00:00:04:17 - 00:00:26:20

Lucy

Welcome to today's episode of masturbation, the podcast by mums and Co. Today we are diving into the world of pleasure that is the art of combining business with leisure. A term coined by today's guest author, speaker and coach Emma Level. Emma has been a part of our mums and co community for over four years now.

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00:00:26:22 - 00:00:52:10

Lucy

I think she joined us right after the birth or maybe just before of her son Finn, and it's been so exciting to watch her business grow. When we first met Emma, she was at the helm of, communications business and the host of her own podcast, which is still running today. And over the past 18 months or so, she's focused on blending her passion for travel and business and even wrote a book about it.

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00:00:52:12 - 00:01:07:07

Lucy

Leisure was published earlier this year, and it's taken Emma and her family in tow on an incredible global adventure, promoting both the book and her retreat series. So we can't wait to dive into her journey today.

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00:01:09:02 - 00:01:11:10

Lucy

Emma, welcome back to my ambition.

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00:01:11:10 - 00:01:20:22

Emma

for having me. It's lovely to be a repeat guest. And it is quite interesting that we're talking about something. A few years ago, I wouldn't have imagined that we'd be here talking about

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00:01:21:21 - 00:01:43:19

Lucy

Exactly. And I yeah, I really want to get stuck into that because it's it's amazing what unfolds, on the business journey. And you're a great example of that. But to kick us off, as you know, we are all about making business connections. So could you please share with us your 32nd elevator pitch so we can share your business and your book with our network?

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00:01:43:19 - 00:02:05:12

Emma

I am a I'm a level A, the pleasure coach. Which means that I harmonize business, travel, and self-care. I'm a speaker, author, and coach, and my role is to inspire, motivate, and encourage people to live a life they love. So they get to decide what that looks like, what that combination of business, travel, and self-care looks like.

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00:02:05:18 - 00:02:18:22

Emma

And I role model it by doing it in my own life. I run retreats. I deliver presentations. I will have a course coming soon, and the easiest way to work with me is by reading my book, the Art of pleasure.

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00:02:18:22 - 00:02:22:10

Lucy

Fantastic page. And so much to unpack there.

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00:02:22:10 - 00:02:25:02

Lucy

If we asked you how does your business help?

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00:02:25:02 - 00:02:26:09

Lucy

How would you respond to that?

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00:02:26:09 - 00:02:27:14

Emma

My business helps,

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00:02:27:14 - 00:02:46:03

Emma

Helps me. It helps people, I guess. Both. It helps. I think my business helps both of us to have freedom. And we sign ups to run businesses, to have freedom. And then I think sometimes we find ourselves in a position where we don't have the freedom we require. Maybe we thought we were getting out of potentially a 9 to 5.

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00:02:46:03 - 00:03:07:11

Emma

I mean, I started my business in uni, so I never really did it, but I didn't want that. And then you end up with a potentially 24 seven job because you don't switch off from, running something that you love. And being a relatively small business or potentially solopreneur, it's all on you. But then it still can provide you that freedom.

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00:03:07:11 - 00:03:32:20

Emma

It becomes a choice. So I have I'm so grateful for the freedom that my businesses provided me. And, I think especially coming into motherhood, people said, you are in such a great position having this business. I was quite terrified of how the business would go, but it is a blessing. And then I think being a mum, your boundaries get pretty rock solid when you have a child because I don't want my time impacted with my son.

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00:03:32:22 - 00:03:55:06

Emma

And so I got a lot more efficient and, productive with the time that I did have, so that I can have that freedom to do what I love, which is spending time with my gorgeous boys, my husband and my son, and traveling the world. So, yeah, I think, I then help other people to make sure they're getting that freedom that they signed up for and but also freedom in life.

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00:03:55:08 - 00:04:00:05

Emma

I do work with people, who are working in corporate. I think,

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00:04:00:05 - 00:04:13:09

Emma

we just don't make the most of our time sometimes. And we think the only way to travel is to do this huge adventure. Travel is having new experiences. So that could be going to a new restaurant, going out to a walk in a new place or having a long weekend.

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00:04:13:09 - 00:04:22:12

Emma

It doesn't have to be this huge extravaganza. It's about deciding what you love and making time for that. No matter what your work situation

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00:04:22:12 - 00:04:50:03

Lucy

I absolutely love that. And, we're recording this at the end of the year, and I just want to be jumping into that reality right now. It's such it's such great advice. And you absolutely live you know, you live your values. As someone who's watched you over the last few years, Olivia, social media and working really, really hard to get where you are and just to touch on you've talked there about you didn't want to really compromise on the time that you had with your son.

