friends do). Meanwhile a friend of hers was providing home-based childcare and was feeling unsupported by the brand she worked for. Together they came up with the inspiring idea to create their own business with a Steiner inspired approach as well as resources and activities. By valuing, supporting and training her educators, Jorinde is doing her part to hold child care providers in high regard for the valuable service they provide. You should see the way these women smile when they talk about their businesses. Jorinde was no exception, her grin was ear to ear as the she told me how much she loves working with both her educators and watching the children thrive with the unique activities they provide. It’s the radiating smile that tells me this is a passion and much more than a business. She’s committed to providing a home-based care option for mums who want to work from home and feel valued via support and training. If you’re a mum thinking about doing home-based childcare, or looking for home-based care - come along and learn more about Blossom Tree at their free information evening. It's happening on Wednesday 5th October, 7pm at Blueskin Bay Library, 28 Harvey Street, Waitati. They’ll be teaching everyone about wet felting techniques, providing some nibbles and you can get to know their business. I’ll be there Jorinde!
I’ll also be at the Babywearing Walk and Picnic that the Otepoti Dunedin Carrier Library are doing on Sunday 9th October at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. The walk is to celebrate NZ Babywearing Week and since babywearing was such a godsend for me when I had Michaela, I will definitely be attending. I’m also inspired after speaking to Erin Ayoub from the Otepoti Dunedin Carrier Library which also had a stand at the show. Erin was introduced to babywearing when her mother was ill in hospital. Prams weren’t allowed where her mother was staying and so on top of being amazing for mums who have a baby who just will not be put down, babywearing allowed Erin to visit and be with her mum at a time when she was needed most. I’m sure there are many other mums out there who have stories about how babywearing allowed them to do things that would have been impossible otherwise. What I love about the Otepoti Dunedin Carrier Library is that they make it easy for mums to come and try on carriers and learn to use them properly. Mums can hire carriers for a small membership fee from their extensive library or bring their own to receive tips for no charge. Those meet ups are on the last Wednesday of the month at the Hub on Oxford street for all the mamas interested. They also recognise the need for mums to be able to chat to build relationships and community so they’ve started a coffee group also at the Hub on the second Thursday of each month. All of these ladies volunteer their time to help mums find the perfect carrier and use them properly which shows how passionate they are about the benefits of babywearing and the joy they get from seeing a mum finally find some peace.
Peace of mind is also what Dr Julie Bhosale provides via her business giving nutritional advice for pre and postnatal mums. Julie and I had a good laugh about the ridiculously high and unrealistic standards mums today place themselves under. It was Julie’s own experience into motherhood that inspired her to get out there and make a difference for mums. “I was feeling like I don’t know who I am and I don’t know what I’m doing. I was feeling so low. I thought, if I feel like this with all my expert knowledge, what do other mums feel like?” Bringing herself back into balance post baby has helped her pave the way for the many mums who follow her work. I love the way Julie talks about nutrition holistically – through food, sleep, movement, and life purpose. Of course it’s the nutrition part, especially for our children, that often sends stress levels through the roof for many mums. Julie’s way ahead of us with her book ‘Healthy, Easy Dinners for Busy Mums’ (the title sells itself really). It’s full of easy and creative recipes and Julie also likes to remind mums to be realistic. “If the kids have baked beans on toast one night, it’s going to be okay”. Thank goodness! I really felt like I could have chatted with Julie all day as she spoke passionately about women doing what brings them joy “just do it, friggin do it”. Hell to the yeah Julie, I’m with ya.
And here’s someone who's 'just doing it'. It’s my friend Becky Lazarević who launched herself into the world as an illustrator. Becky is the talented lady who drew my logo picture for Mothers United Movement and is also the illustrator for the well-known children’s book ‘I got you some kisses’. What inspires me about Becky is that she stays true to her style and remains in touch with the creative genius inside her. She had some her amazing pieces on display at the show and if you want to see more, head over to her website. www.beckylazarevic.com/
Donna, Karen and Mark My last chat of the day was with Karen, Donna and Mark at the Doodle Bug stand. The idea to do creative and custom height charts came to Karen when she was printing her son’s artwork on their wide set printer which they have for their printing business. The ability to print long designs opened the door for height charts which the team personalise for their clients. Karen shared, “It allows me to have some fun and be creative”. The team get great feedback from clients who love the personalised nature of the product which makes a great, inexpensive gift that can be taken from home to home. Mark chatted to me about the great team dynamic they have. Being parents of the same age bracket, they can relate to each other’s experiences and support each other. The team and their children feature in the brochure they had on their stand making the business truly a family affair. They support the Child Cancer Foundation with 5% of all height chart purchases being donated PLUS they can help you with your own fundraising through selling their awesome height charts. So many reasons to call and get to know this great team.
I had such a great time chatting to the people behind these businesses, I only wish I could have interviewed everyone! I’m looking forward to the next More FM Child and Baby Show so that I can get another dose of inspiration and passion.
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