02 - Business On Your Terms: Erin Thomas-Wong’s Flexible Approach to Success

In this episode of Between The Bells, I’m joined by the wonderful Erin Thomas-Wong - life-friendly business mentor, top 100 UK Female Founder, podcast host, and author of Mumpreneur Evolution. Erin has built a business that prioritises flexibility, clarity, and family, and she now helps other women do the same.

We dive into: 

✨ Erin’s journey from TV production to five-time business owner
✨ Why flexibility isn’t a compromise — it’s a choice
✨ Systems and tools that support a life-friendly business (Kajabi, Buffer, QuickBooks)
✨ The power of support and outsourcing with a strong team
✨ How to implement “CEO Time” to work on your business, not just in it
✨ Understanding the “snow globe brain” — and how to settle it for clarity and wellbeing
✨ Focusing on the 5% of activities that actually move your business forward

Bell Ringing Takeaway: Erin’s “snow globe brain” analogy is a game changer for overwhelmed entrepreneurs - sometimes stepping back is what brings everything into focus.

School Drop-Off Shoutout: Coffee shop thinking time, one coffee per hour, and a solid change of scenery. Erin shares how this simple habit fuels her best ideas.

Homework Assignment: Start blocking out CEO Time. Take at least two hours each Monday to plan with intention, focus on your 5%, and own your role as the decision-maker in your business.

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🎧 The Life Friendly Business Podcast
🔗 Follow on LinkedIn: Erin Thomas-Wong

🎙️ Edited with precision by podcast editing master, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real 

⏺️ Got feedback, a question, or want to be on the show? Leave me a voice message by CLICKING HERE – we might even feature it in a future episode!

✨ Subscribe, follow, and share with anyone who’s growing their business between the bells.

🔗 Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebeccanewenham
🌐 Learn more about Get Ahead: getaheadva.com

Transcript

I know for me it took me years to really own the fact that I was a business owner. I think so many of us are quite low in confidence and the idea of CEO time, you can call it whatever you want, but it's basically stepping into that role as the business owner. Hello and welcome to Between the Bells, growing a business in school hours. 

This is a podcast about how to grow successful businesses within school hours. I'm your host, Rebecca Newenham, founder of outsourcing agency, Get Ahead, franchise consultant, business mentor, and host of LinkedIn Local. If you're a parent, carer, or just someone who doesn't want to be tied to the traditional nine to five, then you're absolutely in the right place. 

This podcast is all about proving that you can build a thriving business while still being there for school drop-offs, pickups, and everything in between. Today I'm thrilled to be joined on Between the Bells by Erin Thomas-Wong. Erin is the life-friendly business mentor. 

She's also host of the life friendly business podcast and author of Mumpreneur Evolution. Erin champions a life-friendly approach both to business and helps women create success on their own terms without sacrificing time with their family or their own well-being. Erin was listed as a top 100 UK female founder for hashtag I also 2024, and I absolutely love watching Erin's marketing and everything that she puts out about flexible working and supporting female founders. 

I know you're going to love this episode because Erin is so open to sharing top tips and great ways to navigate running your own business. So with no further ado, I would love to launch into our podcast edition Between the Bells with the wonderful Erin Thomas-Wong. So welcome to Between the Bells and welcome Erin. 

What a treat to have you with me. Thank you so much for having me. Oh it's lovely Erin. 

We were just talking now and I feel I've met you a handful of times face to face and see you on LinkedIn virtually daily. So it's so lovely to have a little caption time with you today and I was thrilled that you agreed to come on the podcast because you are my perfect person. Thank you very much. 

On every level Erin, but you have set up a wonderful business. It's growing, thriving and you've done that very openly around having your boys and I love the fact that you're, you know, in any of your bios and I would, you know, in the intro I've done for you, we talk about flexibility. So I'd love you to share with our listeners your story. 

Absolutely. So I call myself the life-friendly business mentor because I'm all about running your business in a way that means that you're not sacrificing time with your family or your own wellbeing because that's becoming more and more important these days. So, you know, I think there's, there's a lot of messages online that talk about the hustle and the grind and about the sacrifice and, you know, actually that's making a lot of women in particular feel like they're failing because they're also looking after lots of other people. 

