FITE - financial independence through entrepreneurship

Warm thanks to Rebecca Sparrow who posted a wonderful article on MamaMia yesterday about The First Wednesday Club - an initative that allows women to Give Back every Wednesday.

Rebecca spoke of FITE - or Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship - a global empowerment platform for women that is truly changing lives.

All you need to do is loan a third world woman $25. That's right, you get your money back. Why a loan and not a donation? As Rebecca says, it's because a loan requires accountability - it spurs people into action. And doesn't action change lives?

Watch this short clip - I dare you not to cry.

As the 100th annivesary of International Women's Day fast approaches, gather your girls together and talk about what really matters. Talk about who your $25 is going to go to. What a way to empower the sisterhood.

style icons

If ever I wake up and find my trackie dacks in a twist over What to Wear, I simply channel my Style Icons.

If I could get each of these women and pop them into a warm pot and melt them down into a style elixir that I could sip with my tea, I would be a continually stylish woman instead of one who needs tiringly constant inspiration.

Sarah Jessica (and Carrie...)

Jackie

Elle

Diane

Trinny

Jane

Who are your style icons?

Women Who Do What They Love - Fiona Lang

Who is this woman? Fiona Lang

What is her passion called? Kindergallery

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.kindergallery.com

Sammy and Her Robot Friends by Superoboturbo

What does she actually produce? Kindergallery provides a collection of fine wall art and design works for children made by leading artists around the globe. The collection has a combination of original acrylic on canvas works, limited edition prints, mixed media collages, box art, mobiles and decals. We also offer consultation services, where children and their parents can come to our physical gallery and get advice on the works.

Why does she do all this? A few years ago my husband and I were living in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. We noticed that there was a whole way of life for children and parents which we had not seen in Australia. There were ice cream cafes for children, dedicated children’s museums and playgrounds in each square – even in the middle of city – where children would trundle about on their wooden bikes while their parents enjoyed summer’s carnival atmosphere or winter snowscapes.

One thing we didn’t see was an art gallery or store specifically for children. In a city where art is at the cutting edge, I thought the absence of this was conspicuous. This was when the idea for Kindergallery first occurred to me.

'Seasons' (i: Autumn) by Isak

Not long afterwards, we were back in Sydney and had our first son, Owen. I decided that this would be a great time to create Kindergallery. I looked far and wide and discovered that, to my mind at least, there were only a relatively small amount of artists out there creating fine quality wall art for children. The artists were dispersed over different parts of the world and there seemed to be no one collecting the works together in a gallery format.

The opportunity to combine my passions for art, children and business was too great to pass up.

How long has she been doing it? Since August 2007, approximately 18 months.

What is this talented woman’s story? I live in Balmain, Sydney’s inner west with my husband (Angus) and my two sons (Aidan – 4 months and Owen - 2.5 years). In Balmain, the morning coffee is always great no matter what coffee shop you go to.

Right now it feels like ‘home’. In a way, though, we have a second home in Prenzlau Berg, Berlin’s inner east, where we used to live and often return to. It provides us with endless fun, inspiration and adventure.

Owl with Flora by Lorena Siminovich

Angus and I first meet at Law School many years ago and are both lawyers. During my first maternity leave, I created Kindergallery and have continued to juggle my passion for both law and art.

In our spare time, we love to dance, read and watch good films... all of which are starting to happen less often!

Has her journey been easy or tough? On the whole, easy. Not just getting to meet lovely artists, but being able to represent them and find homes for their special creations is a privilege. On the whole, it does not feel like work.

Little Farm by Meredith Gaston

What pesky obstacles have tried to block her progress? The usual things that face all retailers – like the fluctuation in the exchange rate and the AUD trading poorly against the USD and the Euro is probably the hardest. I, like most of the artists on the site, want the artworks to be affordable.

In terms of overcoming the obstacles, we have remained focus on the goal of remaining affordable, and have looked at different economic models to enable us to do so.

What are her greatest joys in doing what she loves? Getting to see the wonderful works first and babysit them in the gallery until they get a permanent home. Some of Tamar’s beautiful creatures have become family pets and my son has named them and goes into the gallery each evening at bedtime to say goodnight to them!

