Tenacity Tribe Series - Q & A With My Little Bundle

Name: Chinyere Ezewuzie

Company Name: My Little Bundle           

Website: www.mylittlebundle.co.uk

Social Media Handles: @mylittlebundle1 (FB, IG, twitter)

How did it all start? – tell us your story

My first son loved bath time and after a while it was quite a challenge to get him out of the bath. He used to struggle and wriggle when I tried to lift him out. Later when he could talk, he would tell me to ‘do my sleeves’ which meant pulling my top over my hands before lifting him out. So I had the idea of a gloved towel and that’s how it all got started. It’s taken a while to actually get it done as he’s now 4, but I’ve able to try out the towel on my second son who is 8 months old!

What did you do beforehand?

Currently I am on maternity leave but normally work as a GP, I will be returning to work in a few months – fewer days since I’ve also got a business to run!

What does your typical working day look like?

Well at the moment, the day is all about looking after my baby and then I try to do a few hours of ‘work’ once the kids are asleep. We will see how this all changes when I return to my normal job.

How do you achieve work/life balance?

I try to have times in the day when I don’t check my phone especially when I am with my baby. Going to baby groups and seeing other mums also helps me enjoy my maternity leave. But I often feel that I am rushing in the evening when I do have time to get some business stuff done and I am always hoping that my baby doesn’t wake up!

How do you juggle work and family commitments?

When I returned to work after my first son, I took Fridays off so my older son is home with me. That’s still the case, so I have a fun but busy and tiring day on Fridays with the two boys at swimming, soft play or with other friends with kids.

What do you love the most about your job?

In my normal GP job, I enjoy being able to talk to lots of different people through the day and trying to help them. It is busy and there is lots to remember, but it is a satisfying job. With my business it’s been a massive learning curve and I have had to upskill myself in several areas like marketing, using social media and designing websites.

What do you groan about doing/what keeps you up at night?

My baby!

What’s the most difficult element about building your brand/business from scratch?

Trying to make people aware of the business and getting people to buy into my business.  Also working out how best to utilise social media for my business and grow a following on it, especially since I rarely use it.

What has surprised you the most since setting up your business?

The many different things to think about- business tax, insurance etc and the need to plan ahead. But it’s been great finding out about the world of freelancers which has been such a help to get things done well but quickly.

What has been your biggest ‘hoorah’ moment/what are you most proud of (business wise)?

All of the positive feedback I’ve received so far from people who have tried out my towel – it has been a relief.

What has been your biggest mistake/setback? What have you learnt from it?

Not re-confirming the lead time for production, so it has taken longer than I thought to get the towel to market. I’ve learnt to check, check and check again!

How do you handle self-doubt/a bad day?

I remember my previous achievements and that whatever problem I’m facing is really not a big deal – perspective!

Who do you admire and why?

My parents – they have always encouraged me to be the best in whatever I do.

What are your future aspirations?

I would like to be able to grow my business to a stage where it is running fairly independently and it doesn’t consume every spare minute of my day – that way I could spend more time with my family. I also plan to continue work to some degree as a GP, as that keeps me thinking in a different way and is definitely more of a comfort zone for me than the world of business.

What’s your advice to other like-minded women thinking about taking the plunge?

Go for it, no matter how long it takes to get started. The satisfaction you will get when you see it happen will be worth it.