Mother’s Hour With Carolyn Van Beers – Claire Eades, Working Mums A New Year A New You

Do mothers are with me, Carolyn Van Beers here on Women's radio station. Well, it's Happy New Year to all you wonderful mums out there. And if, like me, you are really excited by New Year and you see it as a new beginning, a chance for a new start, a chance to reinvent yourself, then definitely stay tuned. And if you're also thinking 2020 is the year I want to go back to work or start a new business, when you're really ready for more, then I literally have the perfect show for you. Today's show is called Working Mums. A new year, a new you. And helping me, my very special guest in the studio today, getting all you mums up and motivated, is a truly inspirational lady. Founder and creative director of Marmalade Film and Media, an entrepreneur and leading woman in business, and of course, a mum. It is Clare Eads. Welcome to Women's Radio station. Carolyn, thanks for having me on the show. Delighted to be here. Well, we've been after you for ages. You're a very difficult woman to get and I'm so pleased you're here. Thank you so, so much for coming in and sharing your incredible wisdom and life as a working mum. So that is the show, ladies. We're going to be talking to Clare. First up, we're going to be finding out a little bit more about Clare and her life as a working mum. And then we're going to be getting you inspired ways to get you back to work, support networks and how you could possibly have a brilliant new year and a new you. A little bit later on this show, we're going to be focusing on Marmalade film and media, which is an incredible company. Trust me, ladies, it will inspire you and how their strategies can probably help you and your business. And finally, in part four, pressure is on Clare. We're going to be asking that lots and lots of advice for all you mums starting out, pressing on all your brilliant wisdom. And I'll say that again. Right, so let's get started. Clare, tell me a little bit about you. Okay, so, well, I guess I always, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age. I used to enjoy sort of making and selling things. I had a little room at the back of my parents house and I sort of engaged my little sister at the time to, you know, help with receipt books and processing orders and I used to make things like, you know, jewelry, cuddly toys, you name it. So how old are you then? Nine years old. Started at nine years old. So yeah, started quite young and just really enjoyed that. Really enjoyed the process of, you know, making and creating things for people. And so, yeah, I guess that's in my DNA really. And yeah, had very supportive parents. I was very lucky to have parents who sort of instilled values. You know, if you work hard, if you really focus on something, then, then you can really achieve, you know, you, you can really achieve the things that you set your mind on. So then, yeah, I studied, I was very lucky. I studied at the National Film and Television School starting a career in film and tv, documentary, drama, entertainment. So that was my grounding before. I then went into advertising, marketing, communications before establishing marmalade in 2011, which felt like a very big scary challenge at the time. Yes. I mean, how do you, how do you do that? So you're literally working for other people. Yes. But did you always have in your mind, I want my own business? I think at the back of my mind, yes. And I think it, it took a while for me to make the leap, but once I got what I call a little pipe and slippers, you know, needed a new challenge, I thought, you know, there is no right time to do this. I just need to make the leap and you know, once I, I just love the adventure. Wow. So what was your last job before you started Marmalade? Because that must have been the turning point and I think that's really interesting for other mums out there because, you know, you've got to get a new premises. It's a huge step. Just talk us through that little bit. Yeah, so, well, I was working within a role, working with brands, working in communications, really enjoying what I did, but sort of, I don't know, I had that bug that I wanted to really set up on my own and start a business. And you're right, it is a bit daunting when you think about, you know, premises, people, but you have to start somewhere and I was very lucky. Some friends of mine were establishing a radio, actually a radio station actually in Soho and they had some office space and I went in with them and so I had my first little office in Soho, which was great and. Wow. Yeah, that is very. That's very cool. And who was there? Just you or you and somebody else or. So I actually, I got someone in to work alongside me, so. So yeah, sort of an assistant just to sort of help with the day to day, you know, I sort of knew that it was going to take a little bit of time to grow, but I think you sort of need that day to day support and it Gives you the mentality of sort of having a business, you know, and getting up and running. I was very lucky to have clients coming on board quite early on and, you know, it just sort of grew organically really. Now we're going to talk a little bit more about Marmalade film and media later on in the show and we will come back to that because it's very exciting, but it's quite, it's quite revealing to know the first part. But when you started Marmalade, of course you weren't a mum. So tell me a little bit about. You are now a mum, aren't you? Yes, I am. So you are now a working mum. Absolutely. Who have you got? You've got a little girl. I have. So I have a wonderful little three year old girl who, yeah, is the center of my life really. And, you know, I really want to be an inspiration for her. Yeah. So when I started Marmalade wasn't a mum. This was my first baby, I guess Marmalade, you know, and so sort of nurtured that and then five years into the business had my little girl, which, you know, is a huge turning point. I think nothing fully prepares you for motherhood. It's an amazing thing, it's a daunting thing, a scary thing, but a wonderful thing at the same time. But at the same