How Redundancy Led Me to Start My Own Business | Karyn from EverOrganised

In this episode of The Creative Conversation: The Start-Up Series, I’m joined by Karyn, founder of EverOrganised a professional organiser and admin specialist who helps busy business owners bring calm to chaos.

Karyn’s journey into self-employment didn’t come from always knowing she wanted to run a business. After years working in retail, studying marketing and PR, and then spending 16 years in banking, she was made redundant, and decided to take the leap into building something of her own.

We talk about:

• being made redundant and using that moment to start a business
• leaving the corporate world behind
• building EverOrganised from one client and word of mouth
• managing business and motherhood
• the freedom and pressure that come with working for yourself
• why being organised can completely change how you show up in your business

If you’ve ever wondered whether redundancy, burnout or feeling stuck in the wrong job could actually be the push you need, this episode will really resonate.

CONNECT WITH KARYN:

Instagram @everorganised

LinkTree - linktr.ee/everorganised

The Creative Conversation: The Start-Up Series is produced by Greene Creatives.
Connect with us: www.greenecreatives.co.uk | Instagram: @greenecreatives

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to the Creative Conversation Startup series. Today's guest is someone who has been part of my business journey for a good few years now. Karen, the founder of Ever Organized. Karen is a professional organizer and admin specialist who helped busy business owners bring calm to chaos. That sounds so good. So she deals with people's bank accounts, their diaries, their inboxes. She's also a mum of two boys juggling family life alongside running her business. So I know this conversation will be really helpful to other mums out there. Today we're diving into how Ever Organised began, what running a business really looks like, and how getting organized can completely change the way you show up in your business.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Excited? Very excited.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Thank you for having me. That's fine. Okay. To get started, I do like a quick intro. So, what did you want to do when you were younger? I never knew.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

You didn't know at all? No, I never ever knew. I really didn't know until I did this. Really?

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Oh, okay. We've had vets. We've had We've had a few vets. Yeah, like random stuff, but yeah, okay. So did you ever think you were gonna own your own business or you just didn't know what you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Didn't have a clue, really, really didn't have a clue. Even up till I was at uni, you still didn't have a clue. What's your coffee, Ardad? So I have to think about this every time I go, but it's uh skinny latte with oat milk and skinny caramel syrup. But I say it differently every time I go, but that is basically it, and then I get an iced one in the summer.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Yes, we I think did we not try iced ones at the same time? Yeah, yeah. Or we weren't convinced for a while. And then we got was it your sister that said to get the caramel in it? Yeah, and then she likes the iced whipped. Yeah, and then the converted most used emoji on like your brand.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Well, I don't post very much on my own Instagram, but if I do, it's usually the white or the black heart. Yeah. And then all my own c all my clients have got their own little ones that I would use for them.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

But yeah, the white heart usually.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

We're gonna get into how you got here. So with this podcast, we I wanted to put a spotlight on women in business like us who are still very much figuring it out, not like the pure made-up people. So what were your jobs before this, like from school?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

So I worked in Little Woods when I was like 16.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Little Woods, yeah. Where was that again? Um primary.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Oh yeah. So I worked there for a year. I applied to Tesco, but I couldn't get into Tesco because I didn't have any experience, so I had to work in Little Woods for a year, but I hated it. The uniform was ugly, and I used to get changed out of it if I was even going out for my lunch. Really? Because it was awful, yeah. I can imagine you doing that. Yeah, so I used to get changed and then um worked there for a year and then I got a job in Tesco because I applied again, and then I was there for about six years. I loved Tesco, it was the best job ever at the time. Um, made loads of pals in Tesco, but had the best social life ever. That was while I was at Uni. Then What did you do at uni? Uh I never told you what I did at uni. Marketing. Did you? Yeah. Marketing in PR. Oh my god! Um so yeah, um, did that, went to college first and then uni. But the lecturer on one of the very first days said, I'll never forget this, said if you want to work in marketing to be honest, you'll need to get a job in London.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

So that's a great way to start. I was like, yeah, I kind of I obviously went to uni in Glasgow, but it was kind of the same as well, and then I was just lucky that I got a job here. But I'm so like really want to change that, and that's why I'm so glad that I've gave like the girls opportunities here. Yeah. Um, and I like to do work with the uni as well, because that's not fair at all.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