You know, many of us are in the sandwich generation where we're not only looking after kids, we're also looking after our parents. So I wanted to really adopt approach, an approach for myself that allowed me to work to my own measures of success. And now I help other women do that as well. 

But I, I started my first business when my first son was born 16, nearly 17 years ago. I used to work in television production and I thought that I would always do that. I absolutely loved it. 

And then when I started thinking about having a baby, I thought, how am I going to do this? How am I going to do this job? Because I was on call. If there were shoots going out, it was all consuming. And so for me, that was really the turning point of, hang on a minute, is this really the way that I want to be living my life? You know, not being able to get home in time for bedtime, having to have wraparound childcare. 

And so that was the pivotal moment for me thinking, actually, I want to do it a different way. And it has taken years for me to find my feet in business. This is actually my fifth business, but that means that I've been able to learn from a lot of mistakes that I made and also work out how to get that balance right and how to do something that I'm truly passionate about. 

Yeah. And I think that's interesting, your word, you know, pivotal. We all have those pivotal parts, don't we? And I love the fact, Erin, that this is your fifth business, just because you start a business doesn't mean it's going to be the one and only one that you do. 

And I think it's about having an openness, isn't it? To think, well, actually, if this isn't quite working, how can I do things differently? And that piece around us having a corporate career that we think, you know, we just assume that's we're going to carry on. And actually having your son was that opportunity for you to have a fresh approach, wasn't it? Absolutely. And it's weird to think that I've now been running my business for longer than I ever was in television. 

You know, I was in TV for nine years and now I've been doing this for 17. And I think, you know, it just shows that we have a lot of hope, fingers crossed, we have a long life. And so we, you know, it's okay to make those difficult decisions if you feel like the path you're on is not quite right. 

And I really believe strongly that we need to work out for ourselves what our own measures of success are rather than, you know, chasing the, climbing up the corporate ladder, getting the job title and doing all those things and sacrificing the things in life that really matter to us. Absolutely. And I think when I'm talking to prospect franchisees of mine, I'm very much like that. 

You know, I've made the mistakes, I'm giving them an opportunity, but we don't get this time back, do we? We don't get the time with our children. We don't get our time with our friends and family at each stage. So it's where and what defines flexibility and success for us. 

It's really interesting, isn't it? Yeah. And I think, you know, it is, this is getting better, but I think there's still a lot of apprehension and fear around vocalizing that we want to be available for our kids or that we want to be, or that we need to be looking after our parents. Like we worry about how people are going to perceive us. 

And, you know, one of the biggest barriers to female entrepreneurship is a lack of relatable mentors. And that's where I really believe we need to be talking more openly about the fact that, you know, actually, do you know what, my kids do come first. And that doesn't mean that I don't look after my clients. 

And it doesn't mean that I'm not taking my business seriously. The fact is, if my child's ill, I'm the one that has to take responsibility for that child. You know that. 

And I think, in fact, I interviewed a woman years ago now, and it really gave me goosebumps because she said she was in the school playground picking up her child and her client called and she panicked. And of course, she felt like she had to answer it because we've all got this urgency, you know, everything's life and death, we've got to answer. And so she answered the phone and she said, oh, I'm really sorry. 

I hope you can hear me. I'm at Waterloo Station. It's really noisy. 

And then she said, I put the phone down and I thought, why on earth didn't I say I'm in the school playground picking up my daughter? And she said she was so cross with herself and she vowed that she would never do that again. But we do feel still like we have to make those excuses. Yes. 

And have a persona. I'm working. I'm so efficient. 

And actually, the more authentic we can be, the more relatable we are and the more that trust comes in, doesn't it, then to a business relationship. And we attract the kind of people we actually want to work with. And that's a big thing to me. 

And I'm forever saying to my team, you know, not everyone is your clients and vice versa. But I totally get it. In the early days of running a business, there is that's not desperation, but there's a slight feeling about if I don't work with these people, I'm not going to find anyone else. 

So I think that to me is one of the biggest lessons around, you know, just have that confidence, the right you will attract the right people. So absolutely. No, fascinating. 

Oh, that's really helpful. And thank you for that sharing your story. So we're going to move on to my quick fire questions. 

So I'm just interested to know if you've got any favorite tools or sort of key lessons you'd like to share from your journey so far. Well, I think a key to being able to adopt a life friendly approach to your business. And for me, that means not being tied to my desk. 