time, I think, you know, having my own, it was, it was a different experience. You know, I wasn't able to just go off and take sort of, you know, an extended maternity leave. I definitely had time out. But, you know, there was also this, this other baby, baby that I'd be nurturing for the last five years. So. So you didn't take an extended maternity leave. You kind of, you, you basically I took, I took some months, I did, I took some months out for sure. Right. You know, and continue to sort of work flexibly to be there for my, for my daughter. But yeah, I mean, I was, yeah, sort of a few months into being a mum and you know, having Marmalade there to continue with. Yep. And so what's that feeling like? And how do you kind of manage that? You're. You weren't a working mum then, now you are a working mum. Tell me a little bit about that because I'm sure there's lots of mums out there who are thinking, oh, you know, it's, it's a difficult juggle, isn't it? It is, it is a difficult juggle. And I think, I think it's about sort of where you put your focus I think for me, I try to be focused on my being a mum time when I'm at home and, you know, work time and try to separate the two and also to remember, you know, not to feel guilty about what I'm doing. Ultimately, I'm looking to build a future for my daughter. I'm looking to be an inspiration. And I know it's tricky because, you know, we all feel that, you know, we should be sort of just at home for those first few years and it's not always possible to do that. So I think it's just about getting the energy and the focus. Right. And using the energy, you know, in the professional context when you're in work and then when you get home, just trying to shift into that sort of mum energy, you know, to really be present. Yeah. I can actually say categorically that I done a bit of both in my time. When I had my first child, I did go back to work and, you know, it was quite tricky in those days because there wasn't any flexible hours, it was all quite strict. But more recently, you know, I had the triplets and I was a lot stay at home a lot more. And I have to say, I was definitely ready to come back to work. I don't think I was giving my children the best at the end because I was getting a little bit. I was finding it all a bit mundane and a bit disappointing. So I think. I don't think you should feel guilty. I think, like you said, it's so important to be present. So be present when you're at work. Do that really, really well. And then when you're with your children or child, you know, you can do that really well. And I think you can do that better sometimes if you've got that balance. Yeah, absolutely. And I think also nurturing those two sides of your identity, you know, prior to being a mum, you know, you may have been a career woman or someone, you know, with goals and aspirations, and that can continue. You know, it definitely shifts and changes because you're, you know, your Persona, your being, changes when you become a mum, your shift, you know, your focus. But I definitely think it's, you know, it's about combining the two and I think one fuels the other for me, you know, my passion for being a mum fuels me in business and vice versa. Yeah. And, I mean, I find I've recently come back to work and I find that I'm a far better human being, but I do struggle with time management. I mean, are you a big advocate of flexible hours? We'll talk about that a little bit later on. But do you find that that really helps with. I think in terms of, I think time management is something that I'm constantly working, you know, I, I think, you know, you're running a business, you've got home admin, you know, all the mum stuff. It's really important and I think it's important to, to recognize, you know, to really try to streamline to do lists. You know, we all have to do lists. They're going to continue to be to do lists, but I think trying to recognize, you know, when you've got that energy for work time. So I try to do a lot of my sort of strategic thinking. Morning time. Yeah. And just try to not put too much pressure on getting so much done all at once, you know, to manage. Well, I think that is absolutely key. When do you do what? You know, when are you at your best to be thinking strategically and when are you best at your. Kind of like, you know, obviously you've got to do bedtime when, when it's bedtime. But that is absolutely key. And we might touch on that a little bit later on the show. We're going to go to a break in a few minutes, but do stay with us because we are talking to Claire Eads. She is the founder and director of an amazing company called Marmalade Film and Media. We're going to be looking into her company a little bit later on, but after the break, we're going to be talking about how you can get yourself back to work, inspiring you, motivating you, don't be afraid of it. And ways that you can juggle both. Both things because you can be very, very successful. If you want to email me, please, please get in touch. It's CarolineMenSweadoStation.com that's CarolineMenStenoStation.com and a couple more things about the part four of our show. We're going to be giving you mums lots and lots of advice and support groups and places that you can go to actually practically get you back to work as well. So I'm here with Clare Eads in the studio. It is Mother's Hour here on Women's Radio Station and I hope you can definitely stay with us for the entire show. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's Radio Station Supporting Women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. 