Emily Ellis

We explore the inspiring journey of Emily, a remarkable female entrepreneur who seamlessly juggles the demands of running a business and raising a young child, gaining insights into how she manages to thrive in both roles. Emily's story is a testament to the resilience and determination required to succeed in both arenas.

Can you share your journey of entrepreneurship from the time you decided to start your business to where you are now, considering the significant milestones of trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum?

I started my business on maternity leave with my second son. I then went back to work and continued to run my business alongside my 3-days-a-week job in the corporate world. Plot twist…. I was pregnant with my 3rd baby, which wasn’t planned and I now say was the best surprise ever. But this was a challenge in trying to navigate managing my business and 3 kids, two of whom were under 2, and my business also under 2 years old... So I only took 4 months off work.

With 3 kids in childcare and a round of redundancies happening, it made sense to leave my employed role and focus solely on my business.

I was running my business part-time, with the most incredible childminder making it possible. Then Covid hit. I was 6 months post-officially leaving my employed role, but from a Covid support point, was still classed as employed, so didn’t get any financial support. I was home alone with 3 kids age 6, 2 and a baby as my husband was a key worker, trying to keep my business going. 

From a Covid support point, I was still classed as employed, so didn’t get any financial support.

A chance conversation and me seizing an opportunity lead to me launching ‘WorkBabyLife’. In the midst of it all, I was very poorly. I completely lost my balance. On reflection, I think I actually experienced burnout - thankfully my family supported me and I successfully launched my business, which 4 years on is continuing to grow.

What were the unique challenges you faced as a female entrepreneur while going through the process of trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum? How did you navigate these challenges?

• Lack of financial support from the government

• Lack of cover/team – sole responsibility to keep going.

How did you manage your business responsibilities while dealing with the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy and post-partum recovery?

The irony was I was supporting other parents through pregnancy and post-partum, when I was the same. I remember teaching a baby massage class and talking to a group of mums about sleep and how tough it was, and how well they were doing to have got themselves out the house and to the class.

Yet I had a baby younger than some of theirs, and I was still healing from my C-section. I had lugged in 20 towels and 10 yoga mats and hadn’t slept more then an hour at a time for long time. I had battled 3 kids to childcare and was there wanting to fall apart and cry, but thinking I have to keep going as I have to make this work now. No one else can do it for me and If I don’t all my hard work building the business for the last year will be wasted.

I was there wanting to fall apart and cry, but thinking I have to keep going as I have to make this work now.

I think that was my worry more at that point than money, was that there was no one else to do it and I’d worked hard to build it. I didn’t just want to loose it all.

I think having good friends to listen and support and be my cheerleader, boost my confidence and remind me why I was doing it all was what helped me cope.

Did you experience any changes in your entrepreneurial mindset or approach during pregnancy or after becoming a mother? If so, how did these changes manifest?

I felt more determined than ever to make work, work around my family, and not be chained to the corporate life. I love that the work I do is about making work better for other parents too.

What support systems or resources were most beneficial to you during your journey as an entrepreneur navigating pregnancy and motherhood?

Having a great childminder and a  business coach to support my mindset..

Reflecting on your experience, what are some successes or achievements in your business that you attribute to your journey through trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum?

My whole business is born out of my experiences; none of it would have happened if I hadn’t become a parent and faced the challenges I have.

Conversely, what were some of the biggest obstacles or setbacks you encountered as a female entrepreneur during this period? How did you overcome them?

Being seen as the default parent - by my husband, family, school, childcare, and society. I have used Eve Rodsky’s “Fair Play” methodology to set up my home life more equitably - it’s a work in progress, but huge steps forward from where I was.

Also, not being taken seriously as an entrepreneur. This is less so in the client world, I think, because of the nature of the work I do. Being a female mum who is an entrepreneur and worked part-time has always been very accepted. But in general, I found people dismissive, and as if me leaving the corporate job to be an entrepreneur was a step down somehow. I’m not sure if this is because I had a franchise business first, or because I was a mum of 3 kids, but I felt that many people saw it as ‘my little business’. Now, 4 years on, it is growing and I’ve proved everyone wrong. I’m so proud and excited for what’s next.

In general, I found people dismissive, and as if me leaving the corporate job to be an entrepreneur was a step down somehow. 

In hindsight, what additional support or resources do you wish you had access to during your journey through entrepreneurship while being pregnant and a new mother?

More financial support in the early days. The costs of childcare can make life really tough when starting out as an entrepreneur.

I heard about co-working spaces in New Zealand for mums/parents with babies/toddlers with childcare on site - now that would have been awesome.

I think I have found  a tribe of other female mums in business more recently on LinkedIn, but I wish I had this sooner as inspiration and guidance.

How did you balance the demands of entrepreneurship with the needs of your child during their early years? What strategies or techniques proved most effective for you?

I always had a Mummy day with them, so although other days got crazy with work as ‘WorkBabyLife’ started to grow, my Wednesdays were always for my boys. There was nothing that couldn’t be done in nap time, or wait until they were in bed, or the next day. I fiercely protected that time, and made sure I created memories with them.

I also learnt to ask for and accept help from my family and friends and drop the superwoman act.

Finally, learning to say NO - for example, my eldest is 10 and I still haven’t got involved in the PTA, which to most of my friends is a miracle as I’ve always been a people pleaser. However, to balance business and my family, I had to learn to say no and accept I can’t do everything, even if I can fit in a lot!  

Looking ahead, what advice would you offer to other female entrepreneurs who are either considering starting a family or are already juggling entrepreneurship and motherhood?

• Be realistic in your expectations; you cannot do it all. Choose what is most important to you, what you enjoy most and what only you can do. Stop, reduce, delegate, or outsource the rest both from a work, parenting and personal perspective.

• Check out “Fair Play” by Eve Rodsky. (I’m not on commission but the book changed my life). Set your home life up as equitably as possible, and shed some of the mental load by asking for and accepting help.

• Know your ‘why’ and always come back to it. If you stick with that and choose work that aligns to your values, you are likely doing great role-modelling to your children. Let your babies be the fire that ignites you to achieve more if that’s what you want. They absolutely don’t need to stop you.

• Surround yourself with other female entrepreneurs who are mums and who get it, as inspiration, mentors and guides.