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00:04:50:05 - 00:05:05:01

Lucy

And your husband is, while still tapping into your ambition and your business, which is obviously hugely a part of our values here at Mums and Co two in terms in terms of being unapologetic about blending those two aspects of our life. But

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00:05:05:01 - 00:05:09:23

Lucy

what have you changed in order to make sure that you're productive as well?

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00:05:10:01 - 00:05:27:19

Lucy

So I've seen some great posts of yours where you're, you know, you're doing work well, little thin sleeping and things like that. But like, what are some of the ways that you've disrupted yourself in order to boost your productivity while you're managing the business? And family life.

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00:05:27:19 - 00:05:41:23

Emma

asking for help. Getting that. We talk about the village, and it's not just the business, the, life village. It's also the business village. So one of the things that I did when I was pregnant was really getting support in the business, as an ongoing, as a non negotiable.

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00:05:42:05 - 00:05:51:06

Emma

And I was at a planning day actually yesterday and she talked about 20% of your revenue should be going to team or should be going to outsourcing if you want to grow.

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00:05:51:06 - 00:05:59:04

Emma

We just cannot do everything ourselves. And it comes a point where you're giving along a good at though is good at those things as other people.

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00:05:59:06 - 00:06:13:00

Emma

And so it was that thing where I think I would get help in and then let it go again, you know, so you even, let's say, look at the home you go and get a cleaner for a little while and then we let them go again. It's like, no, this is just part of our lives. The play comes once a fortnight.

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00:06:13:02 - 00:06:27:14

Emma

I have a VA five hours a week. I have a bookkeeper, you know, and that does feel like you could do it yourself. I was like, no, I won't do it myself. I'll put it off for months. It'll become a big job. But a while my mind, it's not my skill set and it's certainly not what I enjoy doing.

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00:06:27:16 - 00:06:47:11

Emma

So I think asking for help, potentially needing to set aside, an amount for that help. And then, you know, there are also the help that I get is the family help, too. So we get family or friends to help so that I get that time. And then it was, you know, having a bit of a, I guess, a hard talk with yourself.

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00:06:47:13 - 00:07:07:00

Emma

I'm currently reading eat the Frog. I've never read the book, but I had new the concept of even written emails about it and shared that with my network. But I'm really reading it because so often we put off the big task, or we put off the most important thing and you go, well, if I had two hours today, sometimes I don't have two hours, sometimes I have 30 minutes.

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00:07:07:02 - 00:07:12:14

Emma

What is the thing that's going to move my business forward? And more often than not, that following up leads

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00:07:12:14 - 00:07:27:17

Emma

a reply. You know, I had a media email this morning reply to the media email because that's going to lead to opportunities. Reply to, you know, the thing that's actually going to move the business forward or it's kind of like, well, if we don't do this, it doesn't move the project forward.

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00:07:27:19 - 00:07:36:22

Emma

When you have limited capacity. And I really had that in the book deadline to I was experiencing extreme grief whilst also trying to publish a book. It was like,

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00:07:36:22 - 00:07:50:03

Emma

I will only do the things that have to be done today. And so I think when you're forced into a situation with that, when you have a young child, you really quickly learn what is actually important and what are the things that we're doing that have a lot of fluff, to be honest.

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00:07:50:05 - 00:08:14:05

Emma

And I've kind of been focusing in something I'll be focusing on in January, in 2025, as we do the whole, delegate, automate, eliminate that sort of, process. There's like a full grid I can't think of. I think we've talked about it before. But often we go to delegate, which I think is great, but I'm going to be focusing on, eliminating or deleting, which I was not usually very good at.

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00:08:14:07 - 00:08:26:17

Emma

What are the tasks that we don't need to be doing at all? What are the things that I do want to be doing that I actually enjoy? And as I said, move the business forward. Doing a podcast with you both that that is something I love and I do believe

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00:08:30:01 - 00:08:47:16

Lucy

I love that. And it's and it's very obvious that to be able to get there you also need to be really clear on your values as well which you clearly are. And, but and also to your point I think when we have children those values become even more clear. So it's definitely an art to balancing it all.

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00:08:47:18 - 00:09:03:02

Lucy

Look forward to seeing how that unfolds for you next year as well. Some good goals. Your business is involved at the same time that I suppose, I has come into our lives in, in all its various forms. How do you feel about AI and

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00:09:03:02 - 00:09:06:19

Lucy

have you and how have you implemented it in your business?

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00:09:06:19 - 00:09:24:17

Emma

Lisa, you and I come from a writing background is. I think there's always that little bit of hesitancy, you know, learning a new tool. So it's always a bit of a, Okay. Another thing to do. I think it's one of those things. It's a tool we've got to remember. It's a tool, and you can work with it.

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00:09:24:19 - 00:09:46:00

Emma

I think there's times where I was resistant, but then I see how it's helped. One of the biggest things that to me, like you said, my values are very clear. My voice is very clear. I was concerned about that. I would that inauthenticity. That would always be my worry on my wrist. But because one of the things it's great.