So yeah, I did that, I just kind of fell into that from school. Um, so then I was working in Tesco, and then when I graduated, did really well at uni, and that graduated, and then my mum and one of my aunties worked in the bank at the time, and it just seemed natural for me to get a job in the bank as a sales, they sold it to me, like, come and work in the bank, it's a good job, and be a sales advisor. So I went and did that and was there for about 16 years, but I knew it was never really what I wanted to do, but I just didn't know what I still didn't know what I wanted to do. Um, so I worked there for 16 years, um, did like everything. The bank changed loads, I did sales, I did the till, I did all sorts of things. Wouldn't really say I loved it, um, and then got offered redundancy five years ago. And that's when I thought, I've had enough of working in the corporate world, I don't want to do that anymore. My auntie used to say, she was one of my bosses at the time in the bank, and she used to say, A girl with a notebook, you'll go fire, because I always had my notebook and always had my to-do list. So I just thought, maybe I could do could I do something, could I work for myself? And then people around me are going, you know, you won't get paid, and you know, you won't get holidays. But one of the reasons why I wanted to leave was because it was so hard to get holidays. I couldn't I felt like I was missing things at the nursery at the time and having to ask to get off all the time. And yes, who's the head artist? It was a lot. So I got redundant, I got made redundant, got the money, and thought I'm gonna do this. And it just felt like it was the right time. Just took a massive jump. Sometimes I think back and I think I can't actually believe I did that.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

If you weren't made redundant, would do you think we still would have done it? I don't know. I asked myself that quite a lot. Because that sometimes that's like the universe made the decision for you. I do think that. But sometimes that's what happens a lot, and it you need that to happen.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

If I know now, no, what's he saying? If you if I if I could see myself now, then I would definitely do it, but I don't know. Yeah, you don't know that. It's a huge gamble. And then I remember like Stephen at the time, my husband, he was really, really, really like he was saying, you know, you've been quite miserable at times working in the bank, you haven't enjoyed it, like please do this, like you'll you'll definitely make a go of it, you'll be great. That's probably what you were made to do. And the idea of the business came from, you know, when you go to contact like a hairdresser or beautician and you can't get you don't get a reply, and it's like three to five business days, and you're like, but I really want to know if I've got a hair appointment, I really want to know if I can get in to get my nails done. So I thought, there's maybe a bit of a gap in the market here, nobody's really doing that. Or if you email somebody, you don't get a reply. So I thought I could do that. And then I was speaking to a beautician friend of mine in the playground one day, primary one, when Absolut was just starting school and she phoned me that weekend and she said, If you're serious about your business plan, I'll be your first client. And that was it, it kind of was born after that.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

So that's so exciting. So usually I ask people, was it like a side hustle at first? Like my business was, and then I had to take the jump. So you're you literally just went into it with a time.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yeah, I just jumped right in because I didn't have anything else. I remember saying at the time there's no point in me getting another job, because if I get another job with steady income, I probably that'll then fall on the back burner, so I just need to go for it. So I started looking at like courses. I did the strategy session with you. Yeah, I just started and then I was using my redundancy money to sort of pay the bills and that at that time for a few months until I was getting a regular income.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

That's good though, because like obviously getting made redundant's not the best, like nobody wants that. But when I was in my corporate job, I would have see if somebody said to me we're a way to get made redundant, I would have been like, Yes, like I can get out of here and I could go and do it. But again, it like oh anyone that's listening, I want them to think like if they've that's happened or it could be happening. I actually one of my good friends is potentially a way to get made redundant, and yeah, like you don't know what why that's happening, there could be a reason for that.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

I tell people all the time it's probably the best thing that happened to me in terms of employment, like it really was a good thing to happen at that time. Yeah. And I'd had both the kids, so I'd had my maternity leave and everything, so I didn't really need to worry about anything like that because that's a tricky situation. That's one of the good things about corporate that you do get benefits like that. Yeah, but it's not the be all and end all.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

No, definitely not. Okay, so I like to focus on the messy middle because I think co-business owners people just see like the top of the iceberg, like, oh it looks like she's doing well for herself without seeing like everything done then. Like, how did you get clients? How did you build it up to start not r relying on the redundancy and like getting a wedge?

SPEAKER_00 8:51

So I got a lot of help from the women's business station at the time. They were really, really instrumental at the beginning. They helped me a lot on showing me like things I could be doing to help. As in like services you could be doing for people or like how to build your business? Probably how to build my business. And sort of how just I remember being like, I've got this wee idea, what do I do? Right, okay. Um, so I remember meeting up with a girl quite a few times, and then she was like, Oh, you could probably just do this, and and then it was like, How do I go about like uh like charging people? I didn't I really honestly didn't have a clue, I just had this wee idea and it just kinda and then clients I would say it was all pretty much word of mouth through social media. So like my first client, she then would put a review on, and then most of them I've kind of known, so like my biggest clients who have stuck stuck with me right through. I've known them for years anyway. So and one of them, Ashley, she used to come into my old work and she used to always say, Oh, if you don't work here, if you ever No, I used to say to her, I'll be your PA one day, like joking, never thinking it for a minute that it would happen. So it's kind of just all been from word of mouth. Yeah, that's sometimes the best. Always just getting help from people like my business name, I have to give Stephen credit for that. Was that for ages, and he was he came up with that name. I always wondered how it came from, that's good. Was that for ages, like thinking all the things, and then yeah, he came up with that, I'll have to give him credit for that. As much as it pains me. Well done, Stephen. As much as it pains me.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Okay, so obviously you were juggling being a mum at this time as well.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

