Where It Started

 Alright, I did say that I wouldn’t speak to much about my personal life – but I feel that I should, not only for blog content and let’s face it – everyone needs ‘content’ these day.  It’s more for people to get an understanding of how hard I work, why I work and the reason I work. 

I write this while I am half thinking about getting up and practicing my hoola hoop skills (or lack of) while Beyonce Homecoming is blasting out of my stereo.  I also have the house to myself, and I could totally get up and bust out a dance move or get ‘my hoop on’.  I am so shit at hoola hooping.  My friend does it and she looks amazing while she does it.  She also has the benefit of having smaller boobs than myself, which seems to be a massive bonus (excuse the pun).  FYI if you are thinking of starting hoola hooping, be sure to get a thick hoop – I learnt this the hard way.  I got a thin hoop.  It’s harder.  Also be aware, if you have coordinated children, they will make you look bad.  Real bad.  I had my hoop for 3 days and all 3 of my boys had it nailed.  Bloody show offs.  I will be sure to keep you updated with my hoola hooping ‘skills’ as I have no doubt you will all be waiting with anticipation.  

While I let my ‘dance moment’ pass – I’ll digress.  Let me quote a ‘quote’ I found on the internet.  “One thing that Mum’s and entrepreneurs have in common is that they share resilience of working hard and never giving up – Petra” Now, I have no idea who Petra is, but she seems nice and she isn’t far from the truth. 

I also don’t really understand the term entrepreneur.  Google says an entrepreneur is “a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit”.  Now I’ve been in business for 7 years this year with my cleaning business, also known as my day job.  I have never once said that I am an entrepreneur as I feel I am way out of that league and mostly just trying to live my Best Business Life month by month, which has eventually turned into 7 years.  For some reason I think of investors whenever the word entrepreneurs come in my head.  But that’s enough of that, hopefully no one got offended by that little statement and my little pic. 

I call myself a business owner, a sole trader.  I love the fact that I have been cleaning for 7 years.  It’s been a long 7 years, but not long enough for me to stop cleaning as I love it.  I love the fact I get to listen to podcasts, be trusted by my clients, have puppy and dog cuddles (refer to previous blogs about time management and how I love a good ‘puppy cuddle’) I must be honest, more than half my clients are now my friends as we have built an amazing friendship, even with the ones that I never see but I’m somehow part of their family as I am in their homes every week.  I actually love it.  I started cleaning due to my husband needing a major neck operation. He wasn’t in a position to have a desk job at his work so he was home with me.  We just had our youngest, Billy.  He just turned  one.  It was good to have him home, as we understood not many people (and kids) have the opportunity to have both parents home at the same time. But like most couple’s I think we were getting  annoyed at each other because we were together 24/7. Now, I love my husband – but I needed space as much as he wanted space. Ain’t marriage grand?   At this time I was actively involved with my eldest boys P&C.  One day one of the teachers mentioned her regular cleaner couldn’t clean her house that week.  I said I would do it, just for shits and giggles (I can say that, as I have been cleaning for 7 years and let me tell you, cleaning is definitely NOT ‘shits and giggles’)

After leaving the teachers house – I had one of those Brain Farts where you realise you can actually make money from something so simple.  Cleaning.  7 years ago, there seemed to be a gap in the cleaning industry.  I for one can never remember people asking on Facebook groups for a cleaner.  I’m not saying that there wasn’t’ any cleaners – of course there was, but for some reason in my area you never really heard of them.  It was pretty much the perfect time to start a cleaning business.  So I did.  I got my products from Aldi and then spread the word. *Side note – I now only use environmentally friendly products, purchased in bulk*   I worked cash in hand for about 1 month until I could save to get enough money for public liability.  It worked out pretty well.  Husbo was home with the baby and I was able to work in school hours.  It wasn’t until after my husband’s operation was done I started working full time.  Full time cleaning.  Now let me tell you – it was hard.  So freakin hard.  I was working about 42 hours – just cleaning. It was hard, but then learnt to slow down.  Jason then started working, everyone at school or day care and life just flowed.

That’s the day job covered!  Now, Get Lick’d Iceblocks.  If I was loving my day job so much, why start another business?  Are you actually insane?  Ummm, yes.  Perhaps!

It was New Years Day 2018 when I decided that I would like a Side Hustle.  Just something else in my life that doesn’t involve cleaning and the being stuck in the same routine every day.  I remember sitting at Brighton fishing with the family and an icecream truck pulled up down the road and all these people from out of nowhere ran up to this icecream truck.  It was like what you see in the movies.   I sat there and thought ‘for fucks sake, it’s just an icecream truck, and an overpriced one at that’.  But this truck had about 16 people lining up for icecream and more people walking towards it.  My mind was blown.  2 minutes later I was Googling icecream trucks for sale on Gumtree.  Turns out an icecream truck is about 40k.  That busted my bubble a bit, but I then had to put my thinking cap on.  A few years ago, I found out I am lactose intolerant and I am unable to be friends with dairy.  Which wasn’t really an issue as I never really drank a lot of milk or ate a lot of icecream.  I think it was 3 weeks later where I had the idea of making iceblocks, everyone loves iceblocks.  And it all sort of just rolled on from there.  Nearly 1 year on and here I am.  It hasn’t been easy, seems the thought of thinking about a side hustle is much MUCH easier than actually working in a side hustle and wanting to eventually quit your day job and work on your side hustle full time.  Although, I would be happy to clean part time/casual and focus 100% on Get Lick’d Iceblocks.  But I know that is a fair while away yet. 

