Author Archives: Renee Veldman-Tentori

Why come to a Professional Parents event?

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Here are some of the reasons our participants have given for coming along to our events, and we’re really pleased with the feedback that these goals have been achieved (taken from feedback & registration forms:

  • Networking
  • Giving & receiving new ideas
  • Meeting Like Minded people
  • Chat to mums who are also juggling a number of commitments to learn from them
  • Help develop my business
  • Learn something new
  • Meet new friends
  • Get the word out about my business
  • Find out some interesting ideas
  • Learn more marketing strategies
  • Learn how to make better use of my time
  • Maintain momentum during the low periods
  • Understand what others are doing to be successful
  • Set up business alliances
  • Get to know other businesses services/products
  • Set up a package to promote 3-4 businesses in 1 promo
  • Brand awareness
  • Make more sales
  • Listen to others start up experience

Here are some of the topics of interest which have either been covered formally with guest speakers and brainstorming sessions or more informally through discussion with others with experience in these areas who attend:

  • SEO
  • Multiculturalism
  • Free Marketing
  • Competition
  • Brainstorming
  • Capitalising on traffic
  • Introducting a product
  • Marketing
  • Newsletters
  • Promoting Business
  • Referrals
  • Finding life/work balance
  • Creating a community atmosphere in business
  • Quest easy healthy meals for on the go execs
  • How people are using social media & how to start
  • Using Twitter
  • Facebook rules & changes
  • Website development
  • Advertising
  • Blogging Tips for business
  • Wholesaling

Your feedback is also most welcome, please email professionalparents@zestee.com.au

Business Brainstorming Brisbane 17 April 2012

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PP Brisbane 17 AprilAnother wonderful turn out for this month’s event, thanks to all who came.

Guest speaker was Michelle Lember from Lember And Williams Law who spoke to us about IP Law for Small Business.  She talked about Names, Trademarks and Intellectual Property, Asset Protection, Copyright and more.  This was a very relevant topic for many of us and there were a lot of questions that Michelle was able to help us with.  She also shared with us that legal advice can be more accessible and affordable for Professional Parents through organisations such as the Moreton Bay Regional Enterprise Centre.

We also were lucky to have Magic Sam come to entertain the adults and children alike.  He showed us a great trick before keeping the kids busy for a half hour (thanks!).  There was a very special guest as well – his bunny, Bugsy, was a bit hit, he was super soft!  If you book a children’s birthday party with Magic Sam, they can have a photo with Bugsy, very popular.

Sam and Bugsy

Also thanks to Mango Hill Tavern for their ongoing support, it’s a very family-friendly location.  Make sure you visit and like the Mango Hill Tavern Facebook page for news of upcoming events.

Here is a list of the attendees so you can all connect with each other:

JJ Alice Renee

You can see all the photos from this event in the Professional Parents Brisbane photo album.

Professional Parents Brisbane events are held monthly and all are welcome.  Next event is on Tuesday May 15th from 10am-11.30am and will be a “speed networking” event.  Just $10 for a fun, friendly and informative morning.  Children and babies can come along too.  You can find out full details and RSVP via the Professional Parents Brisbane Facebook page.  Renee.

If you came along to this event, it would be wonderful if you could take a minute or two to comment below!

Michelle Lember – Lember and Williams Lawyers

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Michelle Lember

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Lember through networking events and am very pleased she’s agreed to share her expertise with us at the next Professional Parents event on Tuesday 17th April.  She particularly enjoys working with intellectual property and franchising so we will be able to have her answer some of our questions in this area.

Michelle is 35 years old and a lawyer/partner in Lember and Williams Lawyers which has offices in Caboolture and Maleny.  She lives in North Lakes and has two children – Declan is in grade 2 and Carah in grade 1.