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Find out more@nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's radio station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter @WomensRadiostation. That's WomensRadiostn or Facebook Women's radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Welcome back to Mother's Hour with me, Carolyn Van Beers here on Women's Radio Station. Thank you so much for staying with us. It is our New Year's show, Working Mums. A new year and a new you. And we really have got a show that's going to hopefully inspire you and motivate you, especially if you're thinking, you know, this is my year, I want to get back to work, I want to get back in the driving seat. But you're a little bit, perhaps daunted about how to go about that. It's been a while. I mean, for some of you, it could be three or four years since you've actually worked, and you just have no idea of how you're gonna go and get a job. Are you gonna go back to your old career? Are you gonna start a new career? Or maybe you feel like you're a little bit different and perhaps, you know, the old you is not the way forward. Well, luckily, in the studio with me is an incredible businesswoman, and she's a mum, and she was a career woman before she had children, and she's still working and doing incredibly well. It is Claire Eads. So Claire is the founder and director of Marmalade film and Media, also an entrepreneur. I mean, you've got a big kind of career up there and a very successful businesswoman. So, Claire, a working mum. You're sat at home, you're thinking, oh, can I go back to work? Shall I go back to work? When is the right time? Is there a right time? I mean, I think it's a very personal thing. I think when you start to, you know, that think about using that side of the brain again, you know, when you're feeling a bit more relaxed about motherhood and, you know, you just really want to engage again, you know, with the workplace, with your career. You know, that's the time to start thinking about it. And it can be daunting, you know, if you've been out of the workplace for. For a while. But, you know, it's a great thing to get some support, you know, update your cv, look around. I think what's really positive now is that flexible working is really on the agenda. So don't be afraid to ask and look for things that fit around, you know, your schedule as a mum. You know, obviously there's a compromise, but I think it's really positive. I think there's a lot of movements, there's A lot of, you know, big organizations out there that really do value, you know, mums. And I think, I think as a mum, you know, we, we work really hard, you know, we know how to work hard, we know how to juggle and so I think, you know, really valuable asset for employers there and we should, you know, look for things that kind of suit both, you know. Yeah, and I think that's really, really good advice because often you are a bit like, oh, God, am I good enough? You've lost a bit of confidence perhaps. Absolutely. And I think, are you a big advocate of New Year new you, do you support that? Absolutely. I absolutely love New Year. I mean, I think, you know, it's a great time to sort of refresh. I think it's a great time to refresh personally and professionally. It just feels like a whole new chapter for me anyway, you know, I'm very excited about that and I know it's only a couple of weeks, you know, from December, but it does feel like a, a new start, you know, it's a clean slate and I think it's a great time to start thinking, you know, about, about goals and things you want to achieve across the year. You know, are you a. Write it all down on a piece of paper, your goals? I mean, how would you, what would be your, your advice? So there's Mum sat listening to this radio show, she's got a two year old and she's thinking, oh, where do I start? Yeah, sure. I mean, I'm definitely one to write things down. I love writing things down and, and, and taking things off. But I think, you know, have, have a think about, you know, where you want to go, what you want to do. Do you want to change from your previous career, setting up a new business? You know, there are lots of great opportunities for working mums. You know, set up something from home. So I, I think it's important, you know, seek advice from, from, from your network or from women that, you know who have gone back into the workplace, you know, have some chat, start, start interviewing. You know, it's, it's a great thing just to get yourself out there to polish up your CV and really get your confidence back, you know, in interviews. And it may not be an interview for, for something that, you know, you might want to ultimately go for, but it's just good to get out there. Yeah. Do you know of any particularly good websites that can either help you do CVs or support mums, especially kind of with a flexible thing? Do you have, I mean, there are Some really good groups online out there. Careering into Motherhood is a sort of online group that I see is really supportive of flexible mums, you know. And there's Enterprise Nation which is a really good resource for mums looking to set up their own business, you know, which gives you lots of practical advice and tools and tips. And there are things on government websites, there's a lot of resource out there, you know, so I, I think, you know, start to research online, look at what you know, look at the subject matters around what you want to do and be kind to yourself as well, you know, I mean it's, it's, it's all about rushing back into these things. It's about the right time for you, making sure you've got things, things right at home so you feel comfortable going back, you know, if that's childcare and support that you, that you need around that and just, you know, it's about when it's right for you. Yeah. And you set up on your own. I did, which is so brave. But a lot of moms that I see kind of, you know, on my journey have got together with other mums and they got new interests and then started a business from there. Is that a good way to do it or is that, is it personal choice again? I think it's personal choice. I mean I think there is definitely, you know, the power of collaboration and coming together is really strong. And you know, I did start on my own and I'm lucky to have a fantastic team around me now, really supportive husband and you know, I think if you have ideas and you can share those and bring other mums in, then that's a good thing too. And talking about partners, husbands, people around you in your network, not just partners, but also I think grandparents and everyone in your network. Yes. How do you, how do you personally deal with that? You