Author Archives: Renee Veldman-Tentori

North Lakes Times article

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North Lakes Times 15Feb

Was exciting to be featured in today’s North Lakes Times today.  Love this photo with my girls.  Isabella being very cheeky!  We were inspired at the last Professional Parents meeting on the 7th February by Lisa Boyle of www.mypublicrelationsmentor.com and great to use her tips to share my story with the community.

Did you know you can read your local Quest newspaper online?

Click here for the read your local Quest newspaper online viewer.

Quest newspapers viewer

Share your story with your local paper and then come back and share it with the PP community!

Renee

Brisbane Business Brainstorming 7th February 2012

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DIY PR is a topic we were all really keen to hear about, with 28 mums and 1 dad (and lots of children) coming along to hear Lisa Boyle of MyPublicRelationsMentor.com talk to us about how to get press coverage for free.

I can start this post with a word of advice which I wish I’d taken myself.  Remember to back up your photos and hard drives.  I had some lovely photos taken on Tuesday, which I downloaded onto my hard drive on Wednesday.  I went to use them and back them up on Saturday  - and the drive has died.  Very upset!  I do have a couple from my iPhone.

Lisa gave us some great tips from her many years of experience and we went through a great worksheet she put together for us.  If you weren’t able to make it to the event, or were there and would like a copy, she’s kindly prepared to share a copy of it here:

PP handout How to start doing your own PR to promote your business

Obviously, Lisa is very good at what she does.  Within a week, three of our attendees at this event were in the media:

There was other media she pursued that hasn’t eventuated (yet!) which she is herself analysing in a blog post soon with additional tips on how to make this more successful.
We also heard from Cas McCullough, who drove a long way to be with us! (Thanks Cas).  She initiated “International Work At Home Persons Week” which is a great way to celebrate all the hard work of this important sector of our economy and communities.
International WAHP week
Overall, was a great morning with lots of useful information to help us all share our story with the media, some great networking, learning and sharing experiences.  The kids had fun in the kids corner.
kids corner

Thanks as always to our partners for supporting these events:

Here is a list of attendees so you can all check out each other’s websites and Facebook pages:

networking
We also discussed it can be useful to have a professional photo to be able to send along with press releases and Jess from Essence Images has made a great offer to Professional Parents: full usage of 2-3 headshots, fully edited, high resolution images with a 48 hour turnaround for $80.  Contact Jess  via jessica@essenceimages.com.au for more info.
Professional Parents currently meet fortnightly in Brisbane and monthly on the Sunshine Coast.  For more information on events, visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/professionalparents and click on “events” to rsvp, or email professionalparents@zestee.com.au for more information.  Renee Veldman-Tentori.

 

Brisbane mums celebrate International Work At Home Person week

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logos

Thanks to Lisa Boyle of MyPublicRelationsMentor.com for writing the press release below. Lisa is presenting on DIY PR at tomorrow’s Business Brainstorming session in North Brisbane.…

Three Brisbane mums with successful home-based businesses are this week celebrating their choice of workplace during the International Work At Home Person Week running 5 to 11 February 2012.

Renée Veldman-Tentori of Professional Parents networking group and Zestee social media, Kelly Burstow of Be A Fun Mum (blog) and Ngaire Stirling of BrisbaneKids.com.au have all chosen, or happened upon, work at home businesses to achieve a better work and life balance for their families.

“The old adage of keeping work and family separate is outdated and not always possible or desirable with so many working parents caring equally about family and career,” said Renée Veldman-Tentori.

“Working from home was firstly a necessity and is now my choice. I run the Professional Parents group and social media business Zestee from my home office. Professional Parents is a growing community made up of a majority of work at home people. I provide them with professional development and networking opportunities that are really relevant to this unique workforce sector.

“Travel time is one of the biggest savings for me working at home, as it means I have more precious moments to spend with my family when my work day ends and my children come home from daycare,” said Renée Veldman-Tentori.

Kelly Burstow says she didn’t mean to start a business or choose to work at home, but fell into it by accident when in 2009 she started writing the Be A Fun Mum blog about her experiences parenting her family of six.

