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Wild Moos
Welcome to Wild Moos, the no-holds-barred podcast where the boardroom meets the playroom.
Hosted by Amy of Mooeys and Nicole from Wild Bird Marketing, this podcast dives into the messy, joyful, and often chaotic life of being a mother and a business owner.
Every episode is a candid exploration of the trials and triumphs that come with juggling spreadsheets and sippy cups.
From start-up stories that defy the "perfect mum" myth to scaling a business without sacrificing sanity, Amy and Nicole share it all.
Expect laughter, tears, and plenty of swear words as they peel back the curtain on what it really takes to thrive in the dual worlds of business and motherhood.
Wild Moos is a community, a confession booth, and your cheerleading squad all rolled into one.
Whether you're knee-deep in nappies, drafting business plans, or just dreaming about what could be, Wild Moos is the podcast for every mum who’s ever had to lock the bathroom door just to answer an email.
Tune in for your regular dose of inspiration, commiseration, and a reminder that you're not alone on this wild ride of entrepreneurship and motherhood.
Wild Moos
Wild Moos: TitBits #2
As we bid farewell to 2023, we're raising a glass to the highs and embracing the lessons from the lows.
But it's not all confetti and streamers; We get real about personal struggles that hit hard, reminding us that even in success, life throws curveballs.
Wrap yourself in your coziest blanket and join us for a heartwarming, laughter-filled journey into the new year.
Nicole Bilham of WildBird Marketing Agency
https://wildbirdmarketing.co.uk/
Amy Lewis of The Mooeys Group
www.mooeys.co.uk | www.mooeysfranchise.co.uk | www.mooskin.co
TIT BITS NO 2. I really like this little bit. Tit BITS NO 2. And this one is all about 2023.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's Christmas and we thought what better way to celebrate than to talk about how 2023 has been for us?
Speaker 1:Do you know what? I hate it when you learn, you get to know year and you get all these people posting on socials and it's like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's always so long-winded, isn't it about how amazing 2023 or how hard it's been, or whatever? But I feel like people go go really in war and peace, end of 2023 posts. And here we are about to do the same.
Speaker 2:Wow, so it was good, thanks bye.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do totally believe in like reflecting. It's different in a podcast, it's different in audio, but you know, when you see those posts on LinkedIn and it's like it's going to take you 10 minutes, like a fucking blog, could you just give me the abbreviated like? Just give me the short version, short version, just bullet point there.
Speaker 2:So bullet points for you for 2023, then Good, bad and ugly, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, good launch another salon. That was epic Yep, well done, congrats.
Speaker 2:S salon number six.
Speaker 1:Thank you, that was really good. What else have we had? We've done our first mood conference. That was epic. I was really chuffed with that, sorry, so you're. So I got there's five out of six salons plus my manager's. One of the salons couldn't make it, but then my manager's, my whole management team, yep Head office team I make it sound like so much bigger than it is. I was about I think it was about 18 of us.
Speaker 1:Sorry no stop, it is a bit. It's big. Yeah, no, it sounds much bigger, my head office team, my management team, but it sounds more that's like seven people, I think. I know Sorry, I know, because you always just think, I always think management team, you'd think like 30, 40 people. No, Well, maybe it's just because of the size of the companies I've worked in in the past.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe it's but context. Yeah, seven people, but still vital to the running of the group, the franchise, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:And then there was the manager and assistant manager from each salon Amazing, yeah, it was really cool.
Speaker 2:So this is like is it like an away day, like?
Speaker 1:first. Yeah, it really was. So we've done it at Old Thorns and we had like a bit of strategy. We had some activities, so I'd done like the apprentice, but within the team. Nice, that's my favorite them into two and said you need to create a product or a service. You've got half an hour to do it. I need you to work out margins. I need you to give me an RRP.
Speaker 2:You need to register your trademark. Register your trademark.
Speaker 1:Why do you want it? Why do you you know why do we need it in the business, exactly what's your USP and how do we promote it.
Speaker 2:Unique selling point kind of thing, yeah.
Speaker 1:And it was really cool. We had some really cracking ideas, yeah Nice. So that was a really good day, but it was really good to get the team together, because they're all in their own salons or we're working from home. And I think for all of us to get together. We talked about our plan for the next year, what we want for the business, what our growth looks like, but also just getting excited about what we've achieved and how far we've come, celebrating the successes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So do you go out for dinner after we all had?
