Why it’s time to put yourself first

Kat Horrocks is a woman on a mission; to encourage us all to engage in a little self-care.

 

Impatience, procrastination and imposter syndrome. Sound familiar? When life gets hectic these three little gremlins (and their friends) love to invade your head space and scupper the best laid plans. It’s so easy to lose sight of yourself and your purpose but it needn’t be this way according to the lovely Kat Horrocks . By embracing the wonder of self-care she firmly believes we can all be living our best lives, especially when it comes to entrepreneurialism.

Kat took time out to share her thoughts on how to silence the negative and embrace the positive.

We all need a Kat in our lives.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Kat, I’m a blogger, coach and podcaster. I’m passionate about empowering women to put themselves first and make time for their personal goals. I support and encourage the women in my community to make time for self-care, set goals and live their life on purpose. As of January 2018, I now work alongside Holly Wood at WeBlogNorth, where I get to support fellow Northern Content Creators.

 

 

“Get nurturing. The world is full of amazing ideas”

 

With her entrepreneurial hat on we asked Kat to share her thoughts on crappy days, mates and eureka moments…

 

What is the trick to staying motivated when you have a bad day?

Not beating yourself up, because some days you’re just not feeling it! On those days I embrace the flexibility of being self-employed, and take myself out of the work environment to clear my head. A brisk walk, an hour to myself relaxing, nipping to the shops – something small can take my mind off it, and help me reset and come back feeling much better later on.

‘Never go into business with friends‘, do you think there is any truth in this or can it be done successfully?

I think in this situation the dynamic of the working relationship has to make sense, and the conditions of the partnership like who does what, money, etc. have to be officially recorded on paper. I’m lucky that Holly and I are friends first, colleagues second – we’re open book, we discuss everything and our differing strengths/weaknesses balance out to be a really great team. It’s all about being on the same page with where the business is going (and where you want it to go!), honesty and ongoing communication to see what’s working, what’s not and how you are supporting each other moving forward.

One of the challenges many of us have is nailing that one brilliant idea that we can transform into a business. Do you think great ideas come in a eureka moment or can they be nurtured and if so how can we get nurturing?

Get nurturing! The world is full of amazing ideas. The difference is, some people take action, some people don’t. My advice would be get moving, forget what it’s ‘supposed’ to look like in your head and allow it to grow and take shape as you continue to take the next step.

What three things can you not do your job without?

 

 

 

• My Bullet Journal – it’s my notebook full of tasks and to-do’s, and it keeps me sane
• Asana – it tracks our ongoing projects and makes it super easy to delegate tasks, discuss work and see where everyone’s up to
• Can I say my fella? He’s not a thing but I’d probably be working 12+ hours a day if he didn’t drag me away from my phone/laptop. He keeps me grounded, which in turn makes me calmer and better at what I do.

 

How important is a support network when you are doing your own thing and who should these people be?

 

You have to have a core group of people, even if it’s just 2-3, who you trust, can turn to for sound advice and know they just get it. These people are hard to find, but I’ve found these relationships develop organically if you’re consistently putting yourself out there – getting involved with your niche’s community online and offline, attending events, telling people what you do. Don’t force this kind of relationship, but if you ‘click’ with someone – keep in touch with them, ask them if they wanna grab a coffee, and eventually

you’ll have found ‘your people’.

“It’s so common to feel the fear when you’re starting a new challenge, so know you’re not alone – but dig deep and crack on regardless of how scary it is.”

 

We then asked Kat to swap hats (she has alot of hats this one) and asked her about self-care and confidence…

 

How important is it to practise self-care if you are an entrepreneur or run your own business?

You really can’t afford not to be practising self-care in business. Burnout is real and it can sneak up and bite you on the bum, so you have to create consistent healthy habits that nurture your physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual health. Whether it’s a Sunday evening to pamper yourself, playing on your local sports team on a Saturday morning, or even that 15 minutes in bed every morning drinking your coffee and reading a book – find your self-care ritual, and prioritise it just as you would an important meeting!

Motherhood can have an impact on confidence, what advice would you give to a mum keen to get her mojo back and maybe start something for herself?

I struggle with feeling qualified to advise Mums because I’m not one! But one thing I wish every Mum knew was she’s bloody amazing and doing her very best, and that’s something to be proud of. Also, that doing something for yourself allows you to be a better Mum – if you’re the best version of yourself, that positive energy is present with your family, and they can feel it! It’s not selfish to focus on what you wanna do, and what you need to feel good.

Do you find yourself coaching many fledgling entrepreneurs and are there common themes that come up?

Many budding entrepreneurs struggle with taking brave, bold action I’d say. Accepting that it’s never gonna look perfect, and you really do have to have a go, get your hands dirty and figure it out as you go. Mindset is another huge one – whether it’s perfectionism, imposter syndrome or other confidence issues – know that your product/service is valuable, and learn to own it and pat yourself on the back. It’s so common to feel the fear when you’re starting a new challenge, so know you’re not alone – but dig deep and crack on regardless of how scary it is.