“I love the flexibility of working from home, around my children. I am there for school drop off and pick up. Plus I have the satisfaction of generating my own income from my own sources – being self-made feels more satisfying to me than working in a large company,” said Kelly Burstow.

“The power of the internet and social media has really contributed to the explosion of parents who now work from home. All that’s needed is a skill, passion or idea, coupled with a little social media know-how and a lot of drive to create a product or service of value to others,” said Kelly Burstow.

Ngaire Stirling had a brief stint returning to work in a corporate office after the birth of her first child, before realising home is where she wanted and needed to be; and in 2010 she started BrisbaneKids.com.au which is a guide to child-friendly activities, places and more in Brisbane.

 

Brisbane mums celebrate international Work At Home Person week continued

“As a parent who works from home I’ve found being clear on my vision and passionate about what I do has carried me through the good and bad times to create my business, which also gives back to the wonderful community I am part of,” said Ngaire Stirling.

“Work at home parents are intelligent, worthy and capable of running successful, creative businesses – working at home gives us the opportunity to continue using our qualifications and experience,” said Ngaire Stirling.

These three home-based businesses have embraced social media with a combined 26,263 facebook ‘Likers’ and growing Twitter followings, and are now sought-after social media trainers.

They have also come together to support Professional Parents, aiming to use their knowledge to support other parents going through similar work-life balance issues they have experienced.

International Work At Home Person Week (iWAHP) is organised by Support a WAHP, an Australian-based international online community of more than 10,150 home based businesses; and supported by Family Capers, an interactive and supportive community network, promoting fun, encouraging the social aspects of life and even providing business support for families.

iWAHP Week is aimed at drawing attention to the contribution home-based businesses make to the economy and local communities.

Support a WAHP director Cas McCullough says, “Approximately 68 per cent of Australian and 66 per cent of US small businesses are home based and yet there is very little recognition and support for people who work from home”.

To find out more about the successes of Brisbane mums during International Work At Home Person week, contact:

Lisa Boyle, Inform Marketing and Public Relations, mobile 0417 169 045.

***Photo and interview opportunities available with all mums mentioned here.

 

Lisa Boyle: MyPublicRelationsMentor.com

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Lisa BoyleToday I have the pleasure of introducing Lisa Boyle of MyPublicRelationsMentor.com (and Inform Marketing and Public Relations).  Mum to three girls (aged 7, 5 and 1), I first met Lisa when she came along to a Professional Parents event last year.  It became clear very quickly that many of us who attend PP events are keen to learn how to obtain free media coverage for our business…and being Lisa’s area of expertise I have asked her to be the guest speaker on 7th February for our North Brisbane Business Brainstorming session.

Here’s my email interview with Lisa…

How long have you been in business?

I started Inform, my full-service marketing and public relations consultancy, in 2005 and planning MyPublicRelationsMentor.com since 2009 – launching the website in 2011.

How did you come to start your own business?

I wanted a better way to balance my family life (that is, raising children) with working at what I’m passionate about – marketing and public relations.

Description of “life before children”…

Life before children was all about my corporate job, professional development, inner-city living, going out a lot with friends, visiting family, and travel.  I gained a Bachelor of Business, with a major in Marketing (and Public Relations) from QUT.

How does this compare to “life after children?”

Life after children is now all about children, family, running my business, living in the suburbs, going to kids activities, and much more time with family.  I found the degree was useful in setting up my own business.

Approximately how many hours do you work each week?

This varies depending on workload, but generally I like to keep it to 21 hours per week.

Tips for family work balance:

Plan how you use your time as much as you can – that is, when you work, play with children, manage your house, etc. Be flexible.

What is one of your favourite services that your business offers?

My favourite service is identifying marketing and PR opportunities for other businesses.

What was one of the most unexpected things about becoming a parent?

How much I love my children and how much fun we have together.

What was one of the most unexpected things about starting a business?

The amount of work I have got through word of mouth.

What is one of your greatest wishes for your children?

That they are healthy and happy.

And for your business?

To earn a reasonable income from helping others to promote their businesses and achieve success.

A recent moment you are most proud of?

Creating the website for MyPublicRelationsMentor.com which is the online arm of my consulting business Inform Marketing and Public Relations.

