Can you tell us a little about you and your family:
There are four humans and one furry doggie in our family. Myself, my husband Mike, Gracie (9), Monty (6), and Maverick the cavoodle.
What was your biggest adjustment when becoming a mum?
Oh my goodness, I’ve had a lot of years to reflect on this, but the biggest adjustment for me was my need to try and control things when I couldn’t control things. I was in my first year of running LVLY when I had Gracie, so I felt so stressed that I was letting my LVLY team down.
I didn’t know how to balance everything; how to be a great mum, and at the same time how to be a present business owner. I put way too much pressure on myself to know it all and make it look easy.
In that respect, I feel like I didn’t really enjoy those early days with Gracie, unfortunately.
How do you manage the juggle when it comes to trying to do it all?
What I’ve come to realise is that you can’t have it all, all at once. You have to prioritise aspects of your life at certain times and be at peace that other things may suffer. You’ll kill yourself trying to do it all. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve always been very good at striving to maintain balance in my life, but I say strive because I still often fail.
I didn’t have great boundaries when I had young babies and a growing startup.
But throughout that whole period I would try to ensure I fitted in some exercise, even a light walk, seeing my kinesiologist, and doing my best to see family and friends.
What is the best thing about being a mum?
Those moments of pure awe and joy. They often creep up on you, those pure bliss moments when they are doing something cute or funny and you look at them and think, “wow, I am her/his mumma.” They are my favourites.
What is the biggest challenge you experienced when becoming a mum or whilst being a mum?
So many challenges. I would say there have been two main ones for me. Firstly, trying to make sure my kids didn’t repeat my patterns of limiting self-beliefs. I had a lot of anxiety as a young girl and into my adulthood. I’ve done a lot of work to understand it and manage it. When I see those small signs in my kids that they are heading in the same direction, I try to control things and help them solve it. But I know that I can’t. I just have to pull back, sit down, and be with them, telling them they are loved and safe. That has been a big learning curve for me.
The other challenge has been around learning that each child may need different parenting approaches.
Monty is a very sensitive little soul and has really struggled with emotional regulation. We moved house recently up north to NSW and he went downhill with anxiety very quickly. The transition we had to make to understand where he was at, how to help him, and still stay buoyant as parents (and humans!) was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do.
What surprised you the most when becoming a mum?
How love can expand. You wonder whether you’ll love this little being like you imagine you will. And it’s beyond that — it’s beyond the skies.
What do you wish you knew before becoming a mum?
I wish I had known that motherhood is a lot about surrender. My need for routine and control has stemmed from a long-held belief that I need to achieve to be loved. But motherhood isn’t like that – these little humans just need you to feel free to enjoy the moment with them.
If you could go back in time what would you tell yourself or others?
You can’t win at being a mum. You can’t over-engineer it to achieve mum goals. You have to surrender into the messy middle and understand that you can’t give from an empty cup. Easier said than done, I know.
Do you have any tips or tricks to manage the day-to-day juggle?
I used to think it was having a system for everything, having a plan and sticking to it. But I would say now that if you are open to plans not going to plan, you’ll be in a better headspace to enjoy the process.
One thing I’ve always stayed firm on is a bedtime routine and I believe that has helped us all, including the kids, to stay sane in the day-to-day chaos.
Also, if you have school-aged kids, we’ve actually built an app called Goldee that uses AI to summarise and schedule all of those pesky school emails and events, sporting fixtures and birthday party invites so that you never miss a beat.
How do you manage your time to fit in career, being a mum, relationships and time for you?
After having started LVLY from scratch and building it to a successful business that we sold, I can honestly say that whilst on the outside it looked like I juggled everything well, I really didn’t. Something always suffers.
This time around, as I started my new business Goldee, I changed my mindset and approach to the way I work. I try to understand my flow within a week and a month. Not every day has to look the same to still achieve great things. Flow is my new favourite word.
I find that I usually have two days a week that I’m really productive with the doing, and the other days are a mixture of mum-ing, taxi-ing, planning future family stuff, living in the moment with swims and surfing in the sea (the benefit of living on the coast!) whilst still checking emails, taking networking calls when I can, and having more space for the bigger ideas and strategy.
Who is in your village and you couldn’t live without?
My husband, Mike, is my rock. We work so well as a team and he’s my closest friend. My beautiful parents don’t live around the corner anymore, but I still call them often and know they’d be here at a drop of a hat if needed.
We also have two families who live nearby and we all rely on each other for things throughout the year – support, groceries, playdates, advice, friendship – we couldn’t live without them.
The 5 things in your bag you can’t leave home without:
- Ultra Violette Sheen Screen lip balm
- AirPods
- Malin + Goetz Dark Rum Perfume Oil
- I am Grounded espresso and peanut butter bar (great for last-minute energy needs!)
The trend you can’t get on board with?
Hipster jeans – too much water under that bridge!
What’s your latest brand discovery?
Amber Sceats jewellery.
Your favourite holiday spot?
I feel like there have been so many different answers to this over different phases of my life – when I was single, with Mike, then as a family with young kids… I would say Japan would be up there. We stayed in Kyoto and it was such a beautiful place. We first stayed there on our honeymoon.
Why do you love this place?
Kyoto has the right mix of culture, beauty, incredible food, not too crazy busy (like Tokyo), but still lots going on. Cherry blossom season is next-level beautiful as well!
What location is on top of your wish-list to travel to next?
Albanian coastline or Sumba
What is your favourite brand and why?
Hmm… I’ve always found saying favourite brands hard. I like different brands for different styles. I generally love Australian independent brands – Viktoria & Woods have beautiful elevated basics, Kinga Csilla has fun, gorgeous, sustainable fashion, Zulu & Zephyr and Maurie & Eve are great for coastal living, andSIR is fun for dressing up!
The trend you’re loving right now?
Lacey slips with baggy tees over the top – it’s fun and easy to wear.
Where do you do most of your fashion shopping?
Online. From time to time I’ll be in Sydney or Melbourne and do a little shopping-spree.
What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you?
Good sleep, sunshine, move my body, talk nicely to myself, go gently, nature, bare feet, good food, laughing, friends, family.
How do you keep your body moving?
Pilates, hot yoga, walking, weights, and surfing.
What are your non-negotiables when it comes to health and wellness?
Understand what your body is telling you so that you can give it what it needs. For too many years I just ignored my body’s signs and signals and ended up sick or depleted. Getting outside at least once a day. Sunshine on my face. Laughing and connection. Water, water, water. Read a book before bed – no phones!
What does the word ‘balance’ mean to you?
It means not doing anything to extremes. Try and find your equilibrium in everything you do to keep your mind, body, and spirit in a good place.
Can you tell us a little about LVLY?
We sold LVLY in 2022, so I’ve been out of the business for two and a half years now. But over the seven years I owned and ran it, the vision and purpose were always the same – to make people’s days. We just altered the tactics in the way we delivered on that vision over the years.
You and Hannah (LVLY partner) looked like you had a great partnership. What do you think made it work so well?
We did have a great partnership, we had very complementary skills and we understood how to build momentum quickly.
You both have to have a commitment to communication so you can stay on the same page, and the same vision and drive in you to make it happen.
And now you have, Goldee –
I now run Goldee, an AI personal assistant for busy families. We aim to help reduce the mental load for parents.
To find out more about Golden click here.