“I’m excited to support more incredible women in my coaching practice this year”

Now a bit more about Kat and what inspires her. Read and copy unquestioningly…

 

Which books have inspired you recently (fact or fiction and everything inbetween)?

A book that changed the way I look at my work and creativity is ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. I also love ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers. Two must-reads for business owners!

Who do you spend the most time following on social media?

For social media and business stuff, I will always keep up to date with Gary Vaynerchuk. His word is gospel to me when it comes to what’s new and what I should be focusing on. I also love to follow positive female bloggers who are using their platforms for good and raising awareness of body positivity, health and other things women face – Alice Liveing, Grace Victory, Zanna van Dijk, I could go on!

Who are your heroes and why?

My amazing clients and the women in my community, who continue to take brave, bold action towards their goals and put themselves first every day.

 

And finally what’s on the horizon for Kat Horrocks, what should we be looking out for in 2018?

So the podcast, Put Yourself First, is my big creative project for 2018. I love it! Look out for lots of exciting guests and weekly inspiration, alongside my blog and video content. I’m also excited to support more incredible women in my coaching practice this year – spaces are limited for 1-on-1 sessions, but I’m always on emails if people have questions. Finally, WeBlogNorth has LOTS of exciting plans this year, and any Northern Bloggers, Vloggers or Creatives reading need to get involved with what’s going on.

Kat x

Inspired much?! If you want to be coached by Kat or just want to keep an eye on what she gets up to in 2018 you can follow her on Instagram, tweet her on Twitter, Like her on Facebook, listen to her on soundcloud and generally check her out here.

A day in the life of a super-blogger and super-mum

Hooray for Holly Wood! The founder of WeBlogNorth takes us through a typical day (and unpredictable night!)

 

Meet Holly, Queen of the North (well Northern bloggers at least). A move to Manchester from down south prompted the need for a new gang of friends and what better way to reach out than through the blogosphere. A redundancy and the arrival of a beautiful daughter the following year meant a re-think and what had started as a social sideline grew into the magnificence that is WeBlogNorth.

Holly’s love for blogging was her path into being a girl boss: a perfect example of how recognising what you love can lead you to your killer business idea. (It can be right under your nose, you just have to look…go on, dare you 👀)

Here’s a day in the life of this very busy but extremely focussed female founder….

Who are you?

I am a thirty-something blogger, mum and start-up business owner. I created and run WeBlogNorth and am founder of the annual event The Northern Blog Awards. I’ve been blogging for nearly 6 years now, focussing mainly on travel, food, interiors and parenting and have worked with brands including Silver Cross, Christy, Boden, La Belle Assiette, Malmaison, Vileda, EatWith and Festival Number 6.

I am a champion of micro-influencers and believe that quality engagement is just as strong (if not stronger) than quantity when it comes to collaborating with brands. I’m passionate about championing the North and the amazing content creators we have up here and encourage brands and agencies to do the same. Our ethos at WeBlogNorth is COMMUNITY – INSPIRE – COLLABORATE.

 

“I just knew there was a demand for a community that brought together and championed content-creators here in the North”

What is WeBlogNorth and how did it all come about?

I started WeBlogNorth (formerly WeBlogMCR) back in 2014, as I’d not long moved to Manchester, was the only blogger I knew and essentially wanted to make some friends! I was sick of the blogging-scene being down in London and having to travel for events and inspiration and wanted to build my own community here in my hometown. I found that there were lots of others wanting that too and before I knew it, that little community was building. We’d meet-up, chat about blogging, share experiences and teach each other. I prided myself on being informal and approachable and open to all.

Within a couple of years, the meet-ups became more regular and turned into seminars and workshops and I was introducing brands and agencies to the mix too – but I was still doing all of this on the side of a full-time job.

 

 

 

Then, in 2015, having been made redundant on maternity leave and with a 6-month old baby, I decided to make a business out of my passion and WeBlogNorth grew and became something I focussed on with more vigour. I didn’t know how the business would look at that point, I just knew there was a demand for a community that brought together and championed content-creators here in the North, as well as offered platforms to learn, be inspired and collaborate. I also knew there was space to bridge the gaps between brands and agencies who just didn’t know who they should be working with here in the North.

Two and a half years later, I’m 7 months pregnant, the business is still forming, I’ve taken on a part-time partner and momentum is really building. I balance motherhood and working life by being at home with my daughter twice a week, and having 3 “office days” to get my work done. Around that, I squeeze in work each day when I can and try to maintain a good work-life balance.