A recent challenge?

Achieving the balance between family and work.

Any advise to others in business?

Stay focused, plan it, do it.

A favourite resource?

It’s hard to pin-point one favourite, but in the past few days I have just started following SuziDafnis on twitter and I’m really enjoying her tweets (which usually link to an article on her website).

Is your partner supportive of your business?

Yes, my husband and partner are supportive of my business, although when I have a big project on and my kids see all the publicity and marketing collateral of my clients they start to complain that ‘it’s everywhere’.

Some favourite Professional Parents businesses?

My favourite PP businesses are Professional Parents itself, Be a fun mum and Brisbane Kids.

Describe your office:

My office looks out over my backyard and I can hear the birds chirping, but it really needs to be tidied up.

What do you love about being in business?

The freedom, flexibility and intellectual stimulation.

What do you think is a myth about being in business?

I think a big myth about being a working parent in business is that it is easy (or maybe I was the only one thinking that).

Thanks Lisa!  Looking forward to your PR tips on Tuesday.  You can also find Lisa on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MyPublicRelationsMentor.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/my_PR_mentor

Open Universities Australia article

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Was exciting to see an article in the Courier Mail Qweekend magazine today featuring my story of study towards my Bachelor of Business.  For more information about studying through Open Universities you can visit www.open.edu.au/ouaforall or phone them on 1300 799 241.

There is also an interview on the Today show which ran on the 4th January with CEO of Open Universities, Stuart Hamilton and where my photo was featured for a few seconds.

You’re also most welcome to contact me if you’d like to hear more about my experiences – overall I’d highly recommend it.  Click on the photo for a larger version.

Open Universities Courier Mil

Love to hear of other’s experiences studying, especially combining that with raising a family.

 

Leanne Francia: Sunshine Coast Kid’s Club

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Leanne FranciaIt’s my pleasure to introduct  Leanne Francia, owner of Sunshine Coast Kid’s Club and her two beautiful daughters, Olivia (10) and Audrey (9).

Leanne and I have both been in the same Sunshine Coast Mastermind group for around a year now but due to us both having other commitments and not able to attend on the same days it wasn’t until recently that we finally met face to face.  I immediately loved her intelligence, energy, openness and obvious desire to support and bring joy to children and other adults.

I’m very excited to be working with Leanne to create programmes to offer those attending the Sunshine Coast Professional Parents events and will share more details soon.  The things she has planned sound like so much fun!  Meanwhile here’s an opportunity to get to know Leanne a little better…

Her description of how she came to start the Sunshine Coast Kid’s Club:

This is my own business that I started in 2010.  After unexpectedly becoming a single parent a few years ago I found it a challenge to find work that had the flexibility I now needed in order to care for my daughters on my own.  I needed a business that gave me the option of bringing my children to work with me. I also wanted to create the support and flexibility for others who are caring for children in being able to network with each other whether in business or as parents, or just to all get out and enjoy family friendly events and outings together. And so the Sunshine Coast’s first mobile Kid’s Club was born. I work closely with local businesses, professional groups, shopping centres and families to create family friendly events that become ‘memorable and not just a memory.”

 What was life like “before children”?

I studied towards  an Associate Degree in Law, Mortgage Broker Licence, Real Estate Principal’s Licence and was mainly involved in real estate, buying, building, renovating and developing property.  I also set up and managed a Conveyancing Practice in NSW.

 And life “after children?”

Irrecognisable from life before children!  Apart from starting the Sunshine Coast Kid’s Club, I have been a Life Coach with Australian Depression Institute and am currently studying a Psychology Degree full time at University of the Sunshine Coast.

One of the most unexpected things about being a parent?

That I would be a single parent.

Any tips for family work balance?

Firstly whatever time it is you have with your children if it is 2 minutes or 2 hours make it quality time. Get down on the floor and be in their world with them and have fun enjoying the moment. Secondly laugh often.

One of the most unexpected things about starting a business?

The high quality of people and relationships that would be built through the experience.

Greatest wish for your children?

That they will always be supported with wisdom, love and joy as they grow and create their own life journey.

Greatest wish for your business?

To bring joy to every child that attends events I am involved in.

