14 kids! In one place at the same time! FORTEEN 4-year-olds running around in a sugar rush – can you hear that noise? It’s a birthday party for my little girl and all her friends are here.
I am sooooo glad I didn’t do it at home and hired a bouncy castle place instead… can you imagine cleaning up the mess? I’d be finding glitter, candies, and bits and bobs for a month afterwards.
4th Birthday of my little girl, coincidentally (or not) is the 4th anniversary of being my own boss,.
While kids were playing and making all that noise I somehow found myself going down the memory lane and reflecting on all that has happened in the past 48 months, all that I have achieved, all that I didn’t….
When I made the decision to set up my own business, I was pregnant with my baby girl. You might be thinking that must have been hormones making this decision for me. You’d be wrong. I had it all thought through and I knew exactly what I was doing.
With pregnancy, maternity leave and all that time to think – I knew I didn’t want to go back to my old 9-5 and most definitely to work full time. I knew I wanted to be a mum to my baby, watch her first steps, see her personality develop and capture all of those firsts I had coming my way. I have read and seen too many stories of parents missing out on family life because they got lost in the job or business and later regret it.
But let’s face it, motherhood is one thing but the bills still have to be paid right?
And there was my own independence and ambition too!
So I started thinking how could I be flexible, have quality time to enjoy my baby but still contribute to the household? It wouldn’t be fair on my husband and I would not feel comfortable if I didn’t.
And so – KCurryVA was born!
I wanted to utilize 17 years of skills and experience and to continue to serve others but I also wanted to take this opportunity to do it on my own terms. That meant – for people who truly valued me.
Even though I was determined it was terrifying at first.
Did I really have the skills to make this a success?
Would it give me the life I wanted, the income I needed and the time at home I dreamt about?
I had my doubts and the fear led me to keeping a part time job, just in case, that I could easily work around.
I knew it was going to be hard work, but I never imagined, or no one told me, it would take this long.
Was I naive?
Absolutely!
Surely everyone knows you can’t build a business overnight? I mean, it’s all over Social Media – Build your 6 figure business in 90 days, take your business to 5 figure in 3 months with these 3 simple steps….
It’s all BS and marketing! Truth is – it takes hard work, dedication and most of all the right support.
Despite initial setbacks and realisation that it will be a lot more difficult than I thought I was still excited. This was a challenge, an opportunity to prove my worth to myself and I was going at it full force. In preparation and in learning I joined some fantastic groups that gave me the advice I needed to get set up. I completed some courses that gave me the tools, covered all the bases and started to get my name out there.
And then, as it happens, life shows its funny way of testing my determination and my own resolve.
Just as I thought I was ready to take over the world I found myself pregnant again with my second. And I was still on maternity leave with my princess!
Doubts and fear crept in again!
What am I doing?
I surely can’t raise two kids and build a business!?
I still hadn’t even secured my first client.
Was this a pipedream that would never come to fruition?
In panic everything took a side-line – the business, my ‘job’, my social life, even to some extent, my marriage. Before and foremost I had to come to terms with being a mum of two tiny little people that depended on me for EVERYTHING!
That was a scary thought. But it was also the motivating one.
Overcoming myself was the hardest part for me. I had some really low moments when I believed I would never be good enough. I had no idea what I was doing. I struggled with the thought of being a mum to two. I struggled with everything and I struggled everyday.
And when my second child was born all of my fears intensified. It just got a little bit harder.
It took me a while to bond with my little boy because I was scared.
Scared that I couldn’t love him as much as my first. Scared I couldn’t divide my time equally. Scared I would end up failing both of them, emotionally, physically and financially.
I had a fantastic support network around me but they didn’t really know what I was feeling, despite their best intentions and no matter how much they cared. I just couldn’t tell them. I bet you know how that feels.
I was on my own! I was stuck in my own head and didn’t know where to turn.
This is the moment when the motivation sneaks in quietly, as if a shy ray of light into a dark room and everything slowly starts looking different. One day I just realised – I had no choice! I HAD to make this work.
Picking myself up and getting moving took some time and it was a slow process but I got some help and my focus began to shift.
I’ve decided to leave my self pity and misery behind and the business became a priority. I reviewed everything I had set up 18 months previously, got my website up and running, started managing my marketing and social media and very quickly secured my first client. It began to feel like everything was slotting into place. Even my time with family began to feel more natural and I began to feel more in control.
Since that time I have learned so much, I have laughed and cried, I had my doubts again and I had many successes. I have rebranded, changed many things, focused my services and nailed my processes.
BUT I didn’t do it alone. I’ve learned early on that growing this business was not a one man job. So I went out and I sought out people who could support me. I made sure to bring a level of expertise I didn’t have and do what I thought needed to be done so I could best serve my clients.
Of course I still have days where I question everything. Every now and then when an enquiry doesn’t convert to a contract I sometimes feel disheartened but I know the most important thing is to just keep going, keep showing up, keep doing me. It will all pay off in the end.
With my team, which I’ve built over the last 4 years, with my determination and motivation that is now unshakable, thanks to my kids, I look forward to what the future will bring because I know that I am on the way up.
In the last 12 months alone I have opened my business up into an agency, grown the team from just a couple of people to 17 incredibly talented VA’s, Marketers, Technicians and Coaches, increased my client base exponentially and still found time to allow my family to be my highest priority.
I am grateful for what I have achieved but I look forward to doing so much more.
Whenever things start to get tough, I look at those beautiful babies and I know I am doing the right thing. All of this is for them, to give them the life they deserve and because of that, I will keep going and I will be the success I know I can be.
And I will know that I’ve done my best.
p.s. What’s your story?