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00:09:46:00 - 00:10:08:20

Emma

I do have so much content. I am so clear on how I sound. You can use the tool then, like train the tool to work with you. And I think where I forget sometimes as well is it's not just a content creation. I think for content creation, it's an idea generation. So I do enjoy when I remember that and I use it to bounce ideas.

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00:10:08:22 - 00:10:29:17

Emma

And kind of work with it. And, you know, they say that you treat it like a chatty. It's like, hey, I've got a question for you and kind of have a conversation with it. So I have a little bit more time and I can have a play. I think it's more fun. And getting in the practice in the habit of using it, if you're just going and chucking stuff at it, like any tool generally is good, is the way you use it.

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00:10:29:18 - 00:10:51:00

Emma

So spend a little bit of time. I've actually just been through a program I'm in, gifted an AI course, and I'm really going through it step by step to go maximizing it. Am I doing the prompts as well as I could? How can I set this up so that it actually can work with me? And then always just coming back to, I'm not going to put out stuff that's not authentic.

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00:10:51:02 - 00:11:14:18

Emma

That's not doesn't sound like me. Because photos and people, my audience knows, like there's been times where they know and they'll get that doesn't feel like you or that's not on brand. So, it's nice that people have people little hold me accountable and I it just would feel it if I wasn't true to that. So learn how to use the tool and it can really help you

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00:11:14:20 - 00:11:26:01

Lucy

Yeah 100%. Great point. And I love that idea of using it as a as a colleague. I just need a colleague as a bit of a brains trust to bounce ideas off. Very important for

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00:11:26:22 - 00:11:36:16

Carrie

And you could. You could specify what type of colleague you can select. Act as your colleague.

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00:11:36:16 - 00:11:39:20

Emma

and eloquent and efficient,

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00:11:40:03 - 00:11:43:19

Lucy

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Thank you for that.

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00:11:43:21 - 00:12:16:23

Carrie

Now, and my list you mentioned, you know, your beautiful boy, earlier, your beautiful son. And he's, you know, your business has grown. Your child has grown. And and I wanted, you know, obviously being mums and co, we've got a lot of small business owning women that are mums in our community. What have you found to be the most transferable skill between motherhood and business owning, ownership?

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00:12:17:01 - 00:12:38:08

Carrie

And I wanted to extend that to has a change from the baby stage to now. The phase that you're in, which is kind of. Is it you would you be at, at the toddler stage or. Okay, you have to leave it on the stage. Yes.

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00:12:38:08 - 00:12:46:06

Emma

boy. He'll be four, so I should to Google that. People like, when does toddler? It's sort of technically like 18 months to four. So January, that will change.

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00:12:46:12 - 00:13:00:06

Carrie

Yeah. So the school like. Yeah. Is your preschool toddler and then it goes into the schooling primary school phase. And then there's a couple of there's a couple others after that too. So.

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00:13:00:12 - 00:13:20:15

Emma

I think I'm in a, I don't know if we talked about it the last time that I spoke to on the podcast, but I think I've been in an interesting position because I know that some of the mums, in business start a business because they have their children and they need that more flexibility and freedom. So they go into working themselves out of that need.

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00:13:20:17 - 00:13:40:16

Emma

I think I was in a different position in that, I ran my business for like 12 years, 11 years before and then had a child. So yeah, there is that really before and after. And it was a really, I was very fearful, honestly, when I was pregnant, about how will the business survive. And I kept looking to other there are other women doing it.

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00:13:40:16 - 00:14:06:05

Emma

Like, surely I can do it there. People who have six children and businesses like I could do it with one. But I think, I guess you know what, to answer your question, the transferable skill would probably be that project management or being able to manage so many things, like as a small business owner, freelance, you sometimes you're managing eight clients at once, sometimes, you know, you're doing all the all the things, all the hats.

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00:14:06:07 - 00:14:30:09

Emma

You're the accountant, the marketing, the, you're a manager, you're CEO, you're a technician. You're all the different roles. And so I think then when you apply that to motherhood, you kind of, you said stepping into another role, your your project, managing your home, your project, managing childcare, your project, managing today, project managing the grandparents and the coordination of, you know, my in-laws handing over to my mother.

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00:14:30:09 - 00:14:56:21

Emma

So then between the podcast, you know, that's you have to manage multiple things. And so I think even though I would say project management especially my favorite thing, I'm probably quite good at it because I've had to manage so many things at once. Client needs as well as the business requirements. So you learn that you can hold quite a lot at once and you inadvertently have to be quite organized.

