This Mother’s Day, we’re taking the time to celebrate the Perth Mum’s who are smashing it in business.
Read their stories below and make sure to show your support by checking out their businesses!
Karen Dauncey – Blue Cherry Online Marketing & The SEO School
I have been running my consultancy business Blue Cherry Online Marketing for nearly 13 years now, and The SEO School (as a training business) for the last 3 years although the course only launched this year. I decided to start my business when I emigrated to Australia from the UK, I had already had my first baby and thought I would get a couple of clients to earn some money. Before long I was offering white label SEO services through a number of top advertising agencies in Perth and it wasn’t long before I needed to recruit staff to keep up with the workload and I have been busy ever since.
My favourite thing about being an entrepreneur I would say it is the flexibility to manage my own time, although saying that I do think sometimes my business runs me, rather than I run the business. I love that I can go to pretty much every school event and have rarely missed an assembly or school event.
Check out Karen’s businesses here:
Jessica Mauger & Lisa Mcgee – Jem Wedding Planners
We started JEM Wedding Planners in 2015 after planning our own wedding. We realised how unnecessarily expensive weddings can be and discovered a hole in the market for affordable wedding planners who not only could assist with the planning side of things, but to offer lateral thinking and budget management in order to save money.
We have won the Bride’s Choice Award two years running, and are the creators of the Wedding Dress Charity Ball which is a super fun event we host every year, giving men and women of Perth a chance to re-wear their wedding attire for a good cause.
Between us we have five children, ranging from 9 months to 9 years old. We live extremely busy lives and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our favourite part of being entrepreneurs is watching our business grow and succeed. We have worked tirelessly through life’s challenges; having babies, working all hours of the day, not getting enough sleep and even surviving a pandemic. To see those efforts pay off is the most rewarding experience.
Check out JEM Wedding Planners here.
Bree Smith – Knot Just Cords
Hi I’m Bree. I’m a Mumma of three boys – Jacob is 8 and my twins Edward and Samuel are 6. I’m also the founder of Knot Just Cords which I brought to life in January 2018.
My DIY macrame kits were created to help encourage busy women (mums in particular) to take some time out for themselves and to make learning something new easy and fun. I also wanted to showcase the therapeutic benefits of making. How macrame allows the maker to be in the moment, forget their stresses and relax their mind which in turn helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Macrame bought me back to life when I had postnatal depression. It gave me something to focus on that wasn’t my kids and a therapeutic outlet that relaxed my mind when nothing else I had tried could. It’s this mindfulness aspect that creativity provides that I want to show the world and help to encourage busy women to take the time out for themselves they deserve and to prioritise their own self-care through creativity.
My favourite part of being an entrepreneur – Firstly, that I make a difference in women’s lives. I’ve had so many women reach out to me after finishing their kits and thank me for giving them a reason to do something for themselves. They love how easy and fun the kits are and how satisfying it is to make something they never thought they could. They then go on and buy kits for their friends which I just love. I also love the fact that being my own boss, I can work around my family. When the kids are at school I work on my biz, when they are home, I’m mum. It’s the actual best.
Check out Knot Just Cords here.
Sophie Stott – Quickmail
I worked in my parent’s business on and off when I was a teenager and then going through University. I then went and did my own thing and travelled for a while. I started full time with Quickmail in 2007 and took over as Managing Director in January 2018 when my Dad retired.
My University degree was Agribusiness-Marketing and my first job was in Horse Nutrition – what I do at Quickmail is very different to that! But, I do it because I enjoy having a challenge and knowing that we are building our family business as well as employing a number of other West Aussies who can then support their family.
I enjoy being an entrepreneur as I like making decisions and running with them, I like working with other business owners to help them grow their business
I have a 7yo boy who is full of lots of great stories and ideas- he makes me laugh all the time with his antics – he helps me see that there are more important things than just working.
Check out Quickmail here.
Kerrie Allen – Game Face HQ, The Control Freak Co. Hey Control Freak and Guerrilla Establishment
Hi, I’m Kerrie. Small business owner of 4, mother of 2 and corporate world “survivor”. After 22 years of business experience, I now spend my days supporting small business owners, leaders and up-and-comers to think beyond “other people’s rules” and play by their own. Whether it’s developing brand confidence, business strategy or accountability – excuses are left at the door, boundaries are pushed and change is made.
I’m a Mum of two amazing girls (10 and 19yo) with three dogs and a husband – so our house is rarely empty and NEVER quiet. As the owner/co-owner of 4 businesses life is usually quite out of control, but every time I remember what it was like to work as an employee under someone else’s structure and rules the chaos really does feel like a good thing. I learned a lot from nearly 20 years of managing other people’s businesses and I have never prescribed to there being “one way” to achieve success in life. My journey as an entrepreneur certainly supports that way of thinking and I love it!
Check out Kerrie’s FOUR businesses here:
Belle Verdiglione – Potent Identity & Camera Queens
My name is Belle Verdiglione and I have 2 children, Orlando (12) and Isabella (10) – I started my photography business when I was on maternity leave from my corporate job in 2011 just after I had Isabella.
I began my photography business as a birth and motherhood photographer – yes birth! And so began the on call life as a birth worker for 9 years. I photographed my last birth in September 2020 and I now take Potent Identity™ portraits.
Not only am I Potent Identity™ photographer, I am also a photography coach through my signature program, the Camera Queens which started in February 2021 and has grown into a community of 60 photographers. I am super passionate about community over competition, and I am here to support women in a holistic way, through hands on workshops and education, business coaching trainings and masterclasses with experts in their field.
My favourite thing about being an entrepreneur is waking up every day and going to work that not only inspires me but allows other women to expand and thrive too. My inbox is full of my Queens who have had a breakthrough, an AHA moment or a win. I am celebrating their milestones every single day and that lights me up and sets my soul on fire.
As an ex corporate 9-5’er, to be home most days for kids after school is the best. No more coming home in the dark only to get all the things done, including hanging washing at 11pm. And I also don’t work Sundays so we can enjoy a family day without any shoots or admin.
Check out Belle’s businesses below:
There you have it!
These women are just a small sample of the huge number of Perth Mums and businesses owners who all making waves in their respective fields -and we love hearing their stories. The strength, tenacity, and ability of each woman listed above is nothing short of amazing.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Perth Mums – you are all doing amazing things!