How old were the kids then? So Freddie was only three and actually would have been six. Fat yeah. Maybe a bit younger than that, actually. Yeah, it's like primary one, primary two for him. How old was that? It was hard, but it was good because suddenly I was at home a lot more. So and I was able to I suddenly realised that wait my eye could actually drop off and pick up every day. I can go to all their things at school and nursery. And suddenly it just became that I took my laptop everywhere I went, so sometimes I was working in the car outside the nursery if I was early for pickup, and that's just become what I do all the time. I work everywhere I can. Like you can just do that, can you? But the kids I don't work weekends and I've never really worked weekends, so I've always tried to stick to that. But the boys actually Archie speaks about when I used to go to the bank and he didn't like it because he feels like I was away. Whereas although I'm working when I'm in the house, he knows I'm in the house. So he prefers it. Um yeah, it's tough, but I do think it's better. Yeah. Much better.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yeah, definitely. What do you wish people knew about like the work that it takes?

SPEAKER_00 11:33

I think it's that you don't ever really switch off.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

That you're never actually finished.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

I think as well, because our businesses are they're different.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Yeah, it never stops in your head, you never switch off.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Yeah. And you do need to know that when you're going into business. Like, I hate when people are like, Oh, that's great, you work for yourself. And you're like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

You can just do what you want. Yeah. Because you work for yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

Or do you want to just come for and to be fair, like I will go for a coffee with somebody or whatever, but I'm like, to but to do that, I need to fit in that hour later on in the day.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

But yeah, like people always think it's it can be an easy life, but it's not, and especially because we work with other business owners and that their business is so important to them, like ours is so important to us. Yeah. So when they need our help, then they feel like they need it now. Yeah. And it's juggling that, and sometimes you do any uh work collected and fit it all in.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Yeah, it's not another thing I meant to say about the messy middle part that I found really difficult was that I realised I actually had never worked properly worked a laptop before. So my dad took me to Cornes to get a laptop, and because I'd been like, you're all when you work for a bank for such a long time, you're almost like institutionalized, so you'd only ever known their internal systems. So suddenly I got this Apple Mac and I was like, I don't know what I'm doing with that really. And then suddenly you realize you've not got an IT department to phone, you're just on your own, and you're like, Oh no, what do I do? Like a single song. And I remember one time I was going on holiday, and the Friday my laptop stopped working, and I just was like, Well, I can't go away, I'm going to caravan for the week, and I was like, I can't go away on holiday because my laptop broken, so that's my business, what am I going to do? So my brother-in-law had to take it to go and get fixed. But the whole like the first couple of days on holiday, I just was like frantic thinking what's wrong with my laptop. Because that's your that's your work. So if it's not fixed, you know. But Steven has again shout out to him because he's become my unofficial IT department. Yeah. He's like always like, I'll help you, I'll fix that. Because he's quite good with stuff like that. Yeah. You don't realise people don't realise things like that, it's just you. Although they go, You work for yourself, but yeah, it's actually just me. Yeah. Hello.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

I'm the IT, the sales, the marketing, the doing the work. Yeah, my laptop and I spilt that bottle of water on it. And you don't realise how much like that is your life, like once that goes, I was using her own's gaming computer, and I I'm so used to Mac, like being able to airdrop to my phone and stuff. And the gaming computer was Microsoft, and I was like, this is an absolute nightmare. Like, if that laptop goes, it's everything's going to okay. Business and mindset. What do you think makes you a good businesswoman?

SPEAKER_00 14:24

I do think it's funny when you say that, a businesswoman, because I don't think of myself as a businesswoman. Yeah. Everyone says that. It's just it's uh that's a woman thing.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

We need to get over that. I know. That's weird, yeah. Yeah, uh nearly every guest has said that.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

But I think you'll probably agree with us. I am quite straight talking. Yes. So um that's probably a good point. And I'm obviously organised and efficient, so that's that's probably my strengths, hence the organisation. So yeah, I'd say that's probably what it is.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Yeah, you're quite um is I think quite like me in a sense of I could imagine with other clients like the salons and stuff, you bring a lot of like calm to that. Like, yeah, and I do that with my clients as well.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Yeah, they could phone me in a total panic and I'll be like, Look, right, this is what we're gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