Speaker 1:lunch together. Yeah, and most of the people that worked for me are mums, so a lot of them needed to get back, so there's no point in doing that whole kind of yeah, let's invest 24 hours yeah. I'd rather have everybody just there from half nine till 4.30, five o'clock, but have them their full attention that time.
Speaker 2:And is this something that you're going to implement regularly? Every year Love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be an annual, so we'll do like a meet up sort of mid-year. So we've got one booked for February I think, and then I've got management training booked for March and then we'll do this every October, because October and November is a bit quieter for us, so it allows us to come out of the salons and really work on the business, but just to get everybody together and have that meeting of minds and that collaboration. I just loved it. I was so proud.
Speaker 1:Fearing the space, yeah, and allowing them to have a voice and be part of something and have an opinion, and we talked about different bug bears. They've got through the business and the operation and I had each of the head office team kind of stand up and present what they do and why they're doing it and what they're involved in and how they can support the salons more, and it's really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's very magical, because I kind of felt this is it. Yeah, like I've grown a legit business now. That's what it felt like. Yeah, I've been fanning around the salons for a while, literally, but now this business is legit and it is growing and we're going to have this every year and people are going to look forward to it, and anybody that's in the management team is welcome.
Speaker 2:That is amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that was really cool.
Speaker 2:Great achievement of 2023.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know if I've had any. Oh my God, I have had a low, actually Like in August 2023.
Speaker 2:Oh God, yeah, we weren't fully in on apps, that was the hardest month of my life. I was stressed for you from afar, my entire existence, yeah, I thought if I talked about it on this podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was definitely a low for me and I actually thought I felt like I fought for my business in August. Yeah, and my business reputation and it was no fault of anybody's, it was just. It was all hands on deck, firefighting yeah. However, we got through it and actually got through it stronger. The team are epic.
Speaker 2:So yeah, mother of all mothers, yeah, definitely definitely Family anything it's so nice to see.
Speaker 1:I think I've said before, but this is my favourite age with the kids. Really, yeah, I'm absolutely loving it.
Speaker 2:You haven't said that on the internet, have I not?
Speaker 1:I don't think so. No, this is definitely my favourite age because they're still a little bit cuddly, but still independent. Yeah, like the conversations I have with Willow, they're magical and I look forward to hearing what they think. It's nice to spend one on one time with them because, it's really important.
Speaker 1:I always thought it was important when they were younger, but this age, so important, and I was so now seeing what they're into, like Willow's really getting into fashion yeah, really getting into fashion and really like particular about what she wears, when she's never done that Like she turned around to me every day and said mum, I know you're not going to like this, but I don't like unicorns anymore. I was like how can you not like unicorns? You like unicorns since the day you were born. Like how can you not like unicorns? And she was like I don't mind the real life ones, like on my wall, yeah, I don't like cartoon unicorns anymore and I don't want them on my clothes. I was like okay, okay, wow, but sequined me up. Yeah, oh, nice, yeah, okay, we're still yeah, we're still going back, we're still sequins and sparkles and that's all good.
Speaker 1:Pipe, on the other hand, couldn't give two shits about what she wears. Yeah, nothing matches, nothing goes together. And she's like I've got clothes on, I'm dressed oh lucky me. And however, she makes me laugh more than anybody else on this planet, really.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's epic. Yeah, I'm going to start with Willow. Really tough start Because.
Speaker 2:To the year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, because when they hit eight, they had this massive hormone surge and she struggled. She really struggled and said we, we didn't know how to parent, we didn't know if we were doing it right. I'm really worried for her. And then, all of a sudden, it's like the hormones have dissipated, disciputated. Is that the way it works, disciputated?
Speaker 2:Disciputated that was hard for me as well. Disciputated, persecuted.
Speaker 1:Persecuted. What are we saying? Oh my God. And then this like they've gone, where have they gone? They've gone, yeah, they're out here, yeah. And then we've got this incredible little human that we haven't seen before. She was always there, but this more mature, more engaging, incredible little soul and, yeah, it's been really magical. It's really really tough. And if anybody has got kids going through this hormone surge, I had some advice from a client of mine when I was covering in Horsham in August.