Michelle Lember and kids

Before becoming a mum, Michelle says that nothing needed to be done in a hurry, less planning was required and spontaneity was a part of her life.  Now, spontaneity involves the kids and lots of planning and organising is required to keep up with work, plus extras plus school stuff (homework, readers, library books, projects, show and tell etc) and to get free to go to parades and concerts and sports days

Michelle has a really impressive list of qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Economics
  • Bachelor of Law
  • Bachelor of Business Management
  • Masters of Commercial Law
  • Certificates of International Law (Marquette University, Wisconsin, USA)
  • Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia
  • Member – Qld Law Society
  • Member – Australian Family Law Practitioners Association
  • Vice President – Commerce Caboolture
  • Board Member – Regional Development Australia – Moreton Bay
  • Board Member – Abbey Museum
  • Secretary – LNP Murrumba Branch
  • Coach – North Lakes Mustangs Under 8s Blue J

I loved Michelle’s response to the question:

Do you find these qualifications/training still relevant now you’ve become a parent?

Yes – for negotiating deals and plea bargains with the kids! They actually say to me now “Mum, lets do a deal”

She certainly works hard with regular weeks requiring about 40 hours in the office with about another 10-15 at home.  Her husband is a butcher by trade, but now employed as a wholesale manager.  He is supportive of her business but can get frustrated with the hours but they work out school pick up and drop off between them – Michelle does  drop off and her husband picks up (he starts work at 2am).  ”We are lucky in that regard to not have to pay for care which is prohibitively expensive and one of my bug-bears”.

Here’s a “typical day” for Michelle:

  • Logging in from home early morning to deal with emails or dictate work
  • School drop off
  • Office work – documents, phone calls, meetings with clients, letters, research
  • Court work
  • Home 5.30-6.30pm
  • Some evening meetings such as Chamber of Commerce

With a converted worker’s cottage as an office, she feels it’s not particularly space efficient but has a homely feel.  It’s also family-friendly with no impositions on staff’s out of hours time, no need for apologies of making it up if kids are sick.

Something Michelle loves about her work is the freedom to be at sports days and easter hat parades and not have to ask for leave or apologise for being out of the office.  She also likes to set an example to her childre re the need to have goals and work hard towards them. They don’t consider that they is anything they can’t do.

Here’s a few more questions I asked Michelle in this email interview:

How did you come to run your own business?

I worked for a practice as an employed solicitor for 2 years, then purchased the interest of Gail Maskiell upon her retirement

What surprised you about becoming a parent?

  • Working mother’s guilt
  • Reliance upon grandparents
  • The friendship between you and your children

Anything unexpected about running a business?

  • Isolation.
  • Battling mis-perceptions (of wealth, that things are easy for you etc etc).

Greatest wishes for your children and business?

Success would mean getting both to a point where they want me a round but no longer need me.

Recent moments you are most proud of?

  • Five Star Dance Academy Opening
  • Family Law results – child safety matters

Biggest challenges?

Work-life balance especially when under-staffed at work

What do you think is a myth about being a working parent?

That you are lazy/not ambitious/not serious about your career if you are a working parent, or conversely that you aren’t maternal if you work after you have had children (yes I have been accused of all of the above!)

Advice to those starting out in business?

Don’t do it because you think it will be easier than employed work.  It wont be.  That doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be worth it in a qualitative sense.

 Some of your favourite resources:

Some favourite Professional Parents businesses or organisations?

And finally, do you have some tips for work family balance?

  • Mobile phone to silent when you get home – especially if you receive emails to it. If you need to work from home try to go it after the kids have gone to bed, or in the morning before they get up.
  • Don’t get into the habit of being available 24/7 and promising amazing deadlines.
  • The house can be cleaned later.
A huge thank you to Michelle not just for her time in taking part in this interview but offering to come along to our Professional Parents event next Tuesday 17th April.   You can RSVP via the Facebook “events” tab on the Professional Parents Brisbane Facebook page.  In the 2 years since I started Professional Parents, I’ve heard several stories of issues with IP and Trademarking and this is an area many of us would like to know more about.  Come along to hear a short presentation by Michelle and ask her some questions.
Lember and Williams Logo
You can also find out more about Michelle’s business here:
  • Lember and Williams website: a professional team of lawyers and solicitors covering areas such as Family Law, Employment and Workplace Law, Intellectual Property and Trademarks, Wills and Estates, Conveyancing and Property Law and more
  • Lember and Williams Facebook page: come and interact here with the team and find some tips and photos
Renee Veldman-Tentori
www.professionalparents.com.au

