Mum Tribe Business is delighted to introduce our new female founder interview series. We spoke recently to Aoife Lee of Parent Support to find out what business means to her.
If you could summarise your business in one sentence, what would it be?
Empowering parents to build a calmer and happier home, providing 1:1 parenting sessions, corporate parenting talks and providing support through my online parenting course.
When did you start your business?
I started Parent Support in 2013 www.parentsupport.ie
Why did you start it?
My passion was always to work with people, following my 12 years with the HSE working with children in care and early intervention I loved the parenting aspect of it, once I received my diploma in Parent Coaching I left my job and set up so I could do what I love but be flexible for my children at home.
How has covid affected your business?
Believe or not it has made my business a lot busier, once the first lockdown came in I was inundated with families seeking one to one support and corporate companies wanting support for their working parents as they were left to juggle work and family life.
How did you come up with the name?
I brainstormed what would appeal to my target market, I decided to go back to basics which is what I do and that is ‘Parent Support’! I don’t have any great story to it but more so a practical one!
What did you do to get your business out there at the start?
I reached out to creches initially. I managed to get the opportunity to work with a creche chain called ‘Bright Horizons’, this allowed me create talk content and pilot it on parents in all of their creche sites. I then was approached by a corporate company who asked me if I could present to their working parents which I did and from there I started working with one of the leading health insurance providers – Irish Life Health and went from there gaining my own clients. Individual families who were seeking tailored support just started to trickle in.
What role does social media play in your business?
Quite a big part, I am predominantly active on Instagram I not only provide my own content but share my own family experiences too. it’s a great way to stay connected with clients, colleagues and followers too as well as promote my own services.
What did you do before you launched your business?
I worked with the HSE working in early intervention and with children in long term care for 12 years.
What female founder inspires you?
There are so many women out there that are running their own businesses that I admire and am inspired by, whether it be from, family support services to retailers. I love to see women supporting women.
If you could give one piece of business advice what would it be?
There will be times when things are quiet and not going the way you planned, it may be tempting to park it all – don’t give up! It happens to us all when we doubt how it is all is going. Seek support from colleagues, family, friends & your local enterprise office. There will always be support out there no matter what!
What’s your five year plan?
Create more online courses, connect with more clients and build my brand and continue to support families.
How do you create a work/life balance?
All my appointments are in the mornings while the kids are in school, I catch up on admin in the evenings and on Saturday mornings and then the remainder of the time is a mix of family and solo walks when I can!
How do you look after yourself to avoid burnout?
I’ve been working on my own time management! I have to be disciplined so I don’t take on too much, this is something I’ve learned over time!
What keeps you going?
I love my job, although I have been supporting families for the last 20 years – I am still passionate about it – that what keeps me going!
Stay up to date with Aoife on Instagram and get more information on the support she can offer your family here.
We want to be there for you every step of the way. We are delighted to partner with HuntOffice.ie to help support you on your business journey, and we have an exclusive discount code for you. Use code Mumtribe5 to get 5% off your order on HuntOffice.ie
From networking with your peers to chats with successful entrepreneurial mothers to inspire you to build your brand, we are very excited to launch this new activity.
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