Speaker 2:She had a little, nine-year-old I think with her Again, mother of all mothers, serving you up something that you absolutely needed. Yeah, exactly this nugget.
Speaker 1:This woman was amazing and she had a nine-year-old with her and I was really in the thick of willow. I'm struggling with her Like this is hard.
Speaker 2:I remember this. I remember we were walking. You're turning that, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm really worried for her. It was like exorcist. I had to spin in and was going to pop off. She was throwing things kicking. I've never seen her. She's not a violent kid and she was mad.
Speaker 1:And this woman said to me, in front of her daughter, she went oh God, I think her daughter was called Lily and she went. Do you remember when we went through that Lily? And Lily was like oh yeah, that was tough, wasn't it? And they were talking about it. It was really open, it was beautiful.
Speaker 1:And her mum said magnesium really helps. And I was like, pardon, I feel like this is like you know, you get, mum nuggets and wisdom. And I was like can you tell me more about this? Yeah, and she said the magnesium helps kids get a better night's sleep, so it helps them regulate their emotions, because they need a lot more deeper sleep to really help. And so I bought that. It's like the German company. You know like they look like medicine bottles and it's the vitamins and they've got all the floral and vitamins all over them. It's expensive, but I bought I went through like three or four bottles of that magnesium.
Speaker 1:You just give them a little. It's like fruit juice-y, yeah, and I gave them both that every like half an hour before dinner in the evening she slept like absolute babies. You can have it for kids, I think, like from five up or something. Wow, and it definitely helped her. Although it was still difficult, it definitely made a difference. And then they both said to me the other day actually about it. They were like we haven't had that magnesium for a while. I was like I think you've passed it, but I would definitely go back to that if they needed it.
Speaker 1:Because it's hard to get magnesium in a diet, isn't it? I think so Because I'm really always worried about what they eat, making sure they get all their vitamins. I don't want to give them like vitamins if I don't need to. I'd rather than give them food and blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2:I am giving her D vitamins at the minute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've given them.
Speaker 2:Because of, like I just feel that his immune system he will be at nursery though. Yeah, shocking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's really normal. Yeah, Like it's really normal for them to get out all the time. I think we feel like the vitamins have helped.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, I don't know. He's probably been on them for about two months, maybe. Yeah, and I think it's definitely helping, and he gets a little star jelly in the morning, like what more could you want from?
Speaker 1:us? Yeah, exactly, it's exciting. Well, there we go, Vitamins. So I've had some highs and lows. I've had some extreme lows and some extreme highs, I feel, and then we're finishing the year on this. This is a real high for me, yeah, me, yeah, and the counsellor I've mentioned it a few times but it's really helping. But it is opening up a can of worms, man. It's really emotional for both me, martin, and just individually as well. So it's opening up a lot and I will talk about it a lot more once we've kind of passed it, I think, or once we've throw it, yeah, but oh, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Speaker 1:I think it's important, it's really important, but it's hard, it's really tough to work through. Well, it's good that you found your therapist as well.
Speaker 2:Like I feel like that might be hard for a woman, she came recommended by two people that had marriage counselling with her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, but it's like we're dating, it's like getting to know each other all again. How we think now, 10 years on, that's really nice isn't it?
Speaker 2:I'm excited for marriage counselling. I can't.
Speaker 1:I don't think anyone says that do they no? But that's kind of a round in our year.
Speaker 2:So 2023 for the Billhams Saw the birth of Hope. That was lovely. That was in May. It's been hard. I feel like it's been a bit of a hard year, probably because of all the mum stuff and that's gone on for such a long time because you know hashtag NHS but there's been. I feel like the second half of the year has been pretty epic. Yeah, there have been some really good things. There's also been some I've really got in my own way as well at the same time. Yeah, but I think it just comes with trying to do too much. But my mindset has been I know I've talked about it a lot but that picking of the scab for me and the confidence and impacting my growth has been bad. But I think that's probably a byproduct of the mum stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be a hard navigate in that. Yeah, you know we were talking before about when you step up and take more childcare and then the guilt that you feel, but you need more childcare and then your kid's going to be a nursery and what do you do about that?