Redcliffe Festival of Sails

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What a lovely way to spend Good Friday.  This is the third time we’ve gone to the Festival of Sails in Redcliffe and it’s always a smorgasbord of colour.  Yes, also big crowds which can be difficult with young children, but found taking a few deep breaths, keeping patient and having a supply of drinks and snacks on hand helps.  Here is Sophia checking out the programme…

Festival of Sails Programme

As you can see…plenty to do.  We arrived about 9.30am and stayed until 12.

Love watching the colourful kites:

colourful kites

Talked to two young guys (aged 12 & 13) who had buried an exercise ball in the sand and were doing flips by running and bouncing off the ball…wonderful to watch.

Exercise ball flips

There were roving entertainers – we also saw this beautiful bubble-blowing mermaid last year too walking around on stilts:

stilt mermaid

A tug-of-war was waged on the beach:

tug of war

And there was some amazing sand art (I later saw photos of this dragon with fire burning in his nose!)

Sand Art

sand castle

Here is a 360 video view

The highlight of the morning was the skydiving Easter Bunny.  The girls waited patiently for almost 45 minutes (as he ended up coming around a half hour later than scheduled) which is a long time for a 2 & 4 year old but they enjoyed the atmosphere and it was worth the wait.

skydiving easter bunny

And a video of the flying bunny:

A big thank you to the Moreton Bay Regional Council Events Department for putting on such a well run event.  Gorgeous weather and a lovely start to the Easter weekend.

If you’d like to see more photos of the day, you can visit my Festival of Sails Facebook Photo Album (around 50 photos) or the extended Google + Festival of Sails Photo album (around 130 photos).

Wendy Tadokoro – Organising Works!

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Wendy Organising WorksToday I’d like to introduce Wendy Tadokoro of Organising Works!, a business which she has run for getting close to 2 years.  Based in North Brisbane, Wendy is mum to Ethan (10) and May (7) and her husband works as an airline pilot.  Her office is “a little small but organised” (of course!)

I knew when I first met Wendy and heard about her business, it was something very relevant to me and most parents in business…who couldn’t use a little help in organising their houses and lives!

Here is my email interview with Wendy:

How did you come to start your own business?

Always had a burning desire to work for myself and to enjoy working.  Decided that after 10 years out of the paid workforce that I didn’t want to struggle trying to manage work and family life.  Chose to work my own hours and control my time.  Loved setting up systems to my own life easier and decided to help other to achieve this.

What was your life like before children?

Much more freedom, more time for myself but not as much fulfillment.

Compared to life after children?

Hectic, a lot less structured but I wouldn’t change a thing.

What are your days like?

Make school lunches and breakfast, drop kids at school, put on washing, work on the computer for a few hours, grab a quick bite to eat, hang out washing, work a few more hours, pick up kids from school, make afternoon tea, answer emails, cook dinner, get kids into bed, more emails, read then fall into bed.

How many hours a week do you work?

Too many but I love what I do, probably around 30 hours on my business and of course all the unpaid family work!

Tips for work family balance?

Spend time on the things that do make a difference and learn to let go of all the small insignificant stuff in our lives that gets in the way of the bigger picture.

Some of your favourite products?

ScanSnap Scanner, QuickVue files, my laptop, small plastic containers and small sticky notes as page markers

Any professional qualifications?

Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment.

Are these still relevant in your own business?

Not really, nobody asked for qualifications – more so experience.

Something unexpected about becoming a parent?

The sheer amount of  never ending things that have to be done.

Something unexpected about starting a business?

The effectiveness of networking.

Greatest wishes for your children…and your business?

To pursue what they really love to do in life and do it well.  To continue to do the work that I enjoy the most and derive an income.

A recent moment you’re proud of?

Getting an editorial in the local newspaper.

A recent challenge?