Animal Alphabet (Original) by Lorena Siminovich (left)

1 to 10 Counting Poster - Trees by Isak (right)

What is she loving most at the moment? I like that there is a range of artworks - from original acrylic on canvas to prints and installation pieces. It means the art is always dynamic and does not follow a formulae. I like also that there is a low entry point – works can be purchased for AUD48 – and that we also focus on providing that really special, once in a life time purchase, too.

What is her inspiration? Those lovely little minds of my customers. My oldest son, Owen, provides endless inspiration and gives me a lot of feedback!

If she could do anything in the whole wide, entire world – what would she do? Interestingly, I would be doing exactly what I am doing. I love law, motherhood and exploring the world of art for children. If there were more hours in the day, I would really love to write... perhaps some day.

Lamb by Mimi’lou (left)
Hide and Seek by Shinzi Katoh (right)

Where would she escape to if she could? Berlin. It truly is a wonderful, charming place. The summer there is magic and holds so many wonderful memories. This year, we will regrettably miss the Berlin summer.

What would she do there? I would get a picnic rug and head to the park with some friends for one of those wonderful dinner picnics that Berliners have almost every evening in summer in their large green parks. Perhaps because there is a long wait each year for the summer and for that brief period, there are long warm, night-blue twilights, I feel the Berliners really know how to make the most of it. There is a carnivale feel in the evenings and I love seeing families out eating gelato and musos playing in the park.

Container Truck by Gav Barbey

What are her secret aspirations? I aspire to provide a collection of artwork that inspires young minds. Visual art is a medium that has some unique advantages in this respect. A child’s relationship with visual art really begins from the first inquiring gaze at what surrounds him or her in the cot.

I am motivated by providing an environment which stimulates the child and inspires the imagination, just as, later, fine children’s literature does for children learning to read. At the same time, children can interact with visual art at their own pace and in their own way. There is the opportunity to explore the physical and emotional aspects of basic things like shapes, colour and texture without being bombarded by stimuli from multiple media.

blommofant blue by Isa Form

So, what’s next? We have opened a gallery now and are starting to participate more and more in exhibitions in Sydney. On the whole, the last 18 months have shown me that my customers tell me best about what is next... so what is next is something I am still finding out!

What is her greatest achievement? Having my two boys. Bringing another life into this world is terrifying, humbling and exhilarating.

What would be her absolutely perfect day? See What Would She Do There (above).

Apple Surprise - Red by Kelly Boulton

What five words sum her up? Energetic, passionate, committed, honest and caring.

What really fabulous advice does she have for others wanting to Do What They Love? Do it – and do it your own way, and follow that through beginning to end.

Fiona’s artwork can be seen at Magnolia Square markets; see www.magnoliasquare.com.au for details. You can make an appointment to visit Kindergallery Gallery in Balmain by phoning (02) 9818 4680. See the website for more details.

Ollie the Owl Plushie (Coloured) by Kristin Loffer Theiss

Women Who Do What They Love - Mary O'Dwyer

Who is this woman? Mary O’Dwyer

What’s her business? Redsok Seminars & Publishing

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.holditsister.com

What does she actually do? Apart from writing books, articles for magazines and generally promoting awareness of pelvic floor function and incontinence, I run three full-day workshops – for women, for fitness professionals and for physiotherapists.

How long has she been doing it? Well, I’ve practiced clinically as a Women’s Health Physiotherapist for 30 years and spent the past three years running the Hold It Sister business.

Why does she do all this? Clinical work has given me a window into the effect pelvic floor dysfunction has on women’s lives. Like most problems, we don’t think about it until something goes wrong.

Well, an epidemic number of women do have ‘something go wrong’ in this area of their body. My clients keep on saying ‘Why didn’t someone tell me this before?’ or ‘Where can I get this information to send to my daughter/mother?’ It soon became obvious that women need quality information in everyday language to help understand and overcome these all too common problems, no matter their age.

Many women are disconnected from this part of their body. They may have injuries from pregnancy, childbirth, abuse, disease, heavy lifting or poor habits and really benefit from guided learning about their pelvic floor.

"Every woman needs to know what’s in this book." – Dr Christiane Northrup M.D.

The distress and tears of frustration of thousands of my clients gives me the ongoing drive to teach women how to confidently control their pelvic floor and pass correct information on to their daughters.

It’s a joy to be part of one woman’s triumph when she reverses total loss of bladder control and sexual dysfunction after birthing ; seeing the delight of another who is able to enjoy travelling again without fearing a flooded dress, or relieving intense pain preventing a young woman from having intercourse.