Yeah, and I think you're quite good at like getting loads of stuff thrown at you and being like, Right, this is how we're gonna make this a something streamlined.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

I have to write a dump though. Yeah, you can't just keep following my head, it's not gonna be on the voice.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Yeah, you do a lot of a notebook. Yeah, how do you deal with conflict or difficult days in Bizdan? Talk to you.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

How of that? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I do, and Stephen as well. Like, if he gets home and I've had a bad day, he knows as soon as he comes in the door. Because I'm like, ah Yeah, sometimes Chris will say to me, I don't even know if I want to ask this, but I wish I did. He doesn't even need to ask, he just knows as soon as he opens the door. But you have to get it out, you have to get it off the test, and then he'll usually be able to talk me down.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

You've got to speak to someone to rationalise what's going on in your head because a lot of the time I'm like, what is the point in this? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

But do you not think so? I was thinking the other night, like self-employment, business owners, etc. They're like it's like being in a club. I feel like you're all in it together and everybody understands, and you didn't know about it until you were one.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Whereas employed people don't really get it. No. So you you can't really talk to an employed person about your self-employed problems. You have to do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Yeah, and you you start to like really not feel jealous, but you're envious of like things that you would never in a million years like that you were envious of. Like, Chris wasn't feeling well the other day and he was off his work and I was just looking at him like I'm so jealous. Yeah, you've had a sick day. Yeah, whereas we can obviously take sick days, but you can't switch off because you're just sitting like all this is gonna be happening and there's nothing I can do. Then you worry because you know you've got to rest to get better. Oh yeah. Well, that's good. I'm glad I help you on difficult days. What gets you up in the morning and like what makes you because you've said you're not happy, you weren't that happy in the bank, so did you like dread going to work and stuff? Sunday nights were horrendous. Or really like dreading the Monday.

SPEAKER_02 17:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

And do you feel like that now? Not really. Sometimes you do get the fear of like putting on your emails and stuff. Yeah. Like Mondays are never good, I think, in any job. And the Monday workload is bad. But um, what gets me up in the morning I would say is genuinely my clients, because I love all my clients who do. I feel like um all my clients are my pals. I speak to them all most days. The job satisfaction I get from doing this job is like no other. Like, I you don't get that when you work in a corporate job, you don't get that in big companies. Like, I get thanked or praised nearly every day for just doing little things, you know, it's not even big tasks, but people are like, Oh, you're amazing, oh you do such a good job, and that's so good, and you're like so good, like you've done that really well, and it just means so good, like so much.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Because you're working as well, business owners, as well, and like you're saying it's just a simple task, yeah, but the that simple task takes a mind like off of them. Yeah. So, as an example, Karen helps me with like invoices, she's got access to the business's bank, so she sometimes I I could don't even look at the bank, and then I'm like, if there was someone wrong, Karen would tell us, or if somebody's not paid, Karen will tell us. So not having to think about that, yeah, is like you can't put into words how good it is having one less thing to think of when you own your business, and that's you don't get that in the corporate. No, because nobody cares.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

No, you're just a number. Yeah. Yeah, like when you when you do say you're just a number, it's so true. Whereas actually, if I don't do my job for one day, or if I take like a Monday off, all my clients who really notice I've taken a Monday off.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Which is a bad thing as well, because you feel like you can't take a day off. But it's a really good thing because they really miss you.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

So okay, that actually moves on pretty well to the next part. What's one good thing about running your business and one thing that drives you mad?

SPEAKER_00 19:13

So the good th it's quite similar. Um I love the freedom and the flexibility, so like anytime I get invited to anything, I can just say yes, I don't need to check with anybody, I don't need to check my diary, I can always drop off and pick up the kids, I can go to all their sports days and if I don't need to, but then a bad thing is I feel like I'm never really finished my work. And if I do go to these things at the school and I'll always be at the back of my mind thinking I need to catch up on my work, yeah. So yeah, it's kind of the flip side of the point, isn't it? Yeah. Um, and sometimes I'm jealous of people in a 95 that are commentally when Stephen gets home from work and he's finished for the day, and I'm like, Oh, you're finished, I've still got like half of my to-do list to do it.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Yes, I like that as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

And he's laying on the couch.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yes, that is hard. I struggle with that with Chris and you try to not be annoyed at that. Yeah. For just breathing. Yeah. Because it's not their fault. But you're like, Yeah, a lot of guests have said that on like when we've had them on, that the best thing about running a business is the flexibility, but that's also the worst thing as well. What would you do differently if you were starting again?