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00:14:56:21 - 00:15:20:01

Emma

So despite the fact it in my head it feels a bit like chaos and I, I, I would like to be this one so it looks very graceful and lovely and beautiful, but my legs are going a million miles an hour, below the surface. So I think project project management in it, just knowing that when, when the time comes, you can manage more than you would imagine.

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00:15:20:07 - 00:15:37:01

Carrie

Great skill. And I love how you use the swan instead of the. The duck. Which is just added. Adds another level of, grace and, sort of smoothness to it. So.

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00:15:37:01 - 00:15:56:01

Emma

with my, it was really interesting because my grandmother lived by the river and there were swans near her home. So that makes me think of her. And I'm going to get a swan tattoo in honor of her. But then during my book writing process, my author, advocate, and kind of a mentor who helped me through the huge process of writing a book, she said, you'll like this one.

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00:15:56:03 - 00:15:58:04

Emma

And I just thought it was so interesting that she picked that

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00:16:24:01 - 00:16:31:03

Carrie

Beautiful. So I want you to cast your mind back a bit. Because

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00:16:31:03 - 00:16:53:08

Carrie

you've got the benefit of hindsight, and perspective. What was the one thing that you wish you knew before you started your business? And then perhaps you can extend that to what you knew when things were going steady. And what when you wanted to quit or when you,

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00:16:53:09 - 00:17:04:14

Carrie

Yeah, when you wanted to give up. What's the one thing that you wish you knew? You're,

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00:17:04:14 - 00:17:20:04

Emma

And. But. Yeah, before I started, I wish I knew, the money stuff. I don't think we are not. Financial education is financial literacy is not taught and certainly not business finance. You go to these.

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00:17:20:04 - 00:17:44:12

Emma

I did go to small business workshops when I was little baby, 22 year old starting out my business, 23 year old. But you know, they just kind of like here's a balance sheet. Like, you know, I did accounting in university, but it's just such a to understand it. You know, accounting and finance is a subject. But when it's applied to your own business, it's it's just something that it's very personal.

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00:17:44:12 - 00:18:03:01

Emma

Your situation and the way the business structure is, and it's something I wrote about in the book in terms of like some of the biggest challenges I've had. And I think it's actually navigating business and personal finance. And so I started as a sole trader. So the business money was my money. And then I went to a trust.

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00:18:03:03 - 00:18:33:06

Emma

When I was having thin. So because of that going, I need more protection to the family. We need more establishment. I need to be able to put things through. I didn't want to go to a company. We went to a trust, and just trying to do that at the 11 year mark, trying to separate your business and personal finance after years of doing it the way I'd done it and not understanding that there's so much unraveling, there's so much unlearning that I'm doing, there's so much forgiveness I've had to do for my younger self that I just didn't know.

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00:18:33:08 - 00:18:54:15

Emma

Living in that feast or famine. And I just think as well, I was kind of quite hard on myself about that. And then I really enjoyed. Kate Toone is part of the group. She wrote her book, Six Figures in School Hours, and she has a line that it was like, basically, in your early years of business, you're going to be in feast or famine because I don't, you know, so it just allowed me that forgiveness to go in, to be seen, to go.

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00:18:54:17 - 00:19:21:07

Emma

I didn't do anything wrong. I just didn't know. And I think business success is like persistence and almost it's survival. Like, I've been here 15 years, you know, I've evolved a pivoted. I've grown, to be still standing in this climate and through all these challenges, like, I'm proud, but I don't think that challenge and then adding in then a partner and children, mortgages.

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00:19:21:09 - 00:19:44:18

Emma

And so I've really sought out help. I've read books, I do podcasts, I've watched TV shows. I've hired professionals, ehm, and working with somebody who came in to talk to me and my husband about our finances. I think you need all of that extra support. So going back 15 years, invest in the people who can help you with your finances and you know it's going to get the right person.

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00:19:44:18 - 00:20:06:10

Emma

So you don't you can't rely solely on that accountant or bookkeeper. We've all heard of situations where that's going awry. You have to educate yourself. You have to ask questions. And then keep seeking. Because, you know, my situation is going to change. I've just started a new company. It's a different structure. And so and then forgive yourself for when you don't get it right.

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00:20:06:10 - 00:20:32:02

Carrie

Such great, advice there. And we have heaps. This. I was, you know, as you was talking, I was thinking about, you know, you know, a lot and you know that you can actually work your way through it, but there's a lot that you don't. You don't know what you don't know. And so having that support network around you, those experts, those mentors, the coaches, the experts is so, so important.

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00:20:32:04 - 00:20:42:04

Carrie

Because they can fill those gaps. Those knowledge gaps. And just give you the confidence to keep going, you know, to work it out.