I’m saddened when I think of the indignity my mother and grandmother (and countless other women) suffered with incontinence and no options apart from surgery and pads. Today’s women are living longer, birthing later, exploring the world and planning on living to a ripe old age, so it’s time to educate ourselves and demystify ‘down under’. Women today are savvy – they want to look and feel good and I’ve found many are desperately seeking more information if their body is ‘malfunctioning’.

After all, the pelvic floor controls our continence, assists with spinal stability and gives the OMG in orgasm.

What is this talented woman’s story? I was raised in Brisbane, trained at the Universities of Queensland and Melbourne. I am a part time Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University on the Gold Coast. I have six kids in all (three step children) and the eldest child was born in USA where she now lives. I love beach walking and controlling my garden with a hedge trimmer (feel like Sigourney Weaver in Aliens). I have a passion for fresh ingredients and slow cooking.

Has her current journey been easy or tough? Let’s just say it’s been a major learning curve but getting help from experts and learning new skills has helped to develop my business.

What pesky obstacles have tried to block her progress? Having no knowledge of printing, publishing, distribution and marketing are huge obstacles to success but I’m a ‘boots and all’ person so have learned many new skills through ‘doing’.

My determination to educate women keeps me finding ways to jump over the obstacles while realising I still have much to learn. I’m a bit too disciplined in working from home and have to schedule breaks to keep some balance in life.

What are her greatest joys in doing what she loves? The marvellous women I meet, the opportunities to make new alliances, the freedom to set my own agenda, to work from home, and to meet friends for coffee or lunch.

What is she loving most at the moment? I love running workshops for women – it’s a fun, educational, sharing day full of self-discovery, helping women overcome barriers about their pelvic floor.

I’m enjoying running another workshop through Fitness Australia which teaches professionals how to train women with pelvic floor problems. As women, we get all fired up about our fitness or weight loss goals and often start exercise which overwhelms our pelvic floor control, so this is a much needed area of professional education.

What is her inspiration? Women of all ages - clients constantly inspire me to learn, investigate, question and dream of what ‘could be’.

I’m inspired by philanthropic women like Dr Catherine Hamlin who is still performing and teaching surgery on birth damaged Ethiopian mothers. She is now in her eighties.

If she could do anything in the whole wide, entire world – what would she do? I would choose to become a skilled organic farmer.

Where would she escape to if she could? Right now I would love to travel down the Croatian coast and spend a summer in one of the divine UNESCO listed towns in Montenegro.

What would she do there? I would swim, eat local food, explore, dream, sip coffee in the town square, read, look at the stars and feel ageless.

What are her secret aspirations? To develop a Pelvic Floor Institute to ‘train the trainers’ who return to their community and teach women to start making an in road into the ‘present epidemic of pelvic floor dysfunction’. Women should not be living with incontinence or protruding prolapses for years, having to ask for tips in online forums or avoiding sex because of embarrassment or lack of knowledge.

What is her greatest achievement? Without a moment’s hesitation – my children. They have taught me to love, and are a constant source of energy.

What would be her absolutely perfect day? It starts with being woken by the sounds of fisherman leaving for their day at sea in Bantry Bay, Cork. My husband and children all chat through breakfast, followed by a stroll over pebbled roads for coffee and the morning paper. Packing a picnic, we tramp over fields of intense green to lie around on rugs, eating - only broken by laughter.

Walking home, we finally decide on dinner’s menu and everyone carries home parcels of fresh food for tonight’s feast. Fires are started, aromas waft through our cottage as music is played which instigates singing and fetching of drinks. After dinner, we head to the local pub for music and happy company before succumbing to the lure of our soft beds.

What five words sum her up? Loyal, quixotic, tenacious, inquisitive, grateful.

What really fabulous advice does she have for others wanting to Do What They Love? Don’t lose sight of your dream and get help from experts.

Mary’s book – Hold It Sister, is available now. Check her website for more information.

Are you doing what you love? Please contact me here if you would like to tell your Do What You Love story. I’d love to hear from you – no matter where you are in the world.

Women Who Do What They Love - Esa West

Who is the woman that designed this gorgeous frock? Esa West

What is her passion called? Tea Pony children's clothing

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.teapony.com

What does she actually produce? Tea Pony is clothing for adorable girls aged up to four years.