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Probably be stronger at the beginning to say no to clients or jobs that don't feel right. Yeah, because I spent quite a lot of time trying to work on things just to please people with things that I knew that I didn't like doing. Like I spent a lot of time trying to do social media, and I take my heart off to you guys because you make it look really easy and it's really no easy, and it's not for me at all. I forgot you did that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember that. Um, and no matter how many times you can try and teach me, it's just not for me, it's not my strength.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

I actually had a chat with somebody yesterday, like one of our clients, and they were on about somebody basically that they thought social media was easy and it's actually really not, and I'm so glad you've said that because the amount of people that think that, and yeah, it's I would say you've either got the knack for it or you don't.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Yeah. I would sit for hours trying to do like one post and then I'd be like in tears by the time Stephen got home and I'd be like, No, this is just this is no good, this is not profitable in the slightest. Like, why am I doing this? But you just wanted to please and I didn't have that many clients at the time in that, so it was just like I'll keep going, I'll keep going, but then it just suddenly things click out of place. But I just wish it'd be stronger to say, no, this isn't working, I'm not doing that anymore. But once you realise what you want to do, it just goes swimmingly, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 21:36

Yeah, I was gonna say that. Do you wish at the start you knew like it would be hard to do this, but like your set services. Yeah. I think in what we do, it's difficult because if you're a beautician or a hairdresser or whatever, you know what you provide. Yeah. Whereas we're like, um, we could do this, and I was like that at the start. I done so many things that now if that inquiry came out. And I'd be like, nope. Yeah, and I tried to be a bit like, oh I'll just do anything for anybody.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Now I'm like, no, I really want to.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

You think you've been helpful doing that, but it's actually not doing you any good or them.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

No. So yeah, that's definitely something I would do differently. What do you think is the most challenging part of your job? Probably like because I've got so many clients and I probably juggling the clients in the workload every day. So when I sit down in the morning and make my to-do list for the day, go through both my phones and check back who's messaged at night or whatever, and like prioritise what I need to do first in the morning. And obviously all my clients' businesses are the most important thing to them. So I'm like, what do I need to do first? Yeah. What's the most important job? So then sometimes a client might be like, Oh, have you done this or have you done that? I'm like, I'm getting to you, I'm getting to you, but um and then the clients of the clients are maybe getting frustrated because I've not maybe got back to them, but I'm like, Oh, I'm getting to you, but there's five people in front of you or whatever. So yeah, that. But yeah, I just have to I've only got two hands, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

I think because you deal with like a lot of messages and the sort of in this day and age, everybody wants every MS them down.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

Yeah, and because I have so when I worked with maybe just one or two clients, I was maybe even more efficient than I am now. But I am explaining to people that like I'm really, really busy and stuff. But I I'm still really, really good at what I do and just maybe not to be taking a wee bit longer to get back to people.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah. But people, as long as you communicate that, yeah. I think the best thing in business to do is communication and boundaries. Yeah. Like if you if you're clear with when you're gonna do it, and you know yourself as well, the type of project it is, or the client, like if it's needs done there and then, or yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

And it's the more you do that, the more I also think that um juggling the kids when they're ill, or like when the school phones and stuff, that's challenging when I work for myself. But it's also good, so there's two sides to that. It's good because I can go and pick them up, and if they're ill, they can just be at home with me. But um and the school holidays are difficult as well if I'm keeping them. I do have a really good support network, but often they'll just want to stay at home, so that's hard to find like phoning people and stuff and they're on the PlayStations, and that can be challenging, but it's getting easier as they get older.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Yeah. Yeah, they're so good. Like I came to you for a couple of minutes and they're just like yeah, they're used to it as well. Yeah, they're getting more and more used to it, yeah. So I was actually that was what I was gonna ask you, how do you manage running a business and being a mum? So, like, because Stevens obviously works and he works away a lot sometimes as well, doesn't he? Do you feel like not that all the responsibilities on you, but if they're not well, you can go and get them. Stephen can't do that. Like, how do you juggle that?

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Yeah, pretty much does because he's off he does if he's not staying away, he's working away as well. Like he is away a lot, so yeah, does the school will always follow me. Um my mum helps a lot as well, she'll pick him up and stuff, but it's fine. I'm just um I do manage it.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

And because we live close to the school and that's okay. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

And it's good that you've got like a remote job as well. It's not like you need to be in like a shot or a salon or something.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

I go and visit my clients when I can, but I don't need to do it, and they understand if I can't get in, I can't get in. So yeah, I can work and I can even work like nights and stuff if I need to catch up. If the kids are really unwell, and like I say, I'll take my laptop wherever I go if I need to. So if they've got appointments it's gonna be lengthy, I'll take my laptop, whatever. So yeah. And you you would never have got that working on the battle. No, never ever. There's also a bit of a standing joke in the last year or so that my own life has got a little bit disorganised, so that's maybe a little bit of a challenge. Recently I've turned up to like kids' birthday parties at the wrong times, and yeah. I think just the busier I'm getting in my own business, keeping all my clients organised, I'm getting a bit more disorganised.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