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00:20:42:04 - 00:21:02:02

Emma

think people being honest and, you know, it's a bit scary in my book. Almost airing my dirty laundry, if you will, about finances. And it can feel quite shameful. And I think I've been really grateful for certainly more so since I've had Finn and the business networks and the women have connected to through mums and co and other wonderful networks.

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00:21:02:02 - 00:21:22:06

Emma

I mean, when people have been honest about their finances and shown me behind the curtain because everyone looks like they're doing amazing, everyone looks like they're nailing it and we don't get to save people's bank accounts. So like I said, you know, you don't understand how much they're spending. You don't know if they're debt or how they got there.

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00:21:22:08 - 00:21:40:10

Emma

So if it's able to be honest and to share, it's so helpful. And it removes that shame. And we can just be like, you don't need to say all of every detail and show them your profit loss, but just sharing. Yeah. Look, I've had a tax payment plan. I've had some debt. I struggle with my credit cards some time, so.

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00:21:40:12 - 00:21:54:18

Emma

Oh, yeah. I didn't have a business bank account for years. I used my personal. It's just so reassuring. So I think just being honest, a bit open in a safe space. Gosh, that's been so kind and helpful.

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00:21:54:18 - 00:22:20:13

Carrie

It's. Great point. And even talking about it has been a bit of a taboo. Like and and and I'm, you know, it's such a fascinating area because, maybe there is more. You know, I'm thinking about my generation, the conversations I have around the table, around finances with my children who are eight and ten. Much deeper than, you know.

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00:22:20:14 - 00:22:40:07

Carrie

And my parents did a great job raising us, but we didn't have that type of discussion around the dinner table. So being open about it, I think that's where you say that the sense of shame comes from because it was so private and you keep it to yourself, and then when you screw up, you don't want to start with that starting, you know, saying, oh, my superannuation is not where it should be.

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00:22:40:09 - 00:22:59:19

Carrie

I made that same mistake. You know, my first business, I didn't pay myself superannuation for the first couple of years because you feel like you need to put it into the business, but you know, it's just having that sort of literacy. And like you said, the first step is finding a good friend and, you know, being able to talk about our finances.

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00:22:59:21 - 00:23:02:03

Carrie

We just have to be more comfortable about it.

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00:23:02:03 - 00:23:21:07

Emma

wealth is a value to me. Wealth is a value. And I'm very happy to say that out loud. I think one of the things as well, through the book, I want to demonstrate that you don't necessarily need a lot of money, to do the things I think there's this sort of misconception about, I guess, you know, it's like got a six figures and seven figures and blah, blah, blah.

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00:23:21:09 - 00:23:44:15

Emma

I have, you know, I look at my tax returns from ten years ago. I was making like 30 grand, but I was also traveling like six months of the year. And I did that through the travel hacks. I did that through staying with people that stayed people's homes, and then I'd work on my computer. From there, I was doing incredible things, life changing experiences at really very minimal cost because of doing it in a bit of a clever way.

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00:23:44:15 - 00:24:03:09

Emma

And so, I don't think and someone said to me, I think you can only go and talk about these pleasure life or, you know, the way that you can make this work when you hit 250 K and I was like, that's that's an arbitrary figure. And I was like, I don't know. I, I don't know how much you think I earn or what you think my bank balance is like, but I said no.

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00:24:03:10 - 00:24:28:19

Emma

And that's actually the opposite to my message. I'm sharing that you can you can make things work for you and you can do things in different ways. It's not all about bigger, bigger money. It's how you use that money and how you make those experiences. And I just, I think people will be shocked if I shared some of my, you know, incomes over the years and what I was able to do with that.

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00:24:28:19 - 00:24:42:16

Emma

And so it's just thinking a bit differently and not doing a when we have enough money, then I'll do all the things. When I have the money, then I'll live the life I love. When I have enough money, then I'll spend time with my children. No, do it now. On at any income level.

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00:24:42:22 - 00:24:49:05

Carrie

So I guess we're moving our conversation into a bit of a different direction, and it is interesting.

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00:24:49:05 - 00:25:10:02

Carrie

Because I'd love your take on how you literally view risk, you know, the business and the lifestyle that your, you're trying to, open the doors to, you know, what's your relationship with risk, and how it impacts the way you do business.

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00:25:10:03 - 00:25:19:01

Carrie

How would you describe your relationship?

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00:25:19:01 - 00:25:40:03

Emma

has to have an element of risk. And I think anytime I play it safe, and start to go, it's smaller or kind of end up withdrawing, and I kind of get into this. Yes. Small minded. I start to lack confidence. And it's funny, you know, I ran a retreat in India and I ran one in Sri Lanka, and we were like, that's a big deal.

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00:25:40:03 - 00:26:04:04

Emma

And but it's not a big deal to me. Travel is very normal to me. I have years of experience in managing tours and travel. I've been to those places. I have relationships in those places. So for me it was a no brainer. But to others it seems like a huge risk. But I guess I had things in place and I have a skill set and experience that meant that it wasn't as risky.