That is about getting systems and processes in place. And obviously, you know, you can get someone to help you do that, which will save you a lot of time. But I use Kajabi for my website. 

And for me, it works really well because it's an all in one, especially if you're running online courses or memberships. And so I'm always thinking about how I can kind of streamline my systems to save me time, really. So, you know, I use Kajabi for my website. 

I also use Buffer for scheduling. I use QuickBooks for my finance. And I think so many people are quite, you know, a bit scared of tech, but actually we need to be embracing it because that's how we can leverage what we're doing. 

So I really, really recommend that people think about the tasks that they're doing on a daily basis and what they can actually because there's all this stuff has been invented to help us. Yeah, no, I love that. And I'm the same. 

I've always been a bit tech phobic on certain things, or I can be the opposite. Like I might kind of think, well, that's working for everyone. So I better have that too and then sort of feel I miss it, get that awful FOMO of missing out that I'm not doing something. 

But I think you're totally right. It's being clear on actually what your requirements are and then almost going to markets to find the right. And like you say, people have done all the hard work for us, haven't they, in terms of, and I've heard really good things about Kajabi. 

Yeah, I do really love it. And it makes me be able to be very dynamic and quick in what I want to achieve. I don't have to wait for a web designer to make changes for me. 

I can just go in there. I can create a landing page for something really quickly. So I love the fact that that can help with my creativity as well.

Yeah, lovely. And that's an interesting point, isn't it? Now, outsourcing is wonderful, but sometimes if time is of the essence, we want to sort of be as reactive as we can. And I always love your weekly emails I get from you and you're relevant. 

And to be relevant means sometimes you have to sort of be quite reactive to things, don't you, as well then, as well as plan certain things. And I've obviously met your lovely Carly, your online business manager, who I love it because when I've met you down in Bournemouth, she's been there and you've been having your powwows. And I love that, that you share that sort of female supporter in your world, which is great.

And it's invaluable to have an online business manager or a VA because I am a sole opener. And the fact is that Carly knows so much about my business that I can brainstorm with her, we can talk strategy. And I just, I find it so lovely as someone working on their own to have that, you know, that feeling of being in a team. 

And because we've worked together now for, I think, over six years, you know, I don't have to explain things in detail because she knows what to do. She knows how to do it. She knows my tone of voice. 

And it's an invaluable support to me for sure. Yeah, no, I can imagine. And likewise for her working with you, it must be lovely to be part of a growing and thriving business. 

So, oh, that's brilliant. That's really helpful, Erin. Thank you. 

So in terms of your bell ringer moment, what would you say is your single most important takeaway or piece of advice you'd give our listeners? So I would say one of the key things that we need to be focusing on is having clarity in our businesses. That's how we can become more efficient, make more progress. But also clarity in terms of helping our own wellbeing. 

And most of us are walking around with a snow globe brain. So if you imagine a snow globe shaken up, the snow's everywhere, you can't see clearly. And sadly, in the times we live in where everything's urgent, everything's now, everything's, you know, information overload, we're trying to make decisions from that place.

And you're not going to be making the best decisions. And so I think as well as a parent, you know, or if you've got other responsibilities in your life, it's really important to recognize that we need time to transition before we start work and, you know, at different points in the day. And so I always say to people, you know, think about how you can put that snow globe down.

And sometimes it, you know, it might just take five minutes and a cup of tea and not looking at your phone or anything, and it will just let your brain settle and then you'll be more productive. You know, in all honesty, sometimes you need days or weeks to allow your snow globe brain to settle. And I think that's where, when you do have children and you're working to school terms and school holidays, actually we can really lean into that and benefit because the change of pace can help that snow globe brain settle. 

But I think it's an amazing analogy for people to keep in their minds when they're feeling overwhelmed and they're struggling to make decisions, they might have decision fatigue because they've got all this information and they can't, they can't make those decisions clearly until they've let the snow settle. So make sure that you are committing to time for your snow globe brain to settle. That's wonderful. 

I remember the whole, when I was younger, you used to get those little snow globes and then suddenly they all, it all settles and you get that wonderful, whatever it is in the middle of it. But I think you're so right because yesterday I just took half an hour outside and I just had that break. Well, I'm a bit naughty, I say naughty, but you know, my phone is calling me, my kids are calling me on FaceTime. 