Yeah, I feel that so much though.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

And that's a big slagging part for me, because they go, You do you not run your own business called ever organised, and you're really quite disorganised.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Yeah, but I think it's because you want it takes so much out of your brain that when it comes to your personal stuff, you're like, I don't want to make another decision, or I've like remember something or whatever. No, I can feel that. I'm the worst, like I leave everything until the weekend. Yeah, like Chris was off and he texts me a photo of clothes I dumped on my computer to, and he was like, Is there any of this for the wash? And I looked at it and I was like, Don't know, I'll need to deal with that at the weekend.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Like, I don't have time to think during the week. Like, if I'm going away at the weekend or that, people say, Have you got an outfit? I'm like, No, I'll need to do a next day delivery. I can't think about the weekend until it's like the weekend or yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

My mum actually said to ask me a question a couple of weeks ago and it was first summoned that was for the following week, and I was like, Oh mum, I'm not on that week yet. Like let's just study for this week, just because you're retired. I know, that's my mum all the time retired life. Yeah, she's like, What so what was happening here? I'm like, don't know, we'll work that out on the day. That's like three weeks away. Okay, any particular wins or like success stories with your clients that keep you going?

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Yeah, so when I saw when I went to the award seminar with Salon Fierce, got me and Stephen got invited for that night and we saw them winning their award, that was amazing. That was like a pinch me moment because it was just us two that went with Nicola Ashley and their partners, and that was so good. It stayed in my and it was so nice of them to invite us, that felt really good. You invited me to do this podcast feels like a massive win because I'm like, Who am I to be doing the podcast? And really, just like if somebody will go, Oh yeah, I've heard of your business or your business idea is amazing, stuff like that. It's just like god, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

Yeah, like it's that it is like a wee idea, as you said. I've only been five years, like crazy. I know, and like the fact that you've been able to give yourself employment for five years, like that's amazing. Yeah, like so good. And when we were doing our brunch for five years.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

And that as well, yeah, your brunch coming to that.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Um that was so good. But I was just looking at the stats when I was planning for it, and it's like one in four, only one in four businesses survive over five years.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

Yeah, so I remember you telling me that, or somebody telling me that at the very beginning. So I always something about three years and then five years.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

Five years, they're the big one is when people usually like five sort of give up. Okay, work-life balance. So we've spoken about being a mum. Okay, do you find it difficult to switch off? Yeah, majorly. And like what do you do?

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Do you do anything to manage that? Do you try? Yeah, so because I don't work the weekends, I would say like Friday, like I love a Friday night. So Friday night I get the lap I love getting the laptop off and the mobile off. And then my clients know I don't work Friday night or the weekend, so I do usually I don't usually work at all at the weekend. So I do I love going to see like my kids playing football and stuff, and I do try and just like really avoid work, but I do it's still sometimes at the back of my mind. I wouldn't say the weekends are too bad, but holidays are hard. See, when I take a holiday, see when I'm going on holiday the first couple of days, I'm just like and I've got this funny thing at the back of my mind that when I come back, all my clients are gonna have like itched me. Yeah, I think like that as well.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

It's horrible.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

And every time I go away, I think maybe that's gonna get better, but I don't think it will. No.

SPEAKER_01 29:26

It's horrible. No, I feel like that I felt like that at the like the festive break, I was like, I feel like I'm gonna turn this laptop on and I'm not gonna have any clients. I don't know why you think like that. Yeah. I think it's just because I've learned in therapy recently that I'm actually got quite a good balance with the business just now, but I still sometimes feel really anxious about it. And she was telling me because it's no matter like how good you think it's going, or how good you feel like your life in general is like you're managing stuff, it's still a massive responsibility, and you're never gonna get away from that, and that's some it's just knowing that that's what makes you feel anxious, right? Okay, do you know what I mean? Because it is a huge responsibility, it's kind of like having kids, yeah. You can't run away from that. So, yeah, I do, I feel that. So, what do you do to try and have a work-life balance? You've got two phones, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

That helps. Yeah, that does help. A lot of my clients do contact me on Messenger on my own phone, but I am getting better at just like saying to them I'm not gonna message back about work at the weekends. Yeah, so that's fair enough. I really do do that. I don't tend to do that, just being really present with the kids and stuff at the weekends and just not trying not to think about it's really the best way you can do it.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

But it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Very hard, it is. And then like your holidays and stuff, like you take like a big holiday in the summer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