A moment you’re most proud of in the last few months?

I got my motorcycle licence and went for my first trail bike ride in the bush and stayed on the whole time!

One of your biggest recent challenges?

Find a routine and my feet with my studies at University.

Advice for those starting out in business?

Seek out a mentor, check in with them regularly and be accountable to them with your business plan.

A favourite resource to share?

“Women Who Run with the Wolves” – Clarissa Pinkola Estees.

What’s your office like?

Mobile – wherever the children and events are – and there is a small space in my lounge room (although that space is probably just as mobile in our little home)!

A typical day for you…

Does not exist.

What do you love about being in business?

Learning and growth that comes from creating and seeing what works and what doesn’t.

What have you found to be a myth about being in business?

That you can do it alone.

One of your favourite services that your business offers?

Has probably been the Italian pizza and craft nights. The children make their own pizzas and while they are cooking we do some Italian craft together. Mum or dad get to enjoy a drink and conversation and everyone goes home having had fun and with a full tummy.

Sunshine Coast Kids Club Logo

A huge happy birthday to Leanne, she just turned 40 last week…and as us mums know you don’t always get to celebrate as planned.  Leanne had received a great gift to be up in a hot air balloon for her birthday but instead was at home in quarantine as one of her daughters came down with chicken pox.  She faced it as a wonderful mum though and I am sure she’ll be soaring high very soon – both physically and metaphorically!

Emma Monro: The WAHM Weekly

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Emma MonroBefore Christmas, I had a lovely phone conversation with  Emma Monro who had recently launched The WAHM Weekly (it’s now 3 months old).  She has an exciting programme of weekly Webinars on a Friday evening to help other WAHMs (Work At Home Mums) network, learn and achieve.  She’s Brisbane-based and pictured here with daughter, Ruby, 18 months.

Emma explains how she started her own business:

After consulting with ‘normal’ business’ for so long, I missed the events, networking and educational opportunities that I once had access to. I also know how important it is to do these activities on a regular basis. And so I created The WAHM Weekly in September 2011. I am passionate about bringing Live Web Events which will inspire, educate and help you build your business.

A brief description of life before children:

I continue to run my property business from BC.  I was also a Business Consultant with Bartercard for 10 years.

How does this compare to life “after children”:

A lot more peaceful with the same amount of excitement and passion for small business.

Approximately how many hours a week do you work?

25 hours

A tip for family work balance:

Use a goal board to plan your activity.  Have it in an easily viewed place where the whole family can have imput and use it to inspire each other.

What was one of the most unexpected things about becoming a parent?

The amount of day sleep they had and how much I miss the freedom of the day sleeps now they are diminishing.

What is a moment you have been proud of in the last few months?

The fantastic feedback I have received about every one of the web events I have hosted.

What is one of your biggest challenges of the last few months?

Working on my marriage while starting a new business and having a husband who works 80+ hours a week (as a lawyer)

What advice can you give others just starting out in business?

Be action orientated and ignore the fear

Please share one of your favourite resources

The E-Myth, by Michael E Gerber

Describe your office

We are doing a full house renovation at the moment, so I have nailed a piece of board next to the temporary kitchen.

Share a typical day (if you have one?)

4am start, work for 2 hours, breakfast with the family.  Play/house stuff.  Ruby sleep, work while she is asleep.  If I get my list of things done, I will have a nap too.  Play/house stuff.  Bed for Ruby.  Dinner.  Relax time.  Bed/read.

 What do you love most about being in business?

Freedom

What do you think is a myth about being in business? 

That it is all about ‘doing coffee’ and swanning about in Lorna Jane gear.

Does your child go to daycare?

Not yet, we are on a waitlist.  Soon for 3 days a week.

The WAHM weekly

You can try out the Web Events for WAHMs for just $2 for the first month by signing up here.  Then it’s $15 per month, a reasonable fee to support the wonderful work that Emma puts into organising these online events.  If you miss the actual event you can watch the archives.

You can also Follow The WAHM Weekly on Facebook.

A huge thanks to Emma for sharing, I’ve been impressed by how much she’s achieved in a short time – now I can see that getting up at 4am is one of the sacrifices to do that!