Why does she do all this? It was a passion that I had - the idea came to me and I ran with it. I do it because I feel fulfilled every time I create something. I was quite disappointed in a lot of the clothing out there for kids; there were too many pink clothes and tacky slogans, so I decided to make Coco her own clothes and was approached by a shop to buy them. Getting paid to follow my dream is an amazing feeling.

How long has she been doing it? Three wild, crazy, whirlwind years - since 2006.

What is this talented woman’s story? I’m a designer, a mother, a creative person, a lover and I live in beautiful Australia. I was trained as a costume designer and worked in the clothing industry for several years til my divine daughter Coco came along and inspired me to develop Tea Pony clothing for kids.

What pesky obstacles have tried to block her progress? It’s been a long road, not always easy but still rewarding. I have learnt so much from doing it all myself and have had some major dramas to over come.

I had a lot of winter jackets that were all made inside out due to a communication problem with my production company. I was desvasted and had to cancel all the orders I had for them. It was a mistake that I have vowed never to repeat again.

Running a business and being a mother to a toddler has been a huge juggling act, too. It’s sometimes hard to deal with the guilt of having to work so much.

What are her greatest joys in doing what she loves? Seeing kids wearing my clothing in the street always gives me a buzz. And when Coco asks me if she can have one of the designs I just made…it makes me melt. I also have a wonderful fan base from my blog which has sparked new friendships all around the world.

What is she loving most at the moment? Oohhh, I just love the Belle and Boo printed clothes; they are so popular and the artist who draws them - Mandy Sutcliffe - is incredibly talented. She has a huge following around the world... http://www.belleandboo.com/.

What is her inspiration? Anything, be it a colour or a picture in a magazine or a shape.

If she could do anything in the whole wide, entire world – what would she do? What I’m doing right now. I’m so happy right at this point in my life.

Where would she escape to if she could? Canada then England to see my brothers, and pop in to Paris on the way home for some retail therapy.

What would she buy there? I’d buy shoes and eat cheese; actually - eat cheese while buying shoes. Oh, heaven!

What are her secret aspirations? To open my online shop in the next couple of weeks. To evolve my style more and expand, slowly selling to more countries.

What is her greatest achievement? Having one of my dresses in Vogue magazine. It gave me tingles. I was still making the clothes in my garage by myself at that stage and I thought it was a joke when they contacted me for a dress.

What would be her absolutely perfect day? Cooking for our friends with my partner Luke, as we love to entertain, topped off with some great laughter and a bottle of champagne.

What five words sum her up? Creative, a dreamer, motivated, loving, fun and a bit cheeky.

What really fabulous advice does she have for others wanting to Do What They Love? Life’s not a dress rehearsal, just go for it, as life is too short.

Check out Esa’s blog www.teapony.typepad.com – for all the latest news and some fabulous giveaways. You can soon shop online for Esa’s beautiful range of clothing at www.teapony.com, and in the meantime, stop by her Etsy store at www.teapony.etsy.com.

Are you doing what you love? Please contact me here if you would like to tell your Do What You Love story. I’d love to hear from you – no matter where you are in the world.

Women Who Do What They Love - Jemma Bell

Who is this woman? Jemma Bell

What is her passion called? Handmade Kids and Ollie Rose

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.handmadekids.com.au and www.ollierose.com.au

What does she actually produce? Handmade Kids showcases all the fabulous crafters in Australia who create wonderful items for kids. Ollie Rose sells handcrafted children’s and babywear. As well as our own creations, we also stock a range of other handcrafted items from other sellers.

Why does she do all this? I am very passionate about both sites. I am attracted to both businesses as they are connected to handcrafted items for kids. I love items for my kids and I love buying for my kids. I have always tried to avoid licensed mass-produced products for them and I think this is why I turned to the handcrafted. I can always find something unique, gorgeous and well-priced. And what makes these items even better is knowing that someone actually took the time to sit down and make it all on their own.

I also have always been someone who needs a challenge and needs to be busy. Both Handmade Kids and Ollie Rose provide me with a huge challenge and I love learning all the new things. It has been frustrating at times, such as the major learning curve that went in setting up a website when I had no knowledge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How long has she been doing it? Ollie Rose has been in business for over two years and Handmade Kids has been going since August 2008.