But that's only really good. I know you take holidays here and there, but I'm not good at taking days off. I'm not good at taking time off unless I've got something planned. Like unless I'm forced to take it. So like a big one holiday a year, and then like even at Christmas, but then Stephen's off for the field two weeks and then the kids are off, so sometimes it's quite good to go like to work and obviously like I'm gonna be down the salon because it's good to get out of this field.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

Yeah, female.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

Like when the kids are off in like Eastern and stuff, I'll take a couple of days here and there, but I just feel like when you're not getting paid and stuff, because I'm different to you where you're retainers, and that I'm not quite there yet. Yeah, so it's slightly different. So I I feel like I don't want to really waste days off. So I'll maybe take a half day where I'll do most of my client work and then be able to still get paid for the day.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Yeah, yeah, it's hard when you're not getting paid. I'm starting to do that with some of my clients, so I've got that, but it'll evolve more, and uh you'll know when clients come on if that's better model for them. Yeah. Who have been your biggest influences in business and in life? You're my biggest business influence.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Yeah, honestly. When I started, because I did that um The strategy session and I remember at the time being like, oh, she's really got her shit together. Well now you know me. My mum told me not to swear.

unknown 32:06

There we go.

SPEAKER_00 32:06

That's just a little swear.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Yeah, I do, but I'm helping other people, but yeah, I just remember organized chaos.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

Yeah, I just remember being like really like, oh, I want to be like the way you've got your business and stuff. Yeah. And I think it's mad that I did that with you all those years ago, and then now I'll work with me and now we've become friends. Like, I think that's crazy. So and then Ashley and Nicola as well, who are probably my biggest clients, I'm really like they their work ethic is like no other. Sometimes when I'm having a stressful time, I'll think, what would they do? What would they think?

SPEAKER_01 32:39

Because like they Yeah, what they've built is huge.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

They've like they don't let anything beat them. And I worked with them when they were in their tiny little pole park salon, and then they've gone to like the big massive and helped them move and stuff. Like that was really like I remember that being really influential as well. Because my business that was quite a few years ago now, so my business was still quite young as well. And I remember being like, Wow, that was a massive step and like how they're evolving that. Oh yeah, so yeah, then as well.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

That's that's so nice. Yeah, oh, that's made my day. Where do you see your business in five years?

SPEAKER_00 33:11

I don't really know. I've always said I might like to have an somebody working with me, but then I'm such a control freak, I'd never ever know who that would be because I can't imagine somebody doing as good a job as I do.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

But then you said that, and you've got people that you really like working with with.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

So you never know.

SPEAKER_01 33:29

Yeah, it is hard. I think it's just you'll know the right people. Obviously, I've known Neve, I've known Neve since she was a wee girl, so that was a little bit different. But with Amy, I think with marketing and yours is quite similar. I don't I've never employed people before I don't know if this is the right way to do it. I don't know how to train. One thing I do miss from corporate world is they know how to train you. Like there's a manual for everything and resources for it all. Yeah, I just my way of it is giving them something to do, and then being like, no, you just do it with how you think, and then show me what you've done, and then I'll tell you how I'm gonna done it. That's the only way I know. And then when I did that with Amy, I just was like, Yeah, she's got the eye for it, and I just know she did. So you will, you'll know.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

I always said my sister because she she's as organised as me, but then she's had another baby recently, so she'll not be giving up her employed status for job and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

So that's something else that you've been able to do with the business, like baby your sister more and your nephews and stuff. You wouldn't have got to do that with a bank.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

No, like when Noah was born, I was able to go like daily visits and like I'm having on this afternoon for a wee hour so she can go and get her hair done and stuff. So yeah, yeah, that sort of stuff was amazing. Are your family proud of you? Yeah. I think sometimes you see that. So sometimes when I was beginning, Stephen always jokes, Oh, your mum would have just preferred you got a job in the supermarket or something, because I think at the time it was about like, because nobody there's not really very many self-employed people in my family. So I think at the time it was about like, what do you mean you're gonna work for yourself? Like but yeah, they say all the time, like, I'll be really proud of you. My family we're all really close and we're all really like supportive and stuff of each other. Yeah. Yeah, they're definitely my biggest supporters.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

Yeah, that's so nice. What advice would you give to someone considering going to have employee?

SPEAKER_00 35:22

What advice would I give to somebody? Just go for it because it's really, really good, but you really need to work hard.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

You can't be afraid of hard work or it's never gonna No, you have to put a lot of hours and you have to put yourself out there and you have to do things that you're scared of as well. Like that. Like this.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Yeah, you know, you've got to put yourself out of your comfort zone or it's never gonna Yeah, uh it is scary, but it's rewarding because you're doing it for you. Yeah, you're doing it for you.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

You're not a fancy to anybody.