Renee Veldman-Tentori, Professional Parents, visit our website or join our Facebook page.

North Road Shopping, Brighton

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Just home from a lovely shopping experience.  Yesterday I was at Westfield Chermside.  It was chaos.  I came home stressed and with a headache.  Today I shopped at North Road, Brighton (North Brisbane).  Came home happy!  It’s a lovely little shopping strip, with unique products at a great price.  I also love that each of the shops below are run by mums, creating their own family work balance.  Can you tell I’m on holidays?  I’ve had time to write TWO articles today!  (The first is a recipe for mini Christmas puddings if you missed it).

Appleseed Lane Boutique

Appleseed Lane Boutique

First I visited a friend of mine, Kavala, in the beautiful Appleseed Lane Boutique.  This  store opened in September and is filled with gorgeous things for families.  Great to see products stocked there from another friend, Warwick of Echinda Krafts – you can read this post on on Warwick I wrote last year.  I found a chalk pen to help with my organising….they have been selling fast today apparently!  Lots of other beautiful products to browse as well and several on my wish list.  Visit today (22Dec) or tomorrow (23Dec) for 20% off storewide and 40% off the sale rack.  Kavala and Jenna aim for family work balance by working alternate days.  You can find them at shop 1, 11 north Road, Brighton.  Visit the Appleseed Lane Boutique Facebook page for more information and photos of products.

Willow Gifts

I met Kathleen from Willow Gifts &  when she bought Kavala some delicious-looking quiche for lunch from her shop a few doors down.  I love that kind of community feel where “neighbours” look out for each other.  I’d peeked through the window of this eclectic store a few weeks ago when it was closed.  Today I really enjoyed going in and browsing the really unique range of clothes, jewellery, gifts and more.  Tucked into the corner is a small cafe and there were some “regulars” visiting.  Today (22nd Dec) and tomorrow (23 Dec) is an amazing 50% off storewide, including new stock.  I ended up buying a beautiful bright orange dress just like the one Kathleen has on for only $25.

Willow Gifts 2

What I enjoyed about the shopping experience here was the atmosphere.  There were some “regulars” in the store having a coffee, and other customers from the local daycare centre in for a chat while they bought Christmas presents.  I then learnt myself of the great family work balance story, so asked Kathleen if I could take some photos to write this article.  I had noticed a lovely lady doing crochet out the front of the store next to a pram and assumed she was a grandmother out for a walk…but discovered the story was even more interesting.

Kathleen had been trying for a baby for many years and in her own words “gave up”.  Then Phoenix came along!  He was welcomed to the world a few months ago and Kathleen was wondering how she could manage the shop with a new baby.  She just works Thursdays and Fridays (like Kavala & Jenna sharing days) so she and cousin, Lisa, can work around their families.  This local lady (whose name I didn’t remember!) was a regular customer and a retired nurse – and offered to come and mind Phoenix during December.  In January Kathleen will be on holidays so can care for him and after that he will be old enough to go to daycare a couple of days a week.  I just always find it so interesting and inspiring to hear how mums (and dads) find ways to juggle and come up with unique solutions to find their own family work balance.  Baby Phoenix was quite happy napping in the pram while mum works.  You can find more information about Willow Gifts on their Facebook page.

Willow Gifts

There is also another store opening in this same shopping strip, run by inspiring Professional Parent Katrina, who started in North Lakes and great to see her success this year as she won Quest Business awards.  So in 2012 Brighton will now boast a Petite Princess Parlour to add to this lovely street, can’t wait until my girls are old enough to have a party!

So what made me so happy about this shopping experience was talking to lovely people, getting beautiful products at great prices and supporting local business.  Definitely something we should all try and do not just at Christmas but all year round!  It’s also nice to know how many out there are balancing family and work – which isn’t always easy but as all these business owners show, it is possible, especially if we all support each other.

Renee Veldman

 

Mini Christmas Puddings

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Mini Christmas PuddingsThis is another in the series of posts of super easy recipes for busy parents!  You may also like to check out very easy Toblerone Cheesecake and Chocolate Snowballs.