What is this talented woman’s story? I am a mum of two boys who lives in the Midwest of Western Australia. I spent all of my working life in local government and after having my second son started working with my sister in our business – Ollie Rose. Both my sister and I have lived in shopping-challenged areas so Kobie started making her daughter’s and my children’s clothes, and from there it grew into a business. I manage the website and administration side of the business, whilst Kobie does all the creating.

Handmade Kids came about as a result of my involvement with Ollie Rose. I got to meet and see so many other talented and wonderful women who create beautiful items, and I wanted to show everyone else their products, too.

As well as the two businesses, I also love spending as much time as I can in my garden, and I run our local Freecycle group.

What pesky obstacles have tried to block her progress? Aside from the initial setting up of the website, which was a massive learning curve, I would have to say that Handmade Kids has been easy to create, but this is not due to me, it is due to all the talent that is out there. Without them, Handmade Kids would not be able to exist.

Ollie Rose has also been a steep learning curve. Running a business online requires you to be multi-faceted. You need to know and learn so much, and the baby and kids market is a tough one.

I think the largest obstacle has been managing both businesses with my family and making sure I have time for both. I try to do any work I need to do around the children, when they are sleeping. I also try and take time out when I can – just to have a break. Quite often I can be found typing away with my 18 month old sitting on my desk helping (if you can call throwing everything off the desk and hitting the keyboard helping), so if my blog posts never make sense, you know why.

What are her greatest joys in doing what she loves? Seeing both businesses grow. Originally when I started Handmade Kids, I did it more for myself and did not think anyone would really be interested in reading what I had to say or show. I love it when I get an email to say that a product has sold as a result of being featured. For small crafting businesses, there are not a lot of advertising avenues to get your products recognised… avenues that don’t cost big dollars – something these businesses don’t have. Handmade Kids provides them with an alternative.

With Ollie Rose, it is really exciting to see your outfits out and about. When I first joined a parenting group after my second son was born, a lady had her baby in one of our outfits and I said to her “Oh that is cute, where did you get it?” and she told me it was an Ollie Rose and she received it as a gift and loved it. It was a great moment to see the enjoyment someone else had from an outfit we had created.

What is she loving most at the moment? My favourite Ollie Rose item would have to be the giraffe rattle. It was my baby’s favourite toy and I really believe it is a perfect item for babies. With all the fabric choices, he can have so many looks as well.

With Handmade Kids, I love getting to see what everyone has been creating, though that is not always handy for my credit card balance.

What is her inspiration? My inspiration would be all the talented mums out there creating fabulous items, including my sister. I, unfortunately, did not get the crafting gene in my family, and when I see all these great items, I am inspired to try to create myself. It always ends in disaster, though, and I just buy it instead.

If she could do anything in the whole wide, entire world – what would she do? I think it would be what I am doing right now. I am lucky enough to be able to work from home and I really enjoy the challenges that both businesses throw at me. It would, of course, be lovely if it came with high pay and a private plane, so I could jet off to craft shows all over the country. One can dream.

Where would she escape to if she could? Edinburgh, Scotland. I lived there many years ago for nearly a year and absolutely loved it. It is my dream to go back one day. There was just something about it. Out of all the places we lived and visited, Edinburgh always just felt right and a bit like home to me. I would dearly love to go back.

What would she do or buy there? I would do a tour of the castle. In all the time I lived there and went past it every day on my way to work, I never once went; something I have always regretted.

What are her secret aspirations? With Handmade Kids, I would love to see it grow into a great meeting place for fans of beautiful handcrafted items and designers alike.

For Ollie Rose, I guess the same continual growth. It is also a dream to see our giraffe rattles in lots of baby boutiques around the world.

What is her greatest achievement? I guess it would be the growth we have had with Ollie Rose over the last year. I think a lot of friends and families quite often think we are just playing shop, and don’t realise the amount of work and time that goes into the business. I think we have come such a long way in the past year and I am very proud of that.

What would be her absolutely perfect day? My perfect day would be to be entirely on my own, without any responsibilities. To wake up late, have a lazy breakfast, potter about my garden, watch tv and read a book on the couch. That sounds bad doesn’t it? that my perfect day is not a day spent with my family? But I have to admit, some days I crave to be on my own and to enjoy the solitude of our house with absolutely no responsibilities and nothing that has to be done.

What five words sum her up? Loyal, private, fun (though I am more the serious mum these days compared to my youth), hard working, straight-forward.