To get the right help for my website.

Advice for others starting out in business?

Network with like minded people.

(Note – Wendy is co-founder of a great networking group in Brisbane Northside called B2BB - Business to Business Brisbane Networking.)

A favourite resource?

Evernote

What do you love about being in business?

Having another focus and being able to think creatively rather just always being focused on family.

Have you uncovered any myths about being in business?

You can’t be superwoman but you can be good at something – and that’s enough.

organising works

Would you like to know how Wendy can help you become more organised?  You can connect with her via the Organising Works! Facebook page or visit the Organising Works! Website.

She is offering Professional Parents readers a complimentary consultation for one hour to discuss and identify your organisational needs if you contact her before the end of April (terms and conditions apply).

Thanks Wendy!

Renee Veldman-Tentori

www.professionalparents.com.au

 

Alli Price – Motivating Mum

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Alli PriceAlli Price has got her business name down pat…she really is a Motivating Mum.  Though I’ve only had the pleasure of talking to her once or twice on the phone before, and have had a lot less time that I would like available to engage with the Motivating Mum Facebook page and website, through what I have seen, I have found Alli an inspiration and look forward to getting to know her better.

A certified professional life coach (ahhh now I understand the great inspiration!), she’s based in Melbourne, pictured here with her cute girls Amelie, 5 and Freya, 1 (nearly 2) and has run her business for 5 years.

How did you come to start your own business?

I was sitting at home one day on my own, looking after bub and trying to run my coaching business. It was so lonely and a little depressing so I decided to start the Businessmums’ Networking Lunches – in an attempt to get out and get some intelligent conversation and also expand my network. It turned out there were a lot of mums at home feeling just as I was!

What was life like “before children”?

Never out of bed before ten, worked as a waitress, living in London and travelled the world at will, stayed out late and saw loads of friends!

Compared with life “after children?”

Still try to stay in bed as late as possible but am losing that battle, still up late (usually 12am) but it’s because I’m typing like a maniac. Have never worked so hard and so constantly in my life. Furthest I get from home are the playgrounds but am finding my fulfillment in my beautiful girls (well, most of the time) and running a business where I get to feel amazing every day as I’m helping people.

Do you find your previous qualifications relevant to your life now?

I find the qualifications so relevant as my coaching course taught me so many amazing coping techniques, taught me how to listen and ask great questions and also challenged me to work out what was most important to me.

How many hours a week do you work?

Every single second I’m not looking after kids, doing housework – easily 30 – 40 a week

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

How natural I would be at it. I was never maternal and had no experience with young kids (aside from a little babysitting) so I was quite happy at how well I eased in to it.

Did anything surprise you about starting a business?

Just how much I would love it – there is nothing else I would rather be doing in the world!

What are your greatest wishes for your children and your business?

My greatest wish for my children is that they follow their hearts and lead adventurous and fantastical lives. My greatest wish for my business is that it continues to grow (possibly to other countries in addition to Oz and the UK) so that I can continue helping mums everywhere.

A recent moment you are most proud of?

Selling out my Mummy Mentoring Festival (where high profile women in business donate phone mentoring sessions for regular mums to buy) in 4 hours and making $1 200 for a new charity, Support for Mums.

A challenge you are tackling?

Slowing down. I am very spontaneous and if I have what I feel is a great idea, I will have it implemented in days. I have been trying to slow down and schedule implementation of these ideas to ensure I don’t burn out!

Advice for others starting out in business?

Starting a business is not a quick fix if you need to make money quickly, it can take a long time to start earning. Read as much as you can – blogs, newsletters, articles – try and learn one thing a day. Before starting in social media, Google the etiquette of how to interact.

What is one of your favourite resources?

I love the workbook The Artists Way – it is amazing if you’re trying to work out what you want to do with life, encouraging your creativity and also for just stopping and appreciating life while it speeds by.

What type of work does your partner do?

He’s a kids soccer coach.

Is your partner & family supportive of your business?

My boyfriend is fabulously supportive and very interested in what I do. Even my 5 year old daughter talks about what I do and answers the phone for me.

