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It has been great to be featured in Yahoo Finance twice in 2021, talking about how to prioritise at work and asynchronous video interviews! See links below for full articles.

 Ladies Lounge Radio Show for Academy FM!
I am passionate about promoting flexible working opportunities in the local area, so I was honoured to be guest speaker for Academy FM in November 2019. 

Flexible working does not necessarily mean part-time, it can be job sharing, working from home, compressed hours, remote working, term-time, project work, flexi-time, annualised hours, anything that isn’t the usual 9-5 in the workplace. 

I talked about the lack of understanding of what the benefits are to both employees and employers. I believe that if flexible working is embedded into an organisation in the right way, it can help an organisation to flourish. It increases retention, reduces sickness, helps to attract candidates to the organisation, increases well-being, reduces stress and commuting time. It can have a massive impact on increasing productivity, reducing the gender pay gap and addressing talent shortages by maximising uptapped talent pools. 

Employees need to be trusted to do their jobs and monitored on output rather than hours. Employers will then be rewarded with loyalty and productivity, providing an agile workforce adaptable to the ever changing business climate. 
I really enjoyed being interviewed by the founder of Ashford Mumprenuers!
I launched my career coaching business back in October 2018. I specialise in helping people return to work after a career break or helping people who want to make a career change. As I am a mum of two young children myself, I predominantly attract clients who are mums looking to return to work or who are looking to make a change to achieve more flexibility and balance within their careers. My passion is to help people find work they love, to be happy in their work and have the confidence to follow their dreams and reach their full potential. I provide one to one coaching sessions and I run small workshops on making career transitions and returning to work. I also provide practical help such as practice interview sessions. I love to help clients break down barriers which are holding them back from living the lives they truly want and deserve!

What made you start up as a Mumpreneur? 
I took voluntary redundancy when I was pregnant with my second child to spend some time bringing them up. After a three year career break I wanted to do something I’m passionate about and to be able to work flexibly around my family. 
What have you most enjoyed about being a Mumpreneur so far? 
The freedom to create my own business to represent my values and beliefs and to contribute to topics I am passionate about such as promoting flexible working opportunities in Kent.
What is the main challenge you’ve faced as a Mumpreneur? 
The hours you need to put in to set up your own business that you don’t get paid for! 
What, if anything, would you have done differently? 
Put less pressure on myself as you can only achieve so much in a day if you want to balance life with your family. 

What key piece of advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking the plunge? 
It’s hard work and is a rollercoaster of emotions, however so rewarding and fulfilling. If you would like to become a Mumpreneur and you have always wanted to run your own business then go for it! One thing I work on with my clients is that there will never be the “right” time, it’s easier to stay in your comfort zone and say “I’ll do it one day.” The time is now and fear is what holds people back. Fear of failure, fear of what will others think, or fear of not being good enough. It’s ok to fail, don’t worry about what others think and you ARE good enough! 
Is there anything else you’d like to add? 
 Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and encourage you. My favourite quote is Mark Twain, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
It was a pleasure to be interviewed by www.forworkingmamas.com.

In 10 days time, I’ve got to stand up in front of a room of 25 people to do a presentation, and I’m so nervous. Any tips for me on how to sound confident (even if I don’t feel it)?

I find that visualisation techniques work well with clients to help them with these situations.
Before the presentation, spend 5 minutes imagining the presentation being a huge success and surpassing your expectations. You feel really confident, the content is well received, the audience is fully engaged and you are inundated with positive feedback afterwards. Jump up and down a few times just before to get the energy pumping (maybe in the toilets so nobody can see you!) Believe you can smash it and you will!

I’m really struggling to switch off from work when I’m at home (which is exhausting, and isn’t fair to my family). It doesn’t help that I’m continuously getting work emails on my phone. Any advice to help me switch off?

Switching off from work can be a tricky one in this day and age, but vitally important for your well-being. Set up a schedule for your week and plan in family time and time for you, even if it’s just catching up on your favourite TV program. Limit time on social media and stick to it. Turn off notifications so you don’t spend time throughout the day checking emails. Dedicate a chunk of time to reply to them all in one go, this is much more efficient and enables you to be more present with your family. No technology Sunday‘s is a good family habit to get into, plus spending time in nature helps you to switch off.
I need a confidence boost. At home I feel so strong and capable looking after my baby girl. But as soon as I get into work, it’s as if I’m a different person and I don’t believe I can do anything. Why do I feel this way, and can you help me?

This is a really common feeling for return to work mums, you are not alone! What you need to remember is that you have all the skills and experience you had before you had children, none of it has been taken away, you have just pressed the pause button. It’s an adjustment phase and you need to be kind to yourself. I offer one to one coaching and workshops to help mums return to work and have been there myself (twice!) I help my clients build confidence by looking at their mindset and exploring what is holding them back from reaching their full potential. There is also increasing support from employers and the government to help people return to work after a career break, for example, more flexible working opportunities. Don’t be afraid to talk to your support network as you will discover lots of mums feel this way and you are more than good enough!
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