know, is it talking to everyone before and getting everything completely in place? I mean, because sometimes that can be quite tricky. How do you. Absolutely, I mean I was very, very lucky. My mum has been absolutely brilliant with supporting, with childcare. My daughter, she is, you see, that's so helpful. I do feel very lucky to have that. We actually moved to be closer to parents and so yeah, having that support network, I don't think I could have, you know, I couldn't be doing what I'm doing without that support network. And I think you've just hit on something because my mother in law said I'm a granny, not a nanny. I made that very clear quite early on. So I kind of knew where I stood. I think if you, you need to do that research because that could, if you get a job and all of a sudden you don't have that support network, then it can all come crumbling down and that's when you get all stressed and it becomes too much, doesn't it? Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, there are, there are a lot of businesses out there who are willing to be very supportive of mums coming back to work. You know, a lot of coaches. I mean, another avenue as well is, is coaching. I know lots of women who have left corporate roles who have become mums actually, and who are now coaches and, you know, they can sort of help women get back into the workplace, just, you know, boost that confidence, get that, that, that mindset. How would one find those? Are they just online or. Yeah, absolutely, you can find those online. Googling coach work. I mean, and as I mentioned before, resources like careering into motherhood is a really good platform for that too. Well, I'll tell you what, when we put up your page on my. There's a materials bar, ladies, on the, on the website and if you tip, if you click on there, it'll say Mother's Hour. And we're going to put up a page and that's going to give you all of the. A condensed version of the show and you know, we'll put up all that kind of stuff. So absolutely help you get back there. So when I started out, when I had my first son 13 years ago, oh my goodness me, I'm so old, I had a job and I put my child into nursery and it was all the way over the other side of London. So that was. I was in North London and this was in Sloane Square. And so it was a tube and another tube and a walk and a bus and it was like. And then finally I got to work and. And then I would work really, really hard. I would hardly take a lunch because I was so conscious that I would have to leave early and I felt so guilty. I would leave at 4:30 and would just literally be so stressed when I got to the nursery to pick up my child. I'd almost be having heart palpitations every time. And it became. But that was the way it was then. You know, you had to work those hours and you had to kind of like forgo your lunch because you were leaving early and you always got that slight look that leaving at 4:30. But it has changed. It has, yeah. What would you say? I mean, there is a lady called Anna Whitehouse which a few of you might have heard of, who's been campaigning tirelessly for flexible working hours for mums and actually saying how brilliant mums are. You know, if you work with them, you'll get way more hours than you've ever, you know, bargained for. And people won't want to be sloping off and, you know, cheating the system. They'll give you more, won't they? Absolutely. I mean, some of my team within Marmalade work on a flexible basis to fit around family. Well, I know that, don't we? Absolutely. And I do think you really get the best out of your team when you make space for their other priorities. And I, for one, understand that. So I'm a massive advocate of flexible working. I think mums will work hard and harder, you know, if they have the ability to fit things in around both roles. And I do think more organisations are addressing that and I think that's a mindset that is changing and I think women going back into the workplace need to be aware of that and need to ask. Absolutely, absolutely. If you ask about that before, you know, if you set that up in the early stages and say, I will give you way more hours than you've bargained for if you will allow me that flexibility that I need, because, you know, it's just not going to be possible for me. And some mums aren't necessarily. I mean, I'm a little distance away from London now, so. And quite a few mums have done that little leap out for whatever reason. And I think, you know, we need that flexibility on getting to work as well, don't we? Absolutely, yeah. I mean, I think, you know, there are things a lot of roles out there, you know, can operate on four days. I think it's just a case of, you know, research. And, you know, there's another website, actually, two to three days that I would recommend, and that is specifically set up because of the need for working mums to be able to work two to three days a week. And I know that they're getting a lot more jobs posted and things. So that's a really good resource. That's absolutely brilliant. Okay, this is great stuff. Don't forget, we will be putting all this up on the website under the materials drop down so that you can tap into those. And I'll be giving you all about how you can find out more about Claire and her company and follow her story at the end of the show. We'll see you in a few. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station Supporting women's well being. Women's radio station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash but just don't know where to start. @empowerandenrich.com you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me@empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. hi, I'm Carolyn Van Beers. Please join me for a brand new show here on women's radio station. It's Mother's Hour. If, like me, you're a mum juggling far too many balls and dropping most of them, this is definitely the show for you. We'll examine the highs and lows of motherhood and make sure you laugh out loud as we take on this challenging role together with spoonfuls of advice, incredible stories. It will be refreshing, honest and funny. Look at being a mum. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity, helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntous.org.uk welcome to the women's radio station supporting women's well being. Women's radio station can give voice to your brand. With a wide range of sponsorship opportunities including individual programs, we can tailor your experience for you for More information on how you can sponsor a Show, go to womensradiostation.com Women's radio station supporting women's well being. Welcome back to Mothers Hour with me, Carolyn Van Beers here at Women's Radio Station. So halfway through our fantastic show on the new year, new you, the working mum. Hopefully we are inspiring you. Make it a new think, especially if this is your year. Yes. And don't forget women, we are brilliant at reinventing ourselves. I think we're far better than men at that. Maybe I shouldn't say that. Anyway, I'm here in the studio with Clare Eads. She is a working mum. She's a very successful working mum and she is the creator, founder, director of Marmalade film and media. And I do want to talk to you now about your company because it's an incredible company and it is, it's the way forward. So tell me a little bit more, Claire, about Marmalade. Thanks, Caroline. Yeah, so Marmalade is a purpose led creative communications agency and we help brands to grow by communicating the good that they do to create meaningful change. So when I established marmalade in 2011, I really wanted to create an impact with the work that I did and to sort of tackle some of the world's biggest global issues. We work directly with clients across campaign strategy, creative ideation and the production of film and digital content. We work with NGOs, global brands. We've worked with Diageo, the Coca Cola company, Kimberly Clark, NHS local government. And I've been really fortunate enough, myself and the team to work across some really fantastic initiatives. Give me an example of a campaign where you've shown a company doing good and changed maybe people's perspective about that company or really shown the way you're thinking. Yeah, absolutely. I can talk about a couple of. So one of them is a campaign that we worked on for Andrex around global sanitation. So really sort of authentic, purpose driven for a toilet tissue brand, you know, to be sort of supporting global sanitation. And, you know, we created a campaign for that which really sort of put the consumers into the shoes, literally of Those, you know, 2.6 billion people in the world who don't have access to a proper toilet. So as well have worked with Coca Cola Company across their 5 by 20 campaign, which is a really brilliant campaign to get 5 million women entrepreneurs in their value chain sort of upskilled with business skills. And that was brilliant. I got to meet some fantastically inspiring women in Kenya, in India, in the Amazon. And yeah, just amazing when you travel to Those far flung places and meet just women doing brilliant things, you know, who are really inspiring and sort of put things into perspective for you, you know. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, so, yeah, feel really lucky to be working in this space and really sort of making an impact, you know, and trying to shine a spotlight on some of these issues. And these campaigns, they're quite big and they're not, obviously you've just said they're not the normal type of advertising when they're just saying, is our product. Do you like it? Absolutely. We're investing in the brand. Tell me a little bit more about that. Yeah, so, I mean, right now doing good is good business. I think the landscape's really changed in the last few years. Consumer buying habits, you know, people consider their own sort of personal impact on, you know, the sustainability, the future of our planet, you know, from the plastic we use to value chains and how things are made, you know, and brands need to tap into that, you know, so. So if as a brand you care about something your consumer cares about, then they care about you and will align and buy from that brand. So for us, it's all about putting purpose at the heart of the marketing strategy. And that is just so the way forward. I mean, obviously people who listen to this show regularly will know I'm very green, very into the environmental. And I just think that is, you know, I will turn to a company because I like what they're about, I like their ethics, I like what they're bringing to my children, you know, because I love my children. I want to keep a world going for them. And so that would really work for me. And I think that is important moving forward, that we're not just about, you know, that it's informed choices and, you know. Absolutely. And I think, you know, there is a lot of political volatility in the world at the moment. And consumers do look to brands to make an impact, you know, within the communities. They've got global reach. They, you know, touch upon, you know, communities very closely. We've been lucky enough to work across areas such as ethical supply chains, plastics, the environment, you know, girls education. And it's brilliant that, you know, brands have the power to be able to influence and impact in this way. And so for us, it's all about championing that, working with our clients to get those great stories out there. You know, it's the great stories you told me about one where I think you were working with young girls. That was an incredible story. Yeah. We've worked with Plan International around gender based violence in schools, which was both sort of at home and in Cambodia and Kenya, so, you know, tackling issues that sort of prevent girls from obtaining an education, really. And often a bit of a taboo sometimes I haven't been brought out. And it's good to bring those stories out. Absolutely. As well as female genital mutilation as well, you know, which is, you know, horrific. And actually, it's great that, you know, things are being done to prevent that now. Yeah. So some really, really sort of powerful subject matter. But, yeah, gosh, you really. You really do love your work. What's the one thing, really? I mean, I think I love to be able to make a difference for the clients that we work with, but I think it is having a personal impact as well. I think, you know, if we have to, you know, go to work daily and, you know, spend a lot of our lives on something, I think, you know, if you're doing something that kind of moves the needle, that makes an impact. That's really important for me, and I'm really lucky to work with a really fantastic team who share that ethos. So, you know, going into work every day and working, you know, with a collective of brilliant people who want to make an impact is a great place to be. How big is Marmalade now? Are you quite a big company? I mean, because you've only started, I mean, my eyes, relatively a few years ago. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, we have a team in office work with a lot of sort of, you know, great collaborators and people around us as well. So, yeah, we're a growing company. There's a core team of 10 of us at the moment. And, yeah, really looking forward to this year. Got some great plans, you know, to work on some. Tackle some really big issues. So. Wow. And what do you see for Marmalade in the future? Are you gonna branch out? Are you gonna stay? I mean, because at the moment, I would say you're, you know, one of the most successful, you know, film and media companies in the uk. Have you got any aspirations further afield or. I mean, we do a lot of work overseas, and so, you know, potentially looking at opening up in the US in the future. I think for me, it's really about, you know, we've identified some issues that we would like to tackle, so we're developing out sort of a lot of campaigns for this coming year to tackle things around children and activity levels, ageism in advertising, so just children and, you know, the fact that children are leading more and more sedentary lives. So how do you get kids back out there being active with their, their, their, their parents. So, so that, that's one that we're looking to tackle. Very important. And get slightly shifted away from so much social media because I think is also having an impact on a lot of young people's lives. You know, we've, we find that a lot at women's radio station and men's radio station, that social media and more sedentary lifestyle can lead to more mental health issues. Absolutely, yeah. So that's a really important one for us and it's incredible to see now brands that we're working with and brands out there that are tackling things like loneliness, that are tackling things like mental health issues, cyberbullying, really important. Yeah. So using platforms, I think it's, it's wonderful that brands are using platforms to be able to get those messages out there and support consumers, people that buy from them. Yeah. And do you work with. I mean, do you have a particular. Is there anything that you don't do? Like, do you do everything from food and drink to. Is there anything you don't touch? I mean, we work on a wide variety of sectors and I enjoy that. I enjoy, you know, having that lens over, you know, different aspects of society and sectors. I mean, I think obviously there are things that we potentially would steer clear of, but ultimately, I think, you know, people are looking to make a difference. You know, then we sort of relish the challenge of being able to do that for them. Yeah. And in the future, you know, moving forward, you say you might start a company in the us. Would you move to the US or would you think you want to stay here? I mean, what's the future for Claire as opposed to just Marmalade? Yeah, no, I think definitely the, the UK is, is my home. I've been really fortunate enough through Marmalade to travel, you know, to just travel to various continents and, and meet a lot of amazing people. But definitely, I think the UK is somewhere that I would like to, to stay and who knows? I mean, I really enjoy mentoring women as part of what I do, so I'd like to continue with that. I think it's really important to give women coming into the business, into the industry a helping hand. You know, particularly I've been working with social impact entrepreneurs. You know, what's really amazing is that there are a lot of, you know, brilliant young people out there who are using the work that they do to make an impact, to make a difference. So sort of following in the footsteps of Marmalade. So I'm very, very much looking forward in the new year to continuing with that. And do you have a real mix of people that you employ? Are you. What's your, what's your age? What's your demographic in the office? Yeah, so it is a mix of ages. Quite female focused, you know, in terms of. Yeah, nothing wrong with that. My lovelace. Absolutely not. But I think it's about, you know, the best people for the job. Yeah. So I've got. You wouldn't take necessarily an 18 year old because you think, oh, I need a balance of an 18 year old. You would definitely pick somebody who was just right for the job. I think it's the right person for the job, ultimately. And I think, you know, it's important to embrace, you know, diverse mindsets. Brilliant. We're almost coming to the end of the show. We've just got one more small little break and then we're going to come back and talk to Claire and get all her advice on how to become a working mum. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism. We're. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. 