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00:26:04:06 - 00:26:26:17

Emma

Upon reflection, I'm like, I guess it was a kind of big thing to do, but I feel like the bigger the thing, the more excited I get, the more passionate I am. And you just got to make it work. And there's a wonderful book called ten X is easier than two X. And I think it's that if you think about trying to work twice as hard or do something twice as big, we you're going to go for such a lot.

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00:26:26:18 - 00:26:48:15

Emma

How can I work? I'm really working 40 hours a week to work 80. But if you want to do something ten times bigger, you can't work ten times more. You can't do ten times what you really like. The output to get it just can't be that. So you have to do it differently. And so it's sometimes easier to do the bigger thing to go for the bigger thing, because you have to, to do it differently.

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00:26:48:17 - 00:27:09:11

Emma

And so if anything, I sort of talking to my psychologist recently and I said, am I just am I being ridiculous? I'm launched a book, I'm going to launch a course off the back of that. I have a small child, I'm launching another company. Is it all too much? Am I being unrealistic? It seems like in the you're an entrepreneur, you're meant to be unrealistic.

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00:27:09:13 - 00:27:32:02

Emma

You have to. There has to be a little bit an element of the Lulu delusional in entrepreneurship and in running your own business. You have to back yourself. But I'd say just that in terms of the risk. I think I've got more calculated over the years, and I am starting to build more of a buffer. And I do have I am fortunate in a situation of we own our own home.

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00:27:32:04 - 00:27:50:13

Emma

I have a husband who has a full time job. You know, we have put some money in. You have got some super. We've got some money in savings. So we are starting to build that foundation that allows me a bit more where it really was in that first ten years of my business, feast or famine. And it was like, you know, go out or go home because, you know, have nothing.

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00:27:50:13 - 00:28:02:06

Emma

So I do have a foundation to come back to. And I know that I can always work if something doesn't work. I know I'm always willing to work to, to kind of recover. So I may as well take the risk.

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00:28:02:06 - 00:28:27:06

Unknown

I love that you've mentioned the foundation there too because it's so important. It's it's so important and it's, you know the number of I think we've done over 100 conversations now with business owning women and that foundational support from a partner or a spouse or, you know, an extended family is everything. When it comes to having, you know, a healthy relationship with risk.

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00:28:27:06 - 00:28:58:22

Unknown

So thank you for sharing. All of that. Visibility is a really core challenge for many of the women in our community, particularly because they're in those first early stages of a business. Or even just considering a business. You're very good at promotion and branding. You're very visible. Can you share some wins that you've had over the last year or so in terms of bringing more, more visibility to the business and perhaps even the book?

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00:28:58:22 - 00:29:02:17

Unknown

I mean, that's a it's a great visibility tool to publish a book.

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00:29:02:17 - 00:29:24:23

Emma

Yeah. I think people always feel like they're not ready. So, you know, you. But I don't think you're ever going to be ready or have all the things together. A confidence is a muscle. You've got to flex it. You've got to use it in order to get, you know, I, I am confident, but I'm confident because I practice confidence, if you will.

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00:29:25:05 - 00:29:27:09

Emma

So don't wait till you're confident

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00:29:30:05 - 00:29:48:11

Emma

I have three podcasts. You know, so don't look at my hundred and eight episodes, almost 300 episodes across three podcasts. When you're starting a podcast, you have to start with the one episode. And I reminded myself when I was starting from scratch again and it was like, you know what?

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00:29:48:13 - 00:30:14:10

Emma

I'm starting with one episode, but in a year, because I'm doing two episodes a week, I'm gonna have 100, you know? And that first live, that first time you do your keynote, that first time you put up a photo, it's like it's a bit scary. But then, you know, might be a bit rough and ready. But then in a year when you're doing it all the time, and I think I had a call with a lovely lady from, through mums and co, which beautiful.

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00:30:14:10 - 00:30:29:11

Emma

She booked a call and we talked about, you know, her brand. And I went and looked at her website and it was like, it looks great and you've got all the things together. And it was an e-commerce business and it's kind of like, what can I tell her? And I just said, you know what's missing here? It's you.

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00:30:29:13 - 00:30:45:21

Emma

It was her. I was like, in the early stages. I know the product should speak for itself, but we need to see you, and we're not seeing you, and you're the one who's passionate about it. You're the one who created it. You're the one who cared about it. So I said, I know it's a bit daunting, but you kind of got a shot more her.

