Business Mums Who Love to Write: Sarah Baker
Welcome to another interview in my Business Mums Who Love to Write series. This time we’re chatting with lovely Sarah Baker who lives in my neck of the woods.
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for taking the time to join us!
First things first, can you tell us a little bit about you, your biz, where in the world you’re from, and how many little people you have?
Hey there, I’m Sarah Baker. I am a 40-year-old mum of two little people (although one is 11 and far from little and my little lady is 8 with the attitude of a teenager!). I live in the sometimes sunny North East of England in a little town of Darlington.
I started life as a social researcher and I worked for the Government in London for about 10 years but when my son was born we moved to be nearer family for their babysitting services. Fast forward a couple of years and I had 2 kids, a divorce and such horrendous anxiety that I struggled to leave the house. That’s when I found hypnotherapy. A couple of sessions and my anxiety lessened and I was able to step out into the world again. The power it had on how I felt was amazing and so I decided to do a course in it. I didn’t set out to leave my job and start my own business but when work offered me a way out and because my life was already so up in the air, I decided to do it.
I started No Longer a Problem, my hypnotherapy business about 5 years ago. I was a great hypnotherapist but I couldn’t find clients. I realized that actually, no one had ever shown me how. I knew nothing about marketing or the importance of my message or finding a crowd of people to talk to and so for the first couple of years I struggled, really struggled, to make my business work. Eventually I realized I needed to learn about the business side, I developed online therapy packages people could buy and use from home and I finally filled my diary. It was then the Therapy Biz Coach was born. I teach people the stuff we never get taught on our therapy training; how to take our amazing therapy talents and make a successful business of them. I’ve been doing this (with a bit of hypnotherapy on the side) for about 3 years and I LOVE it!
That’s fab! I love hearing how people started their businesses – everyone has a fascinating story to tell. So, how long have you been writing & when did you realise it was something you loved doing?
I’ve always loved words and writing and have been doing it in one form or another since school but I always wrote very corporately. It wasn’t until I started the Therapy Biz Coach that my words really starting flowing. I spend a lot of time helping therapists find their voice and use their marketing to connect with the emotions potential clients are feeling. My head always seems to full of words and metaphors. If I don’t write something on a daily basis I find my head gets very full, very quickly.
What are your writing plans for this year?
I started a business book a couple of years ago (called PS I’m still in my PJs because I built my business still working on the sofa and wearing my pjs!) but unfortunately my Dad got really ill and sadly passed away. I found it really hard to think about writing for a reason and took to journaling daily but over time those book ideas keep popping up and nudging me. Plus, I’ve promised to write my kids a book about them – the limpet and the rock – and I’ve got another more personal book idea that I’m keeping under wraps for now.
How the heck do you find time to write when you’re a mum and a busy business owner?
To be honest, for a few years I haven’t. It’s always the thing that gets pushed to the bottom of my to do list but if you ask me what I want to be when I grow up my answer is always a writer, so I guess I have to make time to make that happen.
I think we all have more time than we think – if I got up earlier (I love to sleep) or didn’t watch Neighbours (yes, it’s still on) or set a reminder in my calendar like I do with my other appointments – then I could make time. I’ve decided that even 30 minutes a day is better than nothing and once I start and those words start flowing then the time flies by!
Great advice! 30 minutes a day is way much better than nothing. What advice would you give to other business mums who struggle to find the time to write?
Don’t beat yourself up. Writing doesn’t mean you have to get a chapter done or even that your writing has to make sense. You just need to spend time every day letting those words out. The more you let them out the more they will fit together into whatever you’re writing. Oh, and also don’t try to be someone else. Make sure you use your words, your imperfect sentence structure or grammar. It’s your work and you need to feel like it sounds like your words. It’s those words that will tell your story and connect with your reader and it’s those words that will reach out to people and make a difference in their world.
Sarah’s Therapy Biz Coach Links
www.facebook.com/therapybizcoach
www.instagram.com/the_therapybiz_coach
Love that, thanks very much for being part of the interview series and best of luck with your books. Fingers crossed you’ll make your author debut this year – I’m rooting for you!
