Testament to the power networking, Mums & Co first met the impressive Dr Alana Wylie via our partnership with DWEN the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network. Alana is doing incredible work with her business and has a really interesting story to tell about leaving the world of big corporate pharmaceuticals to start her own community-oriented business and manage family life.

Starting a business as a way to find more flexibility is an experiment that many women try and test in different formats. The method that best seems to work, time and again, is a combination of celebrating your transferable skills, keeping excellent people around you (your “Co”), and building your network as you take new steps and respond to the different results every step along the way. 

Read on for three tips on how Dr Wylie is designing the ultimate experiment - a business and life that works, on her terms. 

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1. Lean in and get to love your transferable skills

‍At Mums & Co we often hear that the multitasking, communications, coaching, financial management and advanced negotiations skills acquired in parenting cross over into starting and scaling your own business. Alana has a distinct professional advantage “as a scientist, I’m trained to solve problems. As a business owner I’m often out of my comfort zone. So my qualifications and training compliment my experiments now in business”. 

In science, if you don't quite get the results that your hypothesis predicted, you learn from that experience and run the experiment again. 

In business, you learn valuable lessons from your missteps. 

In motherhood, well we’re all just trying our best now aren't we?! 

This reminds all of us in business (and in life) to know your unique strengths and write your own rule book - confidently share them with the world. Be mindful of areas you can upskill or outsource. Which for Alana, is tapping into legal and financial advisors in her network. Be kind and compassionate to yourself as you lean in and get to love your own unique superpowers and enjoy the way they intersect between your ambition, your livelihood and your wellbeing.

2. The people around you are important ‍

This is a tip that Mums & Co holds dear, the “Co” in our name refers to and celebrates the importance of your partner, your 2IC, your team, and your customers! 

Alana has found this as well. “Even on the hardest day in business, knowing I'm doing it for my family and to inspire a future generation of curious problem solvers, is what I'm passionate about. My ultimate aim is to cultivate an extraordinary resilience within them, while ironically, they (and my own children!) become the architects of my resilience!"

So tip #2 is to celebrate your Co - for many they are the “why” you are started in business and for others they will be the support crew and cheer squad making the “how” possible for you to stay and scale in your commercial endeavors.

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3. Build your network and then rebuild your network

Upon the transferable skills of science and knowing her “Why” of being in business, since founding Eye Heart Science in 2019, Alana has grown the business really quickly. At this milestone, Alana is now focusing her operations to plan the next step - where she is going to grow next.

Alana discovered that despite having great networks within the science and pharmaceutical worlds she was new to business, which required building a business network. 

“While it was exciting getting really big, really quickly, I have learnt that I need the help of technology and the help of a community to grow sustainably. It’s like the saying if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.  Joining communities such as DWEN, has empowered me to embrace technology. I now feel confident that I can build a digital platform to share our content, and if I can’t I know I’ll be able to find someone who can. Communities like this allow you to gain valuable insights (or data) into what has worked and what hasn’t from an extremely talented bunch of women who are always more than happy to share.  

So, Alana’s network from 2019 is different to her network of 2023 and beyond. And that’s OK. As business owning women it's essential for us to continuously forge paths that provide expert advice and support in the areas that matter most to you as you grow your business, all on your own terms.

For more than a decade, DWEN has brought women entrepreneurs together from around the world to help them connect, scale their businesses, and ultimately succeed. Join DWEN today for free access to a global network of women entrepreneurs and valuable resources to grow your business. 

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