They might not be living here, but you know, they're on FaceTime and we're available, aren't we, so much. And I've got much better. I love Mel Robbins there and so I've been listening to a lot of her recent Let Them Theory and putting my bed, tucking my phone into bed at night has made a huge difference. 

And it's sort of, then I've been sleeping better and then it just goes on and on, doesn't it? But I love that feeling and actually leaning into the school holidays. For me, our youngest daughter's now at uni. So suddenly, I mean, we have got, I've actually got a mammoth Easter break now. 

She's off for four weeks. So I'm well and truly leaning into that, but I think it's giving ourselves permission, isn't it? Rather than go, I've got to work every minute. I might have to do a bit in the holidays. 

It's actually being, giving yourself clarity and I like that. I've got another book recommendation. I love, I've got Let Them as well by Mel Robbins, but there's a book called Do Less by Kate Northrup and it is amazing. 

And she's basically talking about this culture of just being busy all of the time and wearing busy as a badge of honour. And she says that farmers know that they need to leave the soil to lay fallow in order to get a bumper harvest. But yet we feel like we should be creating a bumper harvest all year round and never leaving the soil to lay fallow. 

And, you know, it's absolutely brilliant. It is a game changing book. So I really recommend people read that, especially if they're caught in that trap of just constant on the go and then being really, you know, frustrated with themselves when they're like, you know, why am I not firing on all cylinders? And it's because we do need to slow down and do less and we will be able to achieve more if we do that.

Yeah. And I'll share that in the show notes. Definitely. 

Thank you. Because I find that if I go away for, I was away last weekend for a long break and that's when my mind, funny little ideas pop up and I'll capture them in my notes on my phone. And it's rather lovely, isn't it? Because sort of random things come to you.

Yeah. And that's when your creativity flows. Absolutely.

Yeah. It's like the dog walk, not having headphones in and just sort of observing. And then I suddenly get that little nugget. 

So that's brilliant, Erin. Thank you. So in terms of your school drop-off shout out, what would you like to share with us on that? Well, I definitely love working in coffee shops. 

That really is a game changer for me because it's just getting out of the house, away from the dishwasher chores and all those things. And it's also creating that transition time that I need to go from being mum, trying to get my son out the door with everything he needs to then transitioning to work. So for me, it's about finding a lovely local coffee shop. 

I've got a few that I choose from and I just take myself off. And I literally do that at eight o'clock now because my son leaves at 10 to eight and I'm an early bird. So it's amazing for me to just be able to get out. 

And that's when I do my best thinking time and have that change of scene and also, you know, be around people because I work at home on my own a lot. And so it's just so nice to kind of get into a different state by changing my environment. Obviously the caffeine helps. 

But yeah, I love that. I love working in coffee shops. And how long would you say that? Does it vary? Would you like this pop in or? It's often two hours and my rule is at least one drink an hour. 

I feel like that's a fair. Quite a few cafes are getting a little bit twitchy out there because people are in there for hours and hours drinking tap water. Yeah, that's harsh. 

Yeah, I always think one coffee an hour. But yeah, you know, 90 minutes to two hours. And then, you know, I come back and I do like my calls on Zoom and things like that at home. 

But it really does help to get out of the house for me. No, really good idea. I think things I find frustrations if you're having a sociable coffee and then you've got someone on FaceTime or Zoom next to you. 

And I think it's how you use that time to like you say, not having calls, but having time for you and being clear on what you want to achieve while you're there is probably quite helpful, isn't it? Absolutely. Very good tip. And where you are, I imagine there are lots of beautiful cafes on the beach as well.

I was yesterday overlooking the beach, sipping a coffee and writing my notes. It was blissful. Yeah, no, you've got to take it when you can. 

No, I love that. And finally, Erin, your homework assignments. I love these. 

So what advice or what piece of homework are you going to set us? So I would like everyone to start implementing CEO time. So for me, a CEO is someone that is the chief decision maker. And if you are a sole opener, you are also the person making decisions.

And, you know, I know for me, it took me years to really own the fact that I was a business owner, I think so many of us are quite low in confidence. And the idea of CEO time, you can call it whatever you want, but it's basically stepping into that role as the business owner. So I do this every Monday morning for at least two hours, if not a bit longer. 