Can you share a favourite Professional Parents business?

Picking a business is like picking a fave child – can’t be done!

Describe your office…

I have a desk nestled in a huge window in the lounge room which makes it lovely, light and bright. I am looking forward to the day I can have all my things on my desk and a plant but my 2 year old jut pulls everything down so it’s pretty sparse.

Describe a typical day…

Working from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed: breakfast, oldest to school, depending on the day a mix of housework, lunch, sending emails, looking after bubs, school pick up, dinner, bath, bed, back to the computer while watching TV and then bed about 12am!

What do you love most about being in business?

I love being able to be home for my kids, take them to activities, hear their stories. I also love the opportunity to build something that is mine, to be creative, to continually learn. I also love being able to build something that helps people who need it, as opposed to working and making money for a big company that already has more than enough money.

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

A myth about mums in business that constantly annoys me is that we’re all home making bibs. People constantly underestimate the experience, skill, intelligence, creativity and passion that mums in biz possess.

Do your children go to school/daycare/childminding?

My 5 year old is in preps (am still getting used to the new routine) and my 2 year old is in Nursery 2 days a week – yays!

motivating mum logo

One of the many great support services Motivating Mum offers is a phone mentoring session with established mums in business for a really affordable $28 for 30 min.  Alli has brought together a really impressive list of Business Mentors with a wide range of skills: www.motivatingmum.com/mentoring-mum

Thank so much for your time Alli.  Make sure you check out the wonderful Motivating Mum website and Motivating Mum Facebook page.  Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Carly Tribe who is working alongside Alli to provide Motivating Mum Brisbane events.

Renee Veldman-Tentori

www.professionalparents.com.au

 

Dana Flannery: Talk About Creative

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Creative Director Dana FlanneryI’d like to introduce Dana Flannery from Talk About Creative.  Based in Brighton, North Brisbane, she balances business around raising son Jack (2).

How did you come to start your business?

The business started itself.  I have been a passenger fro two years, I am just starting to take control of it now!  Pregnancy complications meant I had to stop working at about 5 months, rather than go back to work when my bub was only 8 months old, I decided to quit.  One former client approached me to do some work and before I knew it, I had dozens of clients.FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/talkaboutcreative

Brief description of “life before children”

Fabulous.  Senior Creative Writer at a radio station, plenty of events and excitement.  Prior to there, I worked at the BBC in London and travelled for five or so years.

How does this compare to your life now?

It can’t.  It doesn’t even come close to how great my life is now.

How many hours a week do you work?

Far too many.

Do you have any tips for work family balance?

I’m the wrong person to ask, I am a total workaholic.

Business structure?

When I get around to it, it will become either a trust or a private company – for now it’s a sole trader.

What are one or two of your favourite services that you offer?

SEO Copywriting is my favourite business activity, I like keyword research too.

Any professional qualifications or training?

B Arts in writing and literature.  A handful of others – Small Business Management, Marketing, Music Business, Administration and a Marriage Celebrant’s license

Are these relevant to your life now?

Not sure they were ever relevant – they were just a tool for acquiring employment.

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

That the unexpected should have been expected…  My whole world changed for the better. Again.  I am always surprised when I land on my feet after a big life changing decision because I’m always better off .   I should just have more faith that everything always works out

One of the most unexpected things about starting a business?

Starting a business.  It just kind of happened.

One of your greatest wishes for your son?  And your business?

For each to successfully take care of itself some day….

A recent moment you are most proud of? 

Proud of my boy everyday

A recent challenge?

Time management.

Advice for others starting out in business?

Love what you do, makes it so much easier.

One of your favourite resources:

www.seomoz.org

What kind of work does your partner do?

Risk and Compliance Trainer

Is your partner & family supportive of your business?

Very

One of your favourite Professional Parents businesses:

Dolly Vardens

Describe your office:

Shambles

What is a typical day for you (if you have one?)

5am up and care for child

12.00 child goes to bed, I work

4:00 child gets up, I care for child

7pm child goes to bed, I work

10pm bed.