 

“I have a lot of different areas to my daily work – from writing blog posts, to filming vlogs, to organising my next event, to answering emails, to pitching to brands and agencies – and everything in between”

Here’s a day in the life of this very busy but extremely driven female founder…

Overnight – I co-sleep with my 2-year-old who doesn’t sleep through the night. Our nights are always interrupted, some worse than others, so I never quite know what we’ll be faced with when we go to sleep and how many hours I get. On a good day, I get 7 hours of broken sleep, on a bad day 4-5.

7.30am (ish) – Wake-up when my daughter nudges me and start our morning routine.

7.30-8.00am – Rush around like a zombie, brushing my teeth and hers and scrambling through drawers for something to wear. Make sure we’ve both had a drink, packed our bags and pile into the car to head to nursery. (Unless I’m really running behind, I like her to have breakfast at nursery, so I can get home in time to start my working day ay 9am).

8.30am – Daughter successfully dropped at nursery in time for breakfast and me heading back home for work.

8.45am – Breakfast (usually toast or cereal) in front of the news (or Lorraine!)

9.00am – Sat at my home office desk, ready to start the day. I work from my “Best-self journal” and Asana task list to keep me organised and productive. I have a lot of different areas to my daily work – from writing blog posts, to filming vlogs, to organising my next event, to answering emails, to pitching to brands and agencies – and everything in between. So mapping out the day ahead of me is vital (I try to spend 20 minutes doing this the night before, but if not, I’ll spend the first 20 minutes of my day doing this).

9.30-11.00am – This will usually be admin, emails and desk-time. I’ll check in on my instagram, film a couple of insta-stories as I go and check my twitter feed too.

“This feels like my adult time, where I get to be an adult and have adult conversations and not think about toddler snacks and CBeebies”

11.00am – Off for a meeting at a local coffee shop – could be with a brand I’m hoping will sponsor one of our events like The Northern Blog Awards, or an event supplier or even a fellow blogger who is interested in being a part of the WeBlogNorth network. This feels like my adult time, where I get to be an adult and have adult conversations and not think about toddler snacks and CBeebies. I also feel energised after a good meeting!

12.30pm – Home for lunch, which I make myself and is usually pasta-based. I tend to eat at my desk and skim my emails and social media, but occasionally will sit in front of the telly to give my brain a rest, depending on how I feel.

1.15pm – Back to work and getting stuck into the logistics and marketing of my next big event. I’ll work through my various project lists which are broken down into tasks falling into the following areas: social media and marketing, sponsorship, venue and logistics, suppliers, ticket sales, PR, Goody bags and Other. I have to outline everything I need to do, or else I’ll forget and get distracted. So having check-lists for me is vital!

“I’ll tie-up all loose ends for the day and make notes for anything urgent to tackle tomorrow…then off to do the nursery pick-up”

 

3.30pm – I’ll be mindful that my day is running away with me and will move on to any other urgent tasks for that day, check my emails again and make sure there’s nothing out-standing I need to move on to.

4.00-4.30pm – I’ll touch base with Kat Horrocks, who is a fellow blogger, a life-long member of WeBlogNorth and who has recently come on board part-time to help me grow and develop the business (and to cover a short maternity leave in the Summer). We’ll bounce some ideas off each other and engage on social media with our members, plot and plan for what else we can do.

4.30-5.00pm – I’ll tie-up all loose ends for the day and make notes for anything urgent to tackle tomorrow.

5.00pm – Off to do the nursery pick-up – I like this time, as I get to listen to the radio on the way and always get greeted with an excited face, and a huge hug from my daughter when I arrive.

5.30-6.30pm – Home with my daughter and into mum-mode. We usually grab her a snack (hummus and breadsticks for example), have a cuddle on the couch and either watch her favourite cartoons for half an hour, or read a book before I attempt to make dinner whilst keeping her entertained.

6.30pm – Husband home and takes over parenting, whilst I finish dinner. He usually does bath and bedtime routine and I usually do dinner. We try to eat before she goes to bed and she sometimes has dinner with us too (depending on how hungry she is).

7.00-8.00pm – Bedtime is either a success and happens within 20-30 minutes, or it’s tougher and takes the hubby an hour. I usually take this time to chill, catch-up on some trashy TV or indulge in a bit of instagram.

8.00pm – Both on the couch and in honesty, usually looking at our emails or social media and working. But we do try to watch our latest Netflix binge and have a couple of hours to ourselves too, before the inevitable wake-up from our daughter at approx 10pm.

10.00-11.00pm – off to bed and it all starts again!

Holly x

 

Sounds a lot more productive than my standard office work day (*hastily downloads Asana). And all that done on a night of broken sleep. Well done that girl!

If you are a northern blogger, fancy having a go or want to hear more about Holly’s adventures check her out…

Twitter: @Hollynicol @WeBlogNorth @northernblogawards

Instagram: @_hollygoeslightly @weblognorth  @northernblogawards

Youtube: Holly Wood

And yes her name really is Holly Wood.