Sarah Yandell

In this insightful interview, we connect with Sarah Yandell, the entrepreneurial force behind Yandell Coaching & Get Ahead Virtual Agency, and the proud mother of a 19-year-old daughter. Since launching her first business in 2003, a specialist tour operator she successfully sold in 2015, Sarah has spearheaded several ventures, including a travel agency, floristry business, and now her current focus on coaching and virtual outsourcing.

Yandell Coaching supports female business owners in scaling their enterprises, while the Get Ahead Virtual Agency specialises in providing virtual outsourcing solutions. Sarah's extensive experience and dedication to empowering women in business make her a compelling leader in her field.

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?

Having built a business unit from scratch for an international business and growing it to a team of 15 and $10m turnover; I took a year out to do an MBA full time and soon realised that entrepreneurship was the way to go, launching my first business in 2003.  In the years leading up to that I had hoped to become pregnant but it didn’t happen so we tried IVF unsuccessfully; and then as I was approaching 40 gave up and put everything into the new business; commuting to London daily and working long hours.

One year after launch I discovered I was pregnant!  The pregnancy was fine and I continued to commute into London.  The birth was awful.  I was induced and ended up having an emergency caesarean.  Eleanor arrived kicking and screaming and didn’t stop!  She was a poor sleeper and I was exhausted.

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?

The main challenge was in my head as I tried to work out what was most important to me - having a child or having a successful business.  It seemed impossible at the time to have both.  When I didn’t think I would be a mother I committed 100% to my business; so the emotional roller coaster when I managed to conceive was immense.  The main challenges were after her arrival; the lack of sleep and the guilt of leaving her in nursery and with a nanny. My husband was able to help with the nursery drop offs so I could get into London for 8.30; and I could catch up with my sleep on the train!

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

The first few months were the hardest.  The lack of sleep was the worst part; and trying to run meetings & work on financial budgets while being sleep deprived was the hardest thing I have ever done.  I got some help from my parents, though they didn’t live locally and got her a place at a nursery as soon as I could.  The guilt I felt from doing this was hard; but I also had a sense of relief; as she was such a demanding baby. 

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?

Managing my time became key; and this meant that recruiting the right people for my business was critical.  Once the sleepless nights became less frequent, my efficiency in terms of time was a major thing.  Having never been a clock watcher in my life, I now found myself organising work and meetings around ensuring that I could leave the office by 4.00pm so that I could be back to pick Eleanor up from nursery at 6pm. It became critical to build a leadership team so that I could cut back on my hours, especially as she got older and started school as I wanted to be able to take and pick her up from school as much as possible.

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

Having an excellent local nursery was a godsend in the preschool years.  Once she started school I was able to find an excellent nanny who had her own daughter who was a couple of years younger than Eleanor.  This arrangement worked out perfectly for us all.  The girls were both only children and loved spending time with each other.  I was working more flexibly at this point so we could share the pick ups throughout the week; and I had good local friends in my village who could help out when needed.

My mum, although living 2 hours drive away from me, was a constant support and inspiration to me.  She was always at the end of the phone when I needed a good cry and gave me just the right level of emotional support that I needed.

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?

Achieving a sense of balance is so important and this is what I have learnt from being a mother.  In my early career, I worked all hours, got home later, ate unhealthy food and was exhausted at the end of the day.  Being a mother is hard work but it is so different to work life with different challenges.  I believe that this has helped me become a better and more balanced person; and particularly now that I am coaching other female business owners.  It is so important to be able to take a step back from your business to get some perspective as to why you are doing what you are doing and be clear on your vision.

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

The lack of sleep was the biggest challenge as it is so hard to concentrate and make good decisions when you are sleep deprived.  I certainly made some mistakes because of this particularly when recruiting staff.  As the business grew, we recruited quickly just to deal with all the enquiries coming through but this just created more problems as the planning had not been done properly.  This extended to making mistakes with the initial leadership team; which set us back in our growth.

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?

In the early years, I had very little contact with working mothers, let alone entrepreneurial mothers; and felt very isolated and often guilty.  The usual mum & baby groups were great to a point but I missed the stimulus of talking about business; so it would have been ideal to be able to mix with other female entrepreneurs at a similar stage in their journey. 

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?

It was very much a case of learning on your feet.  Having a mix of child care and being able to scale the business so it was not dependent on me being there all the time was essential; as well as becoming much stricter with my time.

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?

Just do it!  Think of it as balance rather than juggling. You can have it all; with the right mindset; though I admit that having just one child has made it a lot easier!

I will quote directly from Eleanor, who has just completed her first year at university:

“I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you as my mum.  You’ve done so much for me and I look up to you so much for being able to run your own business and be economically independent.  I think I’ve been able to be such a strong minded and independent person because of how I’ve grown up, and just wanted to let you know I always appreciate you. Love you.”