 What do you love about being in business?

Just about everything.

Anything you’ve found to be a myth about being in business?

It’s easy to not have a boss.

Does your son go to daycare or cared for by relatives while you work?

Day care two days a week and spends time with his aunt and grandmother.

Special offers for readers?

We give a WAHM discount

Talk About Creative logo

You can read more about the SEO presentation Dana gave at the Business Brainstorming session 20th March and connect with her via the Talk About Creative Facebook page.

Business Brainstorming 20 March 2012

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Business Brainstorming 20 March

We had an amazing group come along to our 20th March 2012 Professional Parents Business Brainstorming session. Forty-four parents came together to share experiences and learn from each other.

Guest speaker, Dana Flannery-Hayes from Talk About Creative shared some valuable information with us on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).   This is a very in depth topic and we had a range of experience in the room from beginners to more advanced.  Dana made sure she gave us handy tips to help out no matter what our level of understanding.  Here are some notes from her presentation with links to resources to learn more:

DIY | SEO Resources

Talk About Creative eBook and WAHP Discount Copywriting Deal

The eBook has all the resources you need to do all your backlinking yourself.  It’s a step by step “how to” guide in layman’s terms.  It’s included in the WAHP Copywriting Deal

Talk About Creative Online Marketing Blog

Use this business help blog for info on how to do it all

Talk About Creative SEO Help

Recommended SEO Tools:

Recommended DIY Web Design Links:

If you are looking for a Brisbane Web Designer that is priced for in the Work At Home Parents bracket, check out www.LBMdesigns.com.au

A huge thanks to Dana for sharing all this information, you can connect with her via the Talk About Creative Facebook page.

Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness also talked to us about their wonderful services supporting mums with post natal depression and shared information on their upcoming fundraising Coastal Trek on Saturday 12th May.

The Mango Hill Tavern was again very supportive and welcoming to our group and provided a delicious morning tea, thank you!  It’s a very family friendly venue.

Here is a list of attendees so you can all connect with each other:

As you can see, it’s a big list!  Sincere apologies if I’ve missed anyone or don’t have your link correct – simply comment below or email professionalparents@zestee.com.au and I’ll fix it.

Professional Parents will now be held monthly (rather than fortnightly) with the next meeting on Tuesday 17th April 2012.  To RSVP visit the Professional Parents (Brisbane) page and click on “Events” (will be online soon).

Brisbane Business Brainstorming 6th March 2012

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What a wonderful turnout for this event, which was a dual celebration of Professional Parents 2nd Birthday and International Women’s Day.

The very first Professional Parents event was on 8th March 2010 and it’s been an amazing journey since then, with over 25 events in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast.  We’ve brought together so many inspiring parents with such diverse talents…all with the common bond of being in the situation of continuing our career or building a business while also raising a family.  Our online and face to face community continues to grow and I’m happy to have YOU as part of it!

After a lot of ups and downs over the two years, I was really thrilled to share the day with such a great group.  Here is one of my own inspirations, my daughter, Isabella, rather upset to have to pause for a photo before getting stuck into those cupcakes!

Renee and Isabella

8th March is also International Women’s Day, which is described on their website:

International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world on March 8th each year. The day is about celebrating the vital role women play in enhancing economic security for their families, communities and countries as a whole while recognising that significant barriers to achieving women’s economic security and equality continue to exist.

 

What better company to be in than a fantastic group of 30 women, who are all working hard to do exactly that.  We agreed that despite talk of our society moving in the direction to support working mothers, the reality can be quiet different.  Most of us have not been able to find suitable work to fit around our families and still utilise our talents, skills and passions…so have started our own business, but as mentioned above, there are a number of daily battles we face to achieve the economic security we strive for.  Supporting each other’s businesses when we do make a purchase, and recommending them to others is one step we can all take.  I also issued another challenge – to choose at least one woman who inspires us and tell them!