And it's basically time where I think what's going on in my business this week, I look at my to-do list from last week, I rewrite it very mindfully, thinking about whether priorities have changed, and then sometimes I'll start taking action on it. And this will completely transform the way that you approach your week. Because if you're falling into Monday, you know, all the other stuff that you're dealing with in your life, you fall into Monday, you instantly start reacting to emails, to client work, those kind of things.

For me, if you think about it, that's what it's like when you're employed. You know, you turn up at work, and you're immediately reacting to everything. But now you're running your own business, it really helps to be proactive rather than reactive and take that moment to think, this is what I've got going on in my business. 

And, you know, most of us are not doing things that are life and death. And, you know, if your client is waiting to hear from you on a Monday morning, where I think 11am is perfectly acceptable, you know, if you want to put and it's all about putting those boundaries in place for yourself. And I know for myself, and for so many of my clients, this, the CEO time has been the game changer, and really help them to feel much more in control. 

And you're less likely to make mistakes and overlook things. Because every week, you've got that overview time. So no matter how busy your week is going to be, you know, that you can take a breath to start off with.

I love that. Because it's so interesting, because I found often on a Monday, someone's booked into my, I mean, I love calendars, someone's booked into my calendar for nine o'clock. So you're so right, I've sort of launched my week on someone else's agenda or in a different way. 

So I am, after this, I need to go and block. Yeah, because I remember when I was part of Entrepreneurs Circle years ago, Nigel Boshall used to talk about, you know, the first 90 minutes of every day. And that to me was overwhelming. 

But I love that two hours on a Monday, because that sets it up. And I think that your point as well of reviewing your to do list, because something could could have had a priority last week, but might be slightly different depending on what's going on. I'd be lying if I said I didn't look at emails, because unfortunately, even though I know it's not great for me, I do do that thing of glancing at my inbox. 

And I know, and I remember a coach that I had years ago, he said to me, as soon as you see that subject line, or who the email is from, your brain is subconsciously trying to work it out. And it's so true. But I will glance at emails, but I won't, the first thing I do, the first thing I do is like brain dump. 

And I just, I find it really hard to look at a to do list where half the things are ticked off. Like I literally, like it all, that's why I need to rewrite it fresh. But like you say, like priorities are changing all the time. 

And some of the things, like they don't feel that urgent anymore. The other tip, actually, I just want to give quickly is the five, five percent, which is another key thing that has massively helped me and lots of other people. This is James Wedmore. 

And he talks about the fact that we can be so busy in our businesses, but not making the traction that we need to be because we're spending time on the 95%. And that's the stuff like falling down the Canva rabbit hole and spending hours trying to make a reel and all these kinds of things. Whereas actually only 5% of the activities that you do in your business will actually move the needle. 

So we're talking about customer fulfillment. We're talking about marketing and visibility, but sometimes those things are the things that feel hard. So we think, oh, I'll just take off the little things. 

I'll do the, those things that will only take a few minutes. And that fills all your time. So you feel really busy. 

And then you're looking and thinking, why haven't I got any sales? Why am I, you know, like focusing on the 5%. And so every time I have a CEO time session, I'm thinking, what are my 5% this week? And that is so valuable as well. When you've got limited time to work, when it's the school holidays, when you've got other responsibilities, just know your 5%. 

And if you only focus on them, you're still going to be making progress in your business. Absolutely. Yeah. 

And not fapping. You're so right. Because those hours where you could pretend and makes you think you've been busy because you've been cracking something, but it's not actually where you need to be focusing your time. 

Yeah. Oh, Erin, I love my homework. Thank you very much. 

I'm going to be taking action the minute we shut this down. Oh, you've been amazing. I knew you would be. 

You're so real. And I love the fact that you're always open to sharing things. So I will be sharing in all the different places people can connect and find you. 

And as I said, your email is invaluable. So I would encourage anyone to sign up to that. And obviously, on you. 

Thank you so much. It's very nice. Yeah, that you're enjoying the emails. 

And I've got my podcast as well. The Life Friendly Business Podcast. You have. 

So yes, I will be adding that as well. So no, it's been a real treat to have you, Erin. Thank you so much. 

Thank you for having me.