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00:30:45:21 - 00:31:12:04

Emma

She went and did a live black that day, and now she's doing them like almost every day. She's winning awards. She's. And I just keep missing me like look at you. But she took the guidance and she went for it. And the first one a bit shaky. But she kept doing it and she keep showing up. She's gone and got a photoshoot and and she's doing that and it's helping the business and someone else who's in the community who I think does it brilliantly was, Laura.

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00:31:12:05 - 00:31:30:21

Emma

Laura from hacker Lily. Her pre game was one of the best I've ever seen. And it because she shared the product and once the product, once the business grows you can then show a bit more of the product and the people using it. But initially none of us knew what it was. We didn't know her from afar, so, but she just kept showing up and sharing.

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00:31:30:21 - 00:31:51:04

Emma

That product created so much demand. And so then I really applied that to the book as well. I was people were bit baffled. I was selling tickets to the launch four months before the book came out. The book wasn't written. That's a little thing that you don't know about books. The concept is that you're writing, but you you have to sell it before you've finished it.

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00:31:51:06 - 00:32:10:11

Emma

And so I really implied that it was. Yeah. Share it here. It's here, it's here. It talk about it. Talk about it. Show the process. Show behind the scenes. And so then there's that like anticipation. And then when that thing comes out they're ready for it. And but I just you just kind of it's the consistency. Just keep being the one person ten people, 20 people a thousand people.

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00:32:10:11 - 00:32:33:11

Emma

It doesn't matter about the numbers. The one person who needs to say it will say it and you can help them. And so, I think if you examples there, but, I mean, I'm obviously very comfortable and I love a little bit of shameless promotion, and it's been a bit of fun being the, being this I do a little a lot of behind the scenes of the fun being the, the star, if you will, and having my face on the cover.

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00:32:33:11 - 00:32:35:21

Emma

And yeah, I've enjoyed, I've enjoyed that.

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00:32:35:21 - 00:32:58:10

Unknown

So fun. And those photos were brilliant. The photos on the book is is just brilliant too. So you chose a great one. Okay. Couple more questions till we wrap up the interview. But, with a life like yours, is there a tech tool that you absolutely can't live without either? Well, for the business and for personal or at home.

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00:32:58:10 - 00:33:19:07

Emma

answer hasn't changed. I don't think, from the last time my favorite app on my phone is notes. It's such a simple tool. My notes and the clock app are the ones I use the most. The clock, because I'm in various time zones. I use a Pomodoro technique sometimes and not always effective. So I use a timer app.

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00:33:19:10 - 00:33:40:01

Emma

I need alarms to know when I need to keep me on track, to know when I have to leave the house or get ready. Or sometimes I ignore them, but it helps me. And then note honestly, I do like I do my financial planning in my notes. You know, I do my in my notes, I do. I've written full articles that I've been paid $400 for in my notes.

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00:33:40:03 - 00:33:59:15

Emma

I write newsletters in my notes. The cool thing is, I wrote a chapter of the book in my notes, you know, because I don't have word on my computer at the moment. So the notes app is always open so I can work offline, use the notes. Just it's just typing into a dock, essentially. But then it can go between my phone and my computer.

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00:33:59:20 - 00:34:26:19

Emma

And so once you're in Wi-Fi, it syncs up and you can search in there as well. So there's these things that I wrote seven years ago. I wrote, I don't know, notes about traveling in Britain. I can type in Britain and I can find that note it. I think sometimes we overcomplicate and you like go to get if I got monday.com if I got many tabs, if I got these, if I just had that, then my business would be amazing.

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00:34:26:19 - 00:34:45:06

Emma

No, because you've got to use the tool. So for me, simplicity is the best. And it just helps me, it helps to get stuff out of my brain and then I can put it where it needs to go. So I just, I love the love that it's got. It's kind of. Yeah, you'd get a lot of things if you got into my notes app.

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00:34:45:06 - 00:34:47:01

Emma

I think you'd learn a lot about me.

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00:34:47:05 - 00:34:52:00

Unknown

I'm the same I think we've heard that. We've, I think that's quite a common thing. So maybe we invented that out.

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00:34:52:00 - 00:35:03:13

Emma

checklists, so I like the dots. I use the, dots quite a lot. So I write my to do list in there. And there's just that little gratification of, ticking that you've done it, the bullet points.

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00:35:04:10 - 00:35:26:20

Unknown

Cutting it off. Yes. That is good. Yes, I do know that. And recently, just speaking of the clock app, the time Zone app I worked at, you could actually add several time zones at once, so you can look at it in. Yeah. Real time. Super interesting. Thank you for sharing all of that. Now last question is about your code.

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00:35:26:22 - 00:35:34:21

Unknown

So obviously the code in mums and co refers to all the people in our lives, including our clients, who support us and our business.

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00:35:35:06 - 00:35:46:00

Carrie

And. Sorry. I just have to jump in here because we know who that is. At least one of them. We know who? At least one of them is, right?