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Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger Book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show. Get booked here at Women's Radio station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter @WomensRadio station, that's WomensRadiostn or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Welcome back to the last bit of our incredible show here on Mother's Hour. It's me, Carolyn Rambiers, and you're on Women's Radio Station and we are talking working mums, the New year and a new you. We've got an absolutely brilliant show with my wonderful guest, Claire Eads, who's been telling us all about her incredible company, Marmalade Film and Media. But more importantly, she's been telling us about how she did it and how you can have it all, really. You can be a working mum and you can make it work. So, Clare, this part is all about getting as much information as we can about how you do it and, you know, how you can really, really make it work. And maybe giving us some advice on perhaps starting your own company and how to juggle life at home as well. Sure. So you did start your own company in 2011, albeit you didn't have children then, but I think the same rules probably apply. What advice do you have on starting up? Because it's daunting. It is, it is absolutely. I mean, I think it's really important. If you have an idea for starting a business, you should really do your research to start with. So research the market, see what's out there. Research your consumers. You have to look into is it viable, is the idea viable? I think you really need to have a clear answer as to why someone would buy from you. You know, why would they buy from you and not someone else, be it a service or a product. So, yeah, I mean, and I think, you know, a key thing and, and, you know, it's, it's sort of a basic, fundamental, is to put a business plan together. You know, a business plan consolidates vision goals for the business operation, finances associated costs. I mean, you'll need this if you are going for financing, but I think it's really important to put that together and, you know, it doesn't need to be perfect to begin with and it will develop out over time. And there are some, you know, great resources online, as I mentioned, Enterprise nation. There's also greatbusiness.gov.uk women in enterprise. And that gives some really good tips. It really lays out things you need to think about, things you need to do when you're starting a business. I think also mentorship's really important. I think if you can find a mentor, you know, someone who is a sounding ball, maybe someone who's done this before, I think that's really important. I had a great mentor when I started. Who did you have? I continue to have mentors. So I, I had someone through a government run, you know, enterprise, which is not actually running anymore, unfortunately. But, but there are some, there are some brilliant mentors. There are some brilliant mentors out there. And on the government website, greatbusiness.gov.uk that also has a section on there as well, on sort of finding a mentor. But I think it's someone who can just, you know, someone who's sort of got your back, someone who can listen to you, someone who can sort of give you advice and just take you through those early stages. It's really important because it can feel quite lonely, you know, when you're, particularly if you're starting a business on your, on your own, you know, what's out there? Is it going to work? And it is a scary thing, but I think it is just about taking the plunge and doing it, you know. And how about when you talk about funding? I mean, that's just another scary thing because am I going to get myself in loads of debt if it doesn't work? I mean, what's your advice there? Would you try and fund it yourself? Would you definitely try and get external funding? I think it Depends on the scope and type of, of business that you've got. You know, I mean, if you're starting with something small and you're going to be working from home, for example, you could look at sort of starting to fund yourself as you grow. You know, there are, you know, ways out there to get angel investment and funding and things as you grow. So it's definitely something that can help you springboard your business for sure. I think it's all about thinking about how much ownership you want of your, of your business and all of that sort of stuff. But yeah, so, you know, I think it's okay as well to sort of ask for help sometimes, you know, within your network. Another good, another good thing you can do as well is look at reciprocal skill swaps. That's something that I know quite a lot of women do, you know. So if with sort of friends or people in your network, you know, how can I get support and you know, what could I offer you as a way of sort of swapping skills initially to help you sort of grow your business? But I think there's a lot of resources out there now. The rise in entrepreneurship has been huge over the last 10 years. You know, you only need to look at sort of Dubai and, you know, to see that people have their own businesses, that they are out there doing things. Yeah. And it's a positive place to be, I think now lead time. So let's ask you the question first. And on the back of that, would you say you gave yourself enough time to prepare? How long? So somebody sat there, now it's January. It's like, oh, you know, can I get all this together by March? I mean, and obviously it depends on the scale of the business, but how prepared? Because the other thing is that a lot of people keep, keep preparing and never actually do it. Yeah, procrastination. So I, I think the thing, I mean, you can never be fully prepared. You know, you think you've got all your ducks in a row, but it's very flu. Things change over time, you know, as the business grows and changes and develops. So, you know, you do just need to sort of take the bull by the horns in and, and start. You know, that's the best bit of advice I can give is just to really start, you know, and it may start small and it may be something, you know, they're great platforms for, you know, setting up websites. There's obviously social media to, to get your business out there. So it's about starting and then nurturing it to, to grow So I think so long as you've got put your research in place, you understand your market, you understand, you know, what your USP is and how you can market your product, then that's a great springboard, you know. But do tell us, how long did you take? Six months? A year? Probably in earnest? Around a year from thinking, I'm really going to go and do this, to actually sort of opening shop, you know. And yeah, I think in the end I had a lot of support from people around me, from clients who said, you know, you just need to really go and do this. And of course, when you go