Category Archives: Birth to Business

“Why I Started my Business and stick with it” Part 3

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“Why I Started my Business and stick with it” Part 3

Thailand Vietnam and Cambodia found us enjoying great food hiking exploring in heat hotter than the sun, with my son n a backpack hanging off my back sleeping while we went underground.

Child carries Baby Jake  Very cute kid

Child carries Baby Jake
Very cute kid

Me and Jake walking round in Vietnam

Me and Jake walking round in Vietnam

learning about Cambodia

learning about Cambodia

the Cot we dragged around for 5 1/2 months was a hit .

the Cot we dragged around for 5 1/2 months was a hit .

No matter the age Jake was well loved a place for sure you can be safe and happy to bring your kids ..

No matter the age Jake was well loved a place for sure you can be safe and happy to bring your kids ..

The staff at our hotel in Cambodia helped  teach Jake to walk at 14 months .

The staff at our hotel in Cambodia helped teach Jake to walk at 14 months .

A bit very hot going round ruins.

A bit very hot going round ruins.

It was amazing we felt like we had gone on holiday as a couple while the every local whisked Jake off to be spoiled, we only realised he was there when he woke in the mornings.

Our tourGuide loved Jake too ..

Our tourGuide loved Jake too ..

the floating city

the floating city

It seems to rain a lot at this amazing place in Vietnam . We all loved the Ginger at the hotel too mm

It seems to rain a lot at this amazing place in Vietnam .
We all loved the Ginger at the hotel too mm

1 day we spent an afternoon round the pool while Daddy had a sleep

1 day we spent an afternoon round the pool while Daddy had a sleep

The Bath that was  attracted to a 15 month old …. Great hotel rooms on the trip .

The Bath that was attracted to a 15 month old …. Great hotel rooms on the trip .

After a great month not having to think about the clothing we got a sudden email from the hotel in Hue, Vietnam saying we need to pay our customs Duty on our parcels ahhhhh we raced back to Phnom Penh and got to a bank, payment was done, what a nightmare, luckily we managed to get to the airport with a second to spare. But it was paid; we could take 1 more month to relax before the girls on mopeds began …

Fishing ….

Fishing ….

more fishing ….

more fishing ….

I have to say that two weeks of making the sample was “crazy”, well worth it because I now had some prototypes of what I wanted.  Their very sweet 20-year-old girls scooted backwards and forwards in to the shop while the ever so sweet shop assistant who was pregnant. (Fantastic she could try on the clothing while I could try the post pregnancy clothing) Each garment which changed by the minute to suit, all detail’s tweaked until I was “happy” we were good to go.

Such a sweetie as we tweaked the items round her bump ..

Such a sweetie as we tweaked the items round her bump ..

Mumma Fly Fist pro to types , top for Breatfeeding

Mumma Fly Fist pro to types , top for Breast feeding

This breastfeeding top has changed somewhat after 3 years of development ..

This breastfeeding top has changed somewhat after 3 years of development ..

Pregnant this has changed somewhat since Mumma Fly Started 3 years ago but its still the same design .

Pregnant this has changed somewhat since Mumma Fly Started 3 years ago but its still the same design .

  • 50 items of clothing were then shipped to England
  • Poor Mum had no idea she had boxes heading her way.
Ready to ship off all the clothing after making sure they were all there and looked correct ..

Ready to ship off all the clothing after making sure they were all there and looked correct ..

Why I started my business and stuck with it part 2

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The Start of the Journey 

Trams in Christchurch n Christchurch South Islands NZ

So I have this great idea kicking around my head and in 2010 our baby boy turned 1.  With that milestone we thought it would be great to go travelling for 6 months.  Before I became a mum and fiancé I’d travelled quite extensively so how hard could it be trekking with a couple of extras?  Clearly I had no idea…

First stop was Singapore, then Australia, New Zealand, back to Oz, Thailand, Cambodia, back to Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand again (couldn’t resist their sweet chilly sauce and a lady’s kind offer to buy Jake for 3 rolls of material) then back to Blighty.  During this time I:

  • Designed and drew sketches In New Zealand
  • Purchased fabric in Australia
  • Paid Vietnamese duty in Cambodia for fabric bought in Oz
  • Had my first set of samples made in Vietnam
  • Ensured samples were ready for trials
  • Felt I had the beginnings of feel-good maternity fitness clothing ready to produce

Akoroa NZ

On a previous year’s travelling I had been fortunate enough to meet a very cool lady who became a fellow Yoga student and also happened to be a fashion designer in New Zealand.  We had remained in “Xmas and birthday touch” and I therefore met up with her whilst in New Zealand on my latest 6 month trip.  Whilst spending a weekend in Akoroa just up the road from her, we thrashed out many ideas and saw me well on my way to sketching all my Mumma Fly designs out.  Once we hit Oz again I started enquiring where I could find organic cotton fabric.  A friend had recommended a place in Brisbane and, after making a personal visit, I ordered 15 rolls of fabric.  Some would say I got a tad carried away but with over 300 colours to choose from I think I was somewhat restrained.

Brisbane before flooding

A week later my “small” consignment of 15 rolls of fabric was delivered to my mate’s house in Sydney.  Bless her – 3 crazy house guests, 2 huge dogs, 41 degrees and now huge rolls of material added into the mix… can’t beat a bit of chaos. With less room than an economy seat on Ryan Air, we quickly had it boxed up and sent to Vietnam.  Mumma Fly was truly in the making…

Sydney Beautiful Sand and smiles at one of Sydney's beautiful beaches .

“Why I started my Business Mumma Fly and stick with it “

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http://www.mummafly.com

In 2009 the year I had my gorgeous baby boy was born and the desire to start Mumma Fly.

Why

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  • My usual fitness clothing no longer fitting properly whilst pregnant
  • No maternity fitness clothing range available
  • No support in normal sports clothing for later stages of pregnancy
  • Felt like all I could do was swim due to lack of appropriate maternity sportswear for other sporting activities
  • Putting on far too much weight due to not exercising enough as a result of not having suitable sports clothing to wear
  • No fitness clothing available in larger sizes required whilst breastfeeding
  • Felt ugly and self conscious in non-flattering normal fitness clothing

As big as you could get

Although having a baby is the most amazing and rewarding life changing occurrence, it’s also the most scary, exhausting, nerve racking and daunting one.  And as if that isn’t enough it’s also accompanied by mood swings, irritability, shattered pelvic floor muscles and more loose skin than a lipo clinic.  Nothing fits properly, you hate your body and the warm glow of being wee’d on when changing your brand new bouncing bundle of joy’s nappy loses it’s charm after about 45 minutes.  The end is nowhere in sight and it’s illegal to put your kid up for sale on eBay.  Especially when he’s only 3 days old.

Most sane mums would run for the hills but I decided to start a business in the 8 spare minutes I had each day.

Im out of that dark place but theres too much light here

Stay tuned for more installments ……………………………