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:And we were saying like, if you do four days, just make sure that Friday is like epic all-in family, no work, no phone, no, nothing. Yeah, and then you don't need to feel guilty about having hope in nursery four days a week if you need it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think I am struggling with that at the minute, but you know what is balance?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I don't believe in it. Personally, I don't think there is no.
Speaker 2:Like you, this has been epic. Wild Moose is just wonderful and, yeah, I can't the messages that we are getting from people that I haven't spoken to for years and years and years, people that are listening to it. It's just coming to light and I guess because I saw our friends over the weekend and people are saying, oh my god, your face is on Spotify. And I'm like, fuck, my face is on Spotify Because we just do it here and we think, oh, this is lovely, and then you walk away and it's like, oh, someone's messaged and now it's because I guess I'm seeing more people.
Speaker 1:I sound like a recluse, we actually had someone ask us whether our next episode was coming out, didn't we? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's much, which is really nice, and people are listening. That aren't mums, or aren't business owners.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was somebody that said they're not our target audience, but they've really enjoyed it because of this business.
Speaker 2:Thank you like. Thank you to all of you for persevering with an hour long episode. I mean, who do we think we are Really interesting? No, so I think that 2023 has been wonderful and horrific all at the same time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've had some really tough things to deal with, haven't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then some epic highs as well. Welcome to life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, big time. I don't know if I'd want it to just be all good all the time, though It'd be a bit boring, wouldn't it.
Speaker 2:No, I would like a little bit less Shit. I don't know, I don't want shit. I would like a little less. You know, is she gonna die, isn't she Right? That would be nice, yeah. But I think I've been better at not indulging in those thoughts, but because there's been no other choice. So I have been, I guess, in firefighting mode for me and for emotions, trying to get through the hormone, navigate the hormones, after having hope. Yeah, and that's still surging through me. Right, she's seven months old.
Speaker 1:It's gonna take me up until she's 12 months for that to clear in a way, and then it takes you up until they're 10 to really get back to feeling like they're your complete self, apparently.
Speaker 2:Great, I know right and that note. Fuck it, yeah, I know. So, yeah, I feel good, I feel good, yeah, really good. I feel excited for 2020, for as well.
Speaker 1:I'm excited for our next episode to talk about. What are we gonna smash the shit out of in 2024? Oh Jesus, I think that'd be a really good one, wouldn't it? Yeah, like what? Not our big hairy goals, but what is it we're gonna do in 2024? Oh God, let's get really fucking excited. Let's feel it in our bones of what we're gonna achieve and do, and you are on to absolute greatness with a lot of things, as are you.
Speaker 2:I'm excited, but it's also a bit of squeaky bum time, Because you've got to. This is like accountability central, isn't it? We declare a declaration of love for each other.
Speaker 1:This is declaration of right, what am I gonna do? Yeah, I'm gonna hold you to it. Please don't Play small, no.
Speaker 2:I'm not gonna play small. We don't play small. No, we don't, we don't. I truly hope that everyone else is having a year that is manageable. I actually hope that everyone's having a wonderful year, but I don't know if everyone is yeah or if that's realistic, exactly yeah, but I hope, whatever you are doing, wherever you are.
Speaker 1:You're okay, yeah, and you have love in your heart. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And happiness on your side and happiness on your side, and people around you holding you up Exactly.
Speaker 2:So, amy Lewis, thank you for holding me up this year and thank you, have you got a?
Speaker 1:joke for us. Yeah, I've got one this time.
Speaker 2:Have you? You tell yours because I told mine earlier and I won't get the same reaction from you. Why did the elf go to the doctors?
Speaker 1:I don't know, Because it had tints like us. That's courtesy of my sister.
Speaker 2:She told the kids the other day I was like I'm telling you, did you relay any of the jokes that you learned last week?
Speaker 1:The cheese jokes, yeah, and the sugar puff. The sugar puff I did share. They, martin and the girls found that very funny Good.
Speaker 2:Are you going to? Shall I relay the one that I told you earlier? Yes, what's Mr T's favourite yogurt? I don't know. I pay for it. I don't know who. Mr T is. Please search him, yes, and make me feel old.
Speaker 1:Have the best time, guys. Doctor of love, that was so flat.
Speaker 2:Have the best time, guys.
Speaker 1:I feel like that was a really lovely place. Have the absolute best time. Nice Christmas and New Year, guys. Yay, lots of love. Bye.