I first saw these Mini Christmas Puddings at a playgroup a few years ago.  They looked impressive and once I found out how easy they were, I’ve been making them at Christmas ever since!  This year my two girls also helped.  There are a lot of versions out there, these are my own personal twist.  The way I like to cook is to throw in approximate measures, so I need recipes which can cope with this and still turn out well!  This seems to be one, so you can take all measures below as approximate.

Ingredients

  • 1 store bought fruit cake (I use the Aldi 800g light version)
  • 3 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 150g dark chocolate melts
  • 150g white chocolate melts
  • Red & Green lollies (such as raspberries & mint leaves)

Mini Christmas Puddings 21.  Crumble the fruit cake into a bowl (Miss 2 enjoyed bashing it with a wooden spoon!)

2.  Add around 3 tablespoons of apricot jam (Miss 4 was rather flexible with this, adding very heaped tablespoons)

Mini Christmas Puddings 33.  Melt the dark chocolate melts in the microwave proof bowl for around 1 minute on high, stirring half way through.

4.  Add melted chocolate to mixture and combine.  If you are making an adult version you could also add some brandy.

Mini Christmas Puddings 45.  Roll about a tablespoon of mixture into a ball.  If this is difficult, you can put the mixture into the fridge for 10 minutes to make it more firm.  Miss 4 really enjoyed this step and did quite a good job (all those years of practicing with play dough no doubt!)

6.  Cut up pieces of red & green lollies to represent leaves & holly berries.  Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (again about a minute on high, stirring half way through).  Drizzle this on top of each mini pudding.  (Again depending on the consistency of your puddings, you might like to put them in the fridge for a while first to make them firmer).  Before the white chocolate dries, press in the lollies.  (Though I learnt if you were too late, you could add another little dab of melted chocolate!).

Mini Christmas Puddings 57. Store in the fridge….not sure how long they last in terms of “best before” because they have never lasted more than a couple of days once I have made them!  I put them in a nice Christmas tin alongside Chocolate Snowballs as a gift for the daycare staff, and stuck a little thank you note inside the tin lid.

I also made some smaller packs by wrapping some small pieces of cardboard in aluminium foil and topping it off with glad wrap, ribbon and a christmas message.

Mini Christmas Puddings 7

Last year I saved some egg cartons and bought some mini cupcake papers:

Mini Christmas puddings 8

8.  Enjoy!

Wishing you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a very happy and healthy 2012.

Renee :)

 

Chocolate Snowballs

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Super easy Christmas cooking that you can make with the kids.  If you’ve read my previous posts such as my very easy Toblerone Cheesecake recipe, you’ll know that as a busy mum trying to balance family and work, I’m excited to find recipes that are really easy…but still impressive!  Here is a favourite I make each year, along with mini Christmas puddings (that recipe coming next).

Ingredients:

  • 9 Weet Bix
  • 1 cup dessicated coconut
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 395g tin condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • Extra coconut for rolling (approx half a cup)

1.  Put the 9 Weet Bix into a bowl and crush (kids love this bit)

Chocolate Snowballs 12.   Add one cup of dessicated coconut and mix…also quite kid friendly…if you don’t mind bits of weetbix and coconut being flung in various directions!  At least it’s easier to clean up than the soaked in milk breakfast weetbix that seems to turn into concrete consistency if you miss any…

Chocolate Snowballs 23.  Put the condensed milk, cocoa and golden syrup in a saucepan and heat (do not boil)

Chocolate Snowballs 3Chocolate Snowballs 4

4.  Mix everything together

Chocolate Snowballs 65.  Roll into balls.  Y.ou may like to put the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to make this easier as the mixture is then a little more firm.  You can also add some extra crushed weetbix or coconut if it’s not quite the right consistency.

Chocolate Snowballs 7In previous years I rolled individual balls into coconut on a plate – this year I found an even quicker, easier option but dropping a few into a bowl with coconut and simply tossing a little until coated.

6.  Eat and enjoy a few along the way….and the rest you can package up for friends, family, teachers or colleagues.  They look great alongside the mini Christmas puddings.  Here I’ve wrapped some cardboard in aluminium foil and topped with glad wrap and a ribbon.

Chocolate Snowballs 8Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!  Love to hear how you go with these….

Renee Veldman-Tentori

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