What really fabulous advice does she have for others wanting to Do What They Love? Don’t be afraid to do it. Also, put a lot of planning and research into doing it. It can seem daunting and a lot of work, and it is, but to come out the other side and be able to do something you love makes it worthwhile.

Being passionate about what you are doing also is a big bonus. If you are passionate about it, when you have those bad days, it is a bit easier to pick yourself up and keep going because you really believe in what you are doing.

Are you doing what you love? Please contact me here if you would like to tell your Do What You Love story. I’d love to hear from you – no matter where you are in the world.

Women Who Do What They Love - Riitta Burri

Who is this woman? Riitta Burri

What is her passion called? MyBag!byBurri

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.mybagbyburri.com

How did she find herself in Beijing? I came to Beijing 2.5 years ago, for my husband’s job.

What is this woman’s story? I’m American with a Finnish mother, hence the name. I never had a ‘real’ profession. Just lots of little jobs in between studying all over Europe. Then I met my husband at the Expo in Sevilla in 1992. Now we have four kids and I started my own business here in Beijing. I love Bikram yoga, spinning and skiing. I also love making things – boxes, scrapbooking, cooking and baking, reading, movies… the list goes on.

England

How long has she been doing her new career thing? Since May 2009.

What does she actually do? I make tote bags which fold up into a small pouch. The special thing about this bag is the pattern. Currently there are five patterns, each representing a different country. The patterns are long lost motifs – 50 to 100 years old – lost into museums or coffee table books. I’ve reproduced them to make these bags. Hence, MyBag! my country. The bags are 100% cotton and water repellant.

Why does she do it all? Because I love to shop, I hate plastic and I wanted to try my hand at something challenging.

What pesky obstacles has she experienced running a business? It was very difficult to get started. But I kept at it until I found my supplier who sourced me the Beijing factories. I told everyone I spoke to about my project.

Japan

How does she balance her work with family? “My” day starts at 8am and ends at 4pm. When the kids come home, I am all theirs’, usually. Then at 9pm I get back to emails and business.

What have been her greatest business joys? Encountering a tremendously positive feedback, and getting my own identity. I’m no longer the tai tai following her husband. Though I did always say I’m a trailblazing spouse. Amazing though what effect having one’s own business has (especially on men) at a cocktail party! Even something simple like a shopping bag.

What are her favourite things about her business? The challenge. And the discovery of new patterns. And the enthusiasm it has sparked among people. And my friends who are all keen on helping me distribute in their home countries.

What is her inspiration? World travel, art history, creating something totally new.

China

If she could do anything in the whole wide world, what would she choose? I would like to work for a company which organises events, such as world fairs, the Olympics, the Grammys, Oscars, etc. Big events with an international crowd.

Where would she escape to if she could? To Tokyo.

What would she do there? I would eat and check out the bag situation in the stores. And I would do an extended weekend into the countryside.

What is her greatest achievement? Having four kids and now starting up this business.

What does she love about living in Beijing? The fast pace of things, the great restaurants, massages, household help and my purchase power.

France

What five words sum her up? Energetic, positive, frank, impatient and always trying to do more than time or my energy allows.

What fabulous advice does she have for those wanting to follow their passion? Go for it! No matter what. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Tell everyone your idea and suddenly it will take shape and happen. But you have to stick to it. You have to breath it and live it 24 hours – at least to get started.

What’s next for Riitta? The ultimate goal of MyBag! is that every country on the planet has its own bag based on one or more old patterns.

USA

Riitta’s chic range of MyBag! bags are available in Beijing at Ullens, Tai Tai Kitchen, The Orchard, The Cottage and Counting Sheep Boutique. See her website for details on stockists in other countries - www.mybagbyburri.com.

Rita has since left Beijing for Europe, but plans to grow her business all over the world.

Women Who Do What They Love - Jenny Tiffen

Who is this woman? Jenny Tiffen

What is her passion called? Canberra FitMums

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.fitmums.biz

What is her story? I am Canberra born and bred and - very boringly - I have married a Canberran (Gerard Tiffen) too… but we love it here in the bush capital. We have had three children, though sadly our first little boy Cooper was stillborn. We are now super busy raising his sister Bridie (2.5 years) and brother Chase (17 months).