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00:35:46:00 - 00:36:06:00

Emma

Well, I don't think it will be a surprise, but my current biggest Co is, Erin Huckle from Chuckle Communications. So, Erin came up to me at the Mums and Co conference. I came into Sydney and she walked up to me and introduced herself, which is lovely because sometimes people follow you, and they don't come and say hello.

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00:36:06:00 - 00:36:29:07

Emma

And so if you've ever heard of me or you hear this and you see me out about, please come and say hello. I love to meet people. You know, and that has led to, a friendship, a colleague relationship and a client relationship on both sides. Erin is the one person who's been with me. From day one on the book.

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00:36:29:09 - 00:36:49:02

Emma

I had some I had a few people who were meant to be my co. And, that didn't work out. So, Erin, her role was to be a publicist and usually a publicist comes in around the month before the book comes out. But Erin has been there from the moment I said, I'm committing to this book. I said, you're going to be my publicist.

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00:36:49:04 - 00:37:15:16

Emma

But she's really come along the journey with me. But more than just got me amazing interviews like this and media. She has been a sounding board, a support, a friend. And I just think, one of that something it's been so lovely. My businesses just stopped trying to time trying to separate the professional and the personal like, oh, we can't be friends with our clients or we can't be friends.

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00:37:15:16 - 00:37:40:00

Emma

Like, why not? Like business should be fun. And that friendship and that relationship, I she knows me, gets me. She was able to secure much better media. Things that fit me because she knows me, I trust her. And then I get to pay her and support her business, and she gets to pay me, and we get to rise together.

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00:37:40:02 - 00:38:08:15

Emma

Just totally embrace that. And, you know, we talked this morning and I just said, you know, clear is client and boundaries are needed. And, you know, so setting up whatever working relationship looks like contracts and things like that to be, like, serious about it. But, you know, I think just also being open to the fact that you can also have this beautiful personal connection as well as having a very, professional, wonderful working relationship.

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00:38:08:15 - 00:38:16:00

Emma

So I'm immensely grateful to Erin and so happy that we came in that day. And she bounded over to me and said, hello.

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00:38:16:06 - 00:38:19:19

Carrie

Beautiful.

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00:38:19:19 - 00:38:20:12

Unknown

lovely.

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00:38:20:12 - 00:38:24:06

Unknown

Shout out to you Aaron. So she's listening.

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00:38:24:06 - 00:38:25:21

Emma

publicist.

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00:38:32:00 - 00:38:49:06

Unknown

friend hat on and the system with all the hat. Yeah. That's beautiful. I love that. And final question, Emma. Is there anything we can do to support you as a mums and co member? As we hurtle into the new year. I can't believe it.

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00:38:49:08 - 00:38:52:20

Emma

Shameless plug. I'm going to say buy the book by the book.

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00:38:53:13 - 00:38:56:15

Carrie

Christmas gift.

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00:38:56:15 - 00:38:57:14

Unknown

should.

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00:38:57:14 - 00:39:10:21

Emma

team gift. And have some wonderful bundles, to benefit people with that. But also, I think there's a lot, you know, I think what people, people have been surprised about the book is that they see the business side, they see the travel side.

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00:39:11:02 - 00:39:28:07

Emma

And when they read the bit about me being a mum, they're like, oh, she's doing this for the kid as well. So I just really want to the goal of the book is to inspire, motivate, encourage you to live a life you love. And if you do one thing from the book, if you take one idea, if you change, make one shift in your life.

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00:39:28:07 - 00:39:45:12

Emma

I as an author, that's the greatest gift. And I just, I think it could be really beneficial. And and it is. Honestly, that's like the easiest way to work and the cheapest way to start working with me. So if you've like that, then get involved. And I have a goal going to be clear. You've got to be put it out there.

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00:39:45:12 - 00:39:55:22

Emma

My goal is to be an Australian best seller and that is to sell 5000 copies. So you can help me get on the way to my goal. I want as many copies in the hands of readers as possible.

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00:39:55:22 - 00:39:58:08

Carrie

Thank you. Emma, that was beautiful.

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00:39:58:08 - 00:39:59:19

Emma

Thank you.

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00:40:00:17 - 00:40:14:19

Lucy

Thank you so much for joining us on the podcast by Mums and Co. This interview has been part of our wonderful summer series that will continue into early March. Before we kick off into a whole new season of mums season.

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00:40:14:21 - 00:40:32:11

Lucy

You can reach out to any of our guests in this series via our Mums and Co Business directory at WW, UK mums and code.com today you and if you have any questions whatsoever, please don't hesitate to reach out to one of our friendly team or book a member. Chat with one of us today.

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00:40:32:11 - 00:40:46:19

MUSIC

I know one silver lining mean.

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