Reflecting on Work/ Life Balance and the Beauty of Blogging

The reason I pivoted into a blogging and vlogging career from TV directing back in 2010 was first and foremost so I could spend more time with my baby son, Oliver, now 8, moving from an inflexible and stifling career which often meant weeks away from my child to one which provided me with a well paid, fulfilling and flexible career.

Thank goodness for the advent of digital!

Being one of the first bloggers in the UK in November 2010 was simply down to luck. I was most definitely in the right place at the right time and thanks to my experience in the media industry, I was able to capitalise on the medium, writing quickly and prolifically, building an ever- evolving personal brand as I went.

As cray as it sounds, I feel like we grew together, the internet and I.

From day one my blog has nourished me, and continues to, proving to be a gift that simply keeps on giving. Unlike the film and tv industry with 100% effort repaying 50% back, digital life and SEO was the opposite. A little goes a long way. Empowering news for time-short mummy bloggers.

Back then, I could work at night or when the baby slept on my chest, as I punched away at posts, some I was paid for the pleasure.

As my business grew and thankfully flourished, there have been times, many times over the years, where I’ve struggled with balance and even felt I’d lost control over my career, the sole reason I started the blog in the first place.

Some days felt like epic fails as I got school dates wrong in my bid to try to please everyone, spreading myself as thinly as butter, and other days brought great wins with literal awards, and happy kids travelling the world.

It’s vital to be honest and share that were times when my career became frantic and overwhelming, where the plates I found myself spinning felt too fast and too furious, that I was exhausted and felt burnt out, where the juggle had become too much…

The rollercoaster was real.

But those manic days are long gone now, and have been for quite a while. I’ve found a new, positive rhythm and way of working (and the ability of saying yes, and no, to what matters and what doesn’t) and I get tons of quality time with my kids, rarely missing school functions, and simply enjoying our lives together, mostly baking (our favourite thing to do together) or enjoying the great outdoors (Windsor, we love you). I rarely find myself playing with my kids, with one eye on our game, the other on my phone these days… I’ve finally found greater cohesion between my work and family life, and true balance, and it feels pretty magical if I’m honest.

I have an amazing manager in Jack Freud and the overwhelm has gone.

I’m almost 8 years in and feel while sacrifices were made as they always are to grow my business, my long-term success relies on consistent balance, and being content as a priority. Health is wealth hey.

Now, I’m working on my own time and terms and feel empowered for it.

As always, I’m working with brands I use, and love while writing candid pieces just like this, on motherhood, work, how to grow a business, and mostly plant-based food, blogging whatever takes my fancy, when I fancy, for myself (it’s my therapy) and for you of course: my readers who I have to thank for this being my career full stop.

My mission is to make a difference, however big or small that might be. I need to be of service to anyone who stumbles across the blog or who has followed me for years.

It was the case when I was a GCSE English Teacher aged 22, and then as a filmmaker making social docs and drama, and now, as a blogger, vlogger and self-help author. I’m an over-sharer and thank goodness for that because all that I know, and have learnt and will continue to learn, I will pass on and share, to help support, liberate and empower you. Honesty will set us all free.

It’s no exaggeration to state that this blog has changed mine and my family’s lives.

It’s given me a public voice in which to communicate and connect with others in a meaningful and also easy and instant way while putting bread on the table, and providing once in a lifetime opportunities for my kids (see collabs with Oscar winner Brad Bird, TV star David Walliams, and chef Jamie Oliver among others) while offering me endless motivation and get-up-and go every single day. It’s given me purpose.

This blog is the first place I go to write, to process, and understand myself better and the world around me and was an emotional lifeline when I suffered a traumatic birth with my first son, playing a vital part in rediscovering my voice and identity again.

I literally cannot imagine my life without my site.

If you want to start a blog, do please consider buying my book Mumboss-The Honest Mum’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving at Work and at Home which shares all that I know about a digital career, and more.

 

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