How long has she been following her passion? The first ‘FitMums’ class was actually named ‘Mummy BootCamp’. It started when my mummy friend (Estee) and I wanted to turn up the heat on our many walks around Lake Burley Griffin. We hired a personal trainer and did a small marketing campaign. We had 43 mums RSVP to our first session. That was in November of 2006 and I continued to grow it from there.

What does she actually do? Mornings of fun and fitness! We run exercise classes for mums where the children are welcome along. We provide a nanny to entertain the babes so the mum can make the most of her workout. We always grab a coffee afterwards and seem to solve the world with our topics of conversation! Everyone gets free entry into Lollipops Playland after all Brand Depot classes, which is a perfect reward for good toddlers at FitMums.

Why does she do it all? I wanted to get back into shape after two really close pregnancies and combining parenting, socialising and fitness makes total sense to me! My children love coming to FitMums so it makes it so easy. Now I am also combining work into the mix! It is a very fun job, though.

Has the creation of her business been easy or tough? The ideas for the business are easy. Getting them into action is the harder part! I am a little impatient with my vision. As I have a young, growing family, I try and stay grounded in prioritising things. I am lucky that my husband runs a successful business so that I can go months without drawing a wage if need be, and can put much of the profit back into the business.

I completely underestimated the amount of work and constant hurdles that pop up – but these are often half the fun – as long as you enjoy the climb!

What pesky obstacles have cropped up along the way? Wet weather is something that always gets us! Even when we have paid for an indoor venue, mums often choose to stay in on yucky days. I think many businesses are affected by the weather. We are always working on new promotions to keep the buzz at FitMums and keep the momentum going.

What have been the greatest joys in running her business? It is so nice being my own boss. I feel proud of what we achieve at FitMums and that alone is very rewarding. I love getting positive feedback from mothers who are enjoying our program and are seeing results in their clothes, spirit and attitudes. I don’t think you can put a price on that kind of return and it is really lovely to be a part of. I also love dealing with other small business. Once you are in business, you become part of this new club where all of a sudden you know how to support other business, and in return they support you! B2B work is very rewarding.

What are some of her business faves? I love that I can take my children to my work, exercise while I am there and hang out with my friends. FitMums is part of every weekday. I have a background in IT so playing with our website is also something I completely enjoy doing. Plus, I love that, as the boss, I can make as many things as I like PINK!

What is her inspiration? Other mums! I guess that also means me – but I know as a mum what I want for myself, my husband and my children, and I want other Canberra mums to also benefit from what we are trying to achieve at FitMums. I didn’t want to have my kids in care for me to be able to exercise, nor did I want to rely on family members to look after them two or three times per week for me to get my body back. Thirdly, I didn’t want my working husband to pay for my fitness. I love that my children and other FitMums children also have a great time out at our sessions.

Jenny with Marty of FitMums

If she could do anything in the whole wide world, what would she do? I would be a professional dancer! I am so uncoordinated so I know it is virtually impossible for me, but I adore watching people dance. Gerard and the kids are constantly laughing at my moves, but that is ok – I think!?

Where she escape to if she could? It is eight degrees today… so somewhere warm! We have a family holiday to Fiji coming up so that is in the forefront of my mind. I used to work for QANTAS and am very lucky to have been to many fabulous countries. Singapore, USA and Asia are on the top of my fave list.

What would she buy there? Fijians are very good at making lovely jewellery and Bridie just loves all the bags and grass outfits. I will be also spending much time and money in the Resort Spa, no doubt!

What is next for Jenny? We are launching into pregnancy exercise classes as well as a new skin care range in the coming months. Both these new arms of the business are very exciting for us. One day we will have our own commercial space with all our activities under one roof.

What is her ideal day? Sleeping in until 8am, exercising with Gerard and/or friends, brunch out with the family, playing with the kids, enjoying a DVD with Gerard while the children have their nap, taking kids to the park, lazy but yummy dinner, in bed by 8:30!

What are her greatest achievements? My babies. All three of them.

Jenny with husband Gerard and children Bridie and Chase

What five words sum her up? Cheerful, Energised, Imaginative, Ambitious, Sherbet.

What advice would she have for someone wanting to follow their passion? Go for it! You never have to work another day of your life if you love what you do. Remember to stay three-dimensional, as passions can sometimes close doors to other great things in your life.

Don’t miss updates on FitMums’ latest classes and news at the website...

Are you doing what you love? Please contact me here if you would like to tell your Do What You Love story. I’d love to hear from you – no matter where you are in the world.