SPEAKER_01 36:01

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 36:02

Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Okay, quick fire dream client.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

I've been thinking about this all week and I actually don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Would it be no, I really honestly don't know. I'm happy about my clients I've got. I can't think of anything who I would say.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Yeah, I don't even know. A lot of people have said don't know. What who would you say? I would love to work with the brand Odmuse. Oh yeah, you did say that. And Amy Smell, she owns them, and I'd love to interview her or like do a marketing campaign for her. One word that summed up your brand or your business journey so far. I would say incredible.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Oh that's so good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Or unbelievable. Both of them. There's two words. Yeah, two words. But yeah, that's fine. Take that.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Plan B job. So I thought long and hard about this as well, and obviously I never ever knew what I wanted to be when I was younger, but I honestly would have to say probably employed as a PA because I think I am made to be doing this kind of role. So probably that.

SPEAKER_01 37:06

Okay, that's good. And on the podcast, we let the guests ask some me a question. So, do you have questions for me? I do.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

Oh, okay. What do you do to stay creative when your brain is fried?

SPEAKER_01 37:20

All my ideas are gonna be so random, come to me in the shower. Do that. Yeah, I actually got an idea last night when I was like in the shower. I was like, oh yeah, we could do that. And to be fair, I can't actually remember what it is. And I said in the shower, I should really write this down to a waterproof note. Writing it on the shower cable. Um that's actually the same. Oh no, it's just gonna start doing that because it's gonna be like Karen came up with a really good idea. Get the shampoo. No, yeah, so basically I take a break. I love to read. Mm-hmm. Love reading. I joined a book club last year. Did you? I maybe need to get into things like this. Because I felt like my whole personality is owning this business. And I when I went to the book club, I didn't even tell them what I did. But one of them, well, my friend was in it and then one of the girls knew it is and I was like, oh. So she asked us about it, so now they know what I do. But anyway, I do that and I also love colouring in. I've tried that before. I do I go through phases and not doing it, and I just feel like do doing stuff that's still kind of creative helps me. Yeah. And then like I like consuming content as well, like work-wise, to get more ideas. So, for example, I've not vlogged in a few weeks because I was just like, What is I'm like, this is just churning the same stuff out. So to get over that, I've taken a break from it and I've watched people that I like watching on YouTube, and now I've got more ideas of like what I could do and how I can change it. So I basically take a break and then I look at people that I look up to and get ideas from it.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Okay. And what does a perfect day look like for you?

SPEAKER_01 39:02

I have not snoused my alarm 40 million times. I've got a I actually don't mind doing the school run because I'm like oh and goes to school at like half ex so drop them off. I like to go to the gym if I can fit it in after the school run, and then I would go and get like a buy a coffee. And I'm not gonna lie, I love my clients and I love everyone, but I love a day when I'm just at my laptop. So once I've been to the gym, had a coffee, and I've just got time to actually do stuff because when I get pulled here, there and everywhere, I'm like, oh, and I hate when I'm always at meetings and stuff like that, and I feel like I'm letting the team down and I'm not their thing, but I'm just like, yeah, I I do like a day where I can just sit on the laptop and I try to have that at least once a week, but it doesn't always happen. And then finished on time. Yeah, I would finish on time and then I would actually cook something for my tea rather than eating leftovers from last night. I would sit on the couch with Chris, Taz, and Owen, and watch something. As of course. Yeah. Well, baby Taz. That would be my ideal and I would go to bed early. So boring, but But good. That's that would be the ideal work day for me.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

Good. What would yours be? Probably a day where I get to like mine's but different. I'll go for a non-working day. Don't get wakened up on alarm, don't get wakened up with the kids, get to have a longer lie, maybe past seven, and maybe just get to like chill in my bed for a bit.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Maybe breakfast in bed.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

No.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

And then just sit in silence. Yeah, sit in silence. Love silence. So people will say to me, Do you not put music on when you're working or that? I'm like, no, I just like silence.

SPEAKER_01 40:38

I'm like that as well. I put music on if the girls are there, but um either in silence or listen to a murder podcast.

SPEAKER_00 40:45

I've listened to a lot of gritty podcasts since you told me about podcasts like that. Then I would probably just go for a coffee with like my mum and sister or something, and then make something nice for tea, and then have a bottle of wine at nice. I love that's an ideal Saturday for me.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Yeah, I love being like, I'm gonna make something, Chris, and then I have a glass of wine when I'm making it love doing that. Well, that's it. Thank you so much for coming on, Karen. I will add Karen's profiles and stuff in the episode description. So if you ever feel like you need help organising your business, then Karen is the one to ask. But thank you for listening and share this with anybody who is left the corporate world or is a mum as well. Juggle in because I feel like it would be a good conversation for them.