The celebration had a sad note for me personally as it’s become time to admit that due to family commitments and health issues, I am not able to continue running the Brisbane events for much longer.  However I’m really excited to be able to announce that my very talented friends, Ngaire from Brisbane Kids and Kelly from Be A Fun Mum will continue to organise these.  There is a new Facebook page for Brisbane, which will be run by Ngaire and Kelly, (with me still participating in the background).  From the next event (on 20 March), Professional Parents will meet monthly (instead of fortnightly) and will continue to grow as a strong, supportive community for parents in business in Brisbane and surrounds.

Ngaire Renee Kelly

Good news is that I’m not disappearing though, and will continue to run the main Facebook page at www.facebook.com/professionalparents and hope to now have some more time to develop the website www.professionalparents.com.au - and maybe even write that e-book I’ve been planning in my head for almost 3 years now!  Every day I continue to strive for family work balance and love to share my experience of that journey and learn from others on a similar path.

I’ll still attend Brisbane events for a few months at least and look forward to seeing you there.

PP Group 06 March

So you can all connect with each other, here is a list of all the attendees:

I’ve linked to either websites or Facebook pages above, or email addresses for those without these details so everyone is easily contactable. Sincere apologies if I missed anyone or have details incorrect, please comment below or email me on professional parents@zestee.com and I’ll update the list.  Would be great if you could visit at least one business you haven’t connected with before online and say hello!
Also a big thank you to the amazing staff at the Mango Hill Tavern, how good is it to have such a family friendly venue.
Thanks for all the lovely comments on the birthday card and loved my gift from Chantal of some Happy Bubbles…these are great for babies and children but I’ve kidnapped this bottle for the shower for me…smells so nice and good to know it’s all natural.
You can see more photos of the event over in this Business Brainstorming 6th March 2012 Facebook photo album.
The next Professional Parents event is on 20 March with Dana from Talk About Creative as our guest speaker on DIY SEO.  You can find out more details and rsvp here via the Facebook event - all welcome.
Renee Veldman-Tentori
professionalparents@zestee.com.au

Rock a Buy Baby Market March 2012

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I wrote about the Rock a Buy Baby Market in November 2011 and this month I was back there again – this time as a stall-holder!

My “babies” are turning 3 & 5 this year and we have a lot of things they no longer need, so I booked a 2nd hand stall and loaded up my hatchback…

car It was lovely and colourful – and empty – when I arrived at the Strathpine Community Centre (see, I can get up early!)

hall

Soon, it was busy, busy, busy with stallholders setting up:

renee stall

It was a great morning, and I ended up making around $200.  It would have been really hard work to sell things individually, this way it meant that literally hundreds of shoppers came to me during the morning. I also really liked the community shopping atmosphere and caught up with some local people I know.  Yes, there was some emotion selling things that did belong to my girls, but it was wonderful to see some children very excited about taking home things they have outgrown or no longer use.

I enjoyed talking to my “neighbours” Gnomewears and My Heart Flutters (see below for links to their sites)

stallholders

I had a quick chance to run around and take a look at some of the great business stalls, here are a few:

Had some really yummy dumplings for lunch/dinner (see above for link to Dumpling Envy)
dumpling envy

If you’d like to visit the markets, or book a stall, they are held on the 1st Saturday of every month at the Strathpine Community Hall, Mecklem Street, Strathpine.  For market dates, smallholder information, business sponsorships and more, contact Michelle and Sheree on via the Rock A Buy Baby Market Facebook page.  Tell them I sent you!  Renee

michelle sheree

They also kindly support a couple of local charities, including the great place I work part time, the Women’s Health & Mother Baby Hub – thanks so much Michelle & Sheree for supporting us to spread the word.

mother baby hub

Though I promised my husband I was going to SELL stuff and not do much shopping, I couldn’t resist this amazing bargain – my girls LOVED this leap pad with 2 stories which I bought for just $5.

leappad

Make sure you don’t miss out on future bargains!  The 2012 market dates are: 07 April, 05 May, 02 June, 07 July, 04 August, 01 September, 06 October, 03 November & 01 Dec.  Just $2 entry and kids are free.

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Renee Veldman-Tentori