and do it, you think, why on earth did I wait this long? You know, you sort of think, gosh, I should, you know, I could have done this before. But I think where you are and when you decide to do it is the right time. I think that's really important. You know, it's not to worry about, you know, is it the right time? Because it's never going to be a perfect time. It is just to go out there and start and, and to do it and to use the brilliant resources out there. Now, the other thing, obviously, that you didn't have, but a lot of mums that are listening will have is what do I do with the kids? And how much should that deter you or not? I mean, what would, what advice would you give there? Well, I, I think, for one, I think, you know, if you have your own business, that is, it's more flexible. It's a lot more flexible than, you know, working for someone else. So it may be a case of, you know, a few late nights and, and early mornings and working around nursery or, you know, whatever childcare that you have available. But I think that is one of the, you know, the good things about having your own business is that it is more flexible. So you, you get things going to work around you and your own schedules and then bring people on to support as well. You know, eventually, once you've got, you know, funds in place for that, I think that's really important as well. And talk to your partner, you know, and say, listen, I need an hour or a couple of hours here and there just to really, you know, concentrate on this. Can you take up the slack there and can you do bedtime? You know, it really. Is that getting that organized? Absolutely, absolutely. And I think as well, if you are looking to set up with a group of other mums, you know, you can get together and have, you know, playtime for the kids once you're having an absolutely mini Crash while you're flushing out the big business of tomorrow, then. Yeah, things, things will work. I think if you want it to happen, you know, you can make it work. I know there's a lot of barriers, sometimes mental barriers that we put up, you know, haven't got the confidence to do it. It's not going to work. Why would my idea work? And I think it, it's important for women to, you know, just have the confidence and really think big, you know, just, just to kind of muster, you know, what confidence they have. Got to go do it. Because your confidence grows as you develop out your business, you know, and that's what happens. You may start feeling a little unconfident and scared and nervous, which is completely natural. But then once you set it up and you realize actually this isn't so bad and actually it is working. Yeah. Then your confidence grows and have that confidence. Because don't forget you've just brought a wonderful human being into the world and brought them up and been through and not slept for years. That's very true. I mean, I still haven't slept and we're eight years down the line with triplets. I'm exhausted. Yeah, I think. Yeah, but you really, you really, really can do it. So that's brilliant advice on starting up your own company. And Claire and I are going to get together and like I said, put all this information down on the materials bar on the website so you can just go to that and get all these places to go to do your research and really look up things. Another place to go, claire, is workingmother.com I got some strategies that they, some advice that they give which are, you know, how to not feel guilty and all these kind of things that crop up an awful lot when you are a working mum. So I just want to just throw these at you because you are the living working mum and you have your own bits of business as well. They say set attainable goals. I mean, what are they really saying with that? Daily goals. So I think we can become overwhelmed with to do lists. And, you know, I think sometimes when there's too much on the table, we don't get anything done. So I think it's about getting the three really sort of big things ticked off every day and parking the rest, you know, and just setting realistic expectations for the day because otherwise you get into overwhelm mode and it can be debilitating. Yeah. So I think it's about setting those realistic goals and also just really being kind to yourself as well. I think it's about not putting too much onto yourself. I think, you know, as women we try to be superwoman and do everything for everyone all at once. So I think it's about making sure that you press pause sometimes and you take moments for yourself. Great advice. That might be five minutes in the shower in the morning, you know, it could be, you know, half an hour after the kids have gone to bed just to sit and reflect, get away from social media. But it's really important because everything starts with you and how you feel. So if you look after your mental and physical well being, then you've got a great grounding to go off and, you know, be a brilliant mum and start a business or get back into work. Yeah, Clare, we're just about coming towards the end of the show, but before we go, if we want to look up more about Marmalade Film and media, where do we go? Go. Yep. So our website is marmalade filmandmedia.com and you can contact us@hellomarmaladefilmanmedia.com and do you have a page where you advertise for jobs? If anyone is excited by your, your company? Yeah, I mean, if anyone wants to get in touch or is excited with the prospect of working with us, then please feel free to get in touch on the hellomladefilmommandia.com email. There's also a fantastic interview Forbes Online with Claire. A lovely picture of her because she's very conscious as well as being a working mum that you can find@forbesonline forbes.com Yep, I will see you soon for another Mother's hour. Thank you very much for listening. See you next time. Welcome to the Women's Radio station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash but just don't know where to start. @empowerandenrich.org you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me@empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award winning doula. 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