Emily (Emi) Darnton made great use of her first maternity leave: “I decided to re-train and get qualified in skills that would enable me to set-up in business for myself”, she said.
The 40-year-old mother of two, who grew up in Hamble but now lives in Moreton in Marsh in the heart of the Cotswolds, had worked in a variety of roles. Latterly, she works in her husband, Russell’s, business, High Road Balloons, which runs the Virgin Hot Air Balloon franchise for the West Midlands.
“I decided that the Institute of Certified …

Hi, my name is Steffi Addison and I’m 26 years old.
My family consists of my partner Tom, our 11 month old daughter Millie, and my dog Poppy (she’s my other baby!)
I have a bachelor’s degree in Mental Health Nursing and I’m a registered Mental Health nurse. I always knew I wanted to something more, but I could never quite put my finger on it, being an Entrepreneur was not really on my radar for most of my life. Following the birth of my daughter, I threw myself into the world …

Hey I am Rebecca Lockwood a Master NLP Mindset Coach and the founder of The Female Entrepreneurs Network. I’m 28 years old and have been in business and sales since the age of 18.
Tell us about your family
I have 2 little girls born in 2015 and 2018 and I married my prince charming in 2016! My family have been a huge why for me starting my business and keep me going in the right direction.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the …

Want to know more about becoming a Scholastic Book Champion and running Scholastic Book Parties?
Digital Marketer Hayley recently ran a Scholastic Book Party at her daughter’s preschool’s fete and raised over £120. She tells us how she did it, what worked and what’s worth remembering.
“My daughter’s preschool is struggling with its funding at the moment. Faced with an increase in costs and trying to be a living wage employer, they are more reliant than ever on fundraising just to cover their day-to-day running costs. They recently held a fête …

My name is Aisha Alkhaja and I am 35 years old
My family consists of my husband John who co-founded Little Wren with me. We have one son called Lawrence (aka Wren) who has just turned two years old on the 6th of September 2018.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Management and a Master’s degree is Marketing Management. I have worked as a marketing executive, event planner, online marketing manager,  but I have also worked in retail as a customer assistant and in a hospital in medical records. So it …

I spoke to career expert Amanda Augustine from TopCV about all things job hunting – and being a busy working mum!
What is your full job title and what does your job involve?
I am the resident career advice expert at TopCV, which is the largest CV-writing service in the world. I am also a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW). My passion is helping professionals, whatever their age or stage, to improve their career and find the right job sooner by providing practical, tactical job-seeking advice.
What are …

When I broke my shoulder in June this year, the reality of running my business and looking after two sons under the age of three, as a single parent, hit hard.  My company, Cause4, was just about to move to new offices, there were training courses and workshops to be delivered nationwide, clients to service, staff to manage and deadlines to meet.  On top of that, my sons and I were moving to a new house in a rural part of Norfolk.  Being told that I couldn’t drive, lift, or …

Jenni Donato, age 38 is founder of Chance Coaching. Read on to find out about how she set up her business:
I’m a mother of 2 adorable children and the wife of an amazing husband – to anyone looking in – we probably seem completely normal, however at the age of 2.5 we found out my daughter had lived with a dislocated hip from birth, had a condition called hip dysplasia and needed a major operation, a cast from the waist down for at least 3 months, then learn to walk …

Don’t work with friends or family is often advice dished out by many in the business world and for good reason. That said, plenty of us still dive head first into the balancing act that is work and family life. Many end up working in the family business or starting something new with a loved one but for those without the experience of hindsight or experienced hands to guide them, getting things right from the outset is key. Ian & Joe Syer are two entrepreneurs who decided to take things …

I have been self-employed for almost my entire working life. Before my current business, I have run several businesses, including an arts funded digital arts and multimedia company and, more recently, CAMYOGA – one of the UK’s most recognised yoga brands.
My current business Stem + Glory grew from a lifelong passion for plant based foods. Both from a cooking perspective (I love to cook!) and a desire to help people lead healthier and more compassionate lives. I really do believe that the future is plant based and the environmental messages …