Cleaning is my current safety net and it pays the bills where as Get Lick’d Iceblocks is currently paying for itself but 1 year in, I never actually expected to be where I am right now.  I couldn’t even dream it.  Yes that’s mega bloody lame. 

There was one point where I wanted to quit everything.  Cleaning, motherhood, Wife Life, responsibilities.  Everything.  I had it.  Life just got so fucking hard at the time and I couldn’t cope, nor did I think I would cope.  One day I snapped and I threw a saucepan across the kitchen floor before school one day.  My boys looked at me like ‘what the actual fuck did Mum just do? She’s fucking INSANE’ I told them to get their school bags and get in the car.  I dropped them off at school and drove myself to the doctor, crying the whole way.  So, I’m at the doctor, told him what happened, I kid you fucking not – this is what he said after asking me a few questions about home, my marriage, the kids, work, life.  He said KAREN, YOU NEED A HOLIDAY!!!  You are fucking kidding?  A holiday? Now why the heck didn’t I think of that Doc?  Like fuck.  Every Mother needs a holiday.  Just let me get my ducks lined up in a row, my husband have a few days off work as it will be a shit show for him to actually get shit sorted around the house, let me make a few meals to freeze so I know my kids and family are eating well while I’m on this holiday.  Let’s not forget the fact the fact that if I don’t work, I don’t get paid.  Finally, let me find a friend, that is also losing her shit at her kids and family cos she feels the same as me and make it a Girls Trip.  There was no fucking chance I was going to have a holiday.  He did give me the contact details of a psychiatrist to talk to though.  That seemed so much, much easier to do. So I did that instead. I went to the appointment, turns out after a massive cry and a talk about ‘life’ I just needed a few days off work and the support of my family.  I knew this, but seems having a complete stranger tell me this is different.  I almost wanted that psychiatrist to write a note to my family to say that I need my family to leave me alone and fend for themselves for a few days.  You know, like a holiday.  Same same. But different right?   Totally! 

That all happened about 2 years ago.  I can laugh about it ^ now, only because I think I am in a better space.  My boys still think I’m crazy though.  What Mum isn’t?  

I have a much better outlook on life now.  I have slowed down since my little Saucepan Incident that day. I don’t have many friends as I have a few trust issues after being burned from people I thought were my friends.  I do have 3 close friends.  These girls are the friends I can trust, rant to, send meme’s to and friends I know they will have my back and be there for me. These guys make my days easier.  My husband goes alright aswell.  Motherhood, worklife and building a business is not a picnic.  If I had a dollar for every time someone told me ‘I don’t know how you do it’ then my piggy bank would be pretty heavy.  But so would every other Mother’s.  It’s not just me losing my shit, working the grind and providing for her family.  There are a MILLION women out there doing the same.  With or without children.  It’s just that some are just better at hiding it than others.  I’m all for not hiding it – fuck, why hide it?  We are fighting the same fight.  As long as you have someone to talk to. If you don’t have anyone to talk to – here’s some numbers that might be helpful.

 As Shrek says ‘Better out than in’.  Yes he is talking about burping and farting but you get the point.  I have also learnt to cry.  Fuck me I can cry.  Not just at whatever curve balls life throws at me but I cry in just about every movie.  My kids know I cry in every movie now they are used to it.  They are also very wary of when we all go to the movies.  I watched A Star Is Born the other night for the first time. OH MY GOD!!!!  My next blog will be about that movie. Let discuss.  Fuck.  I LOVED it!!  I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.  I’m still thinking about it!  Watch this space.  A Star Is Born blog post is coming. 

Sorry, as usual, I got distracted.  Let me sum this up with another inspirational internet quote. 

“Forget her looks.  How about her insane work ethic, her unstoppable ambition and her ridiculously dope soul”

Breakdown of the above quote:  

• Dope means cool as fucking fuck
• I am currently growing out my grey hair.  I give zero fucks about the colour of my hair
• Every mother has an insane work ethic – whether it’s cooking dinner or doing the grocery shopping
• Unstoppable ambition = you are a fucking Queen and deserve the best with whatever the world throws at you

This post was a bit real and raw maybe even a bit overwhelming for you #sorrynotsorry.   I hope you got something positive out of it though.  I sort of just blurt shit out and cross my fingers it goes alight. 

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