Thea Terry – owner of mishfit ringwood

Posted on February 4, 2012 by mish

If you are a mishfit mother, then chances are you will see Thea coming to the classes over the next term, as she gets hands on experience to run her own business, which will be opening in Ringwood shortly! Or perhaps you have been following my personal journey franchising mishfit from one business to many, in a bid to make a wider difference in women’s lives!

I thought it would be a great opportunity to interview Thea, so you also can get to know a little about her too!

1. Tell me about your journey till now?

I’m wife to Mark and very proud Mummy (aren’t we all?!) of Martha (6) and Sebastian (4).  My family comes first in my world but anyone who knows me will tell you that swimming comes a close second!!

Although I have always been a bit of a recreational swimmer I hadn’t been in a squad since school.  I didn’t really look after my body when I was pregnant – I ate what I wanted and didn’t exercise at all.  I accumulated quite a lot of “baby fat” that didn’t seem to disappear once I’d had my babies!  When Sebastian was about 14 months old I went to the pool on my own, not really to exercise but just to have some time out.  I had forgotten how great exercise made you feel afterwards!!!  That was the day I decided to change my approach to my body.

That was 3 years ago and I can’t tell you how much weight I’ve lost because it’s never really been about “loosing weight”, it was about getting fit, and now it’s about being a great athlete.  I really do think that helps me be a better Mum and I believe it sets a great example to my children.

About 18 months ago we moved to Melbourne from England.  In that time I have joined the Doncaster Dolphins Masters Swimming Club, broken my foot and spent months in plaster (ARGH!), competed at state and national meets, attained a national record as part of a relay, and an individual state record for 1500m, swum 6 ocean swims (with number 7 next month!), trained as a Personal Trainer with the Australian Institute of Fitness and most recently bought the first mishfit franchise.  It’s been a busy time!!

2. How did having children change your outlook on life – personally and professionally?

I was a Human Resources Business Partner back then.  Almost as soon as I fell pregnant my perspective on work changed fairly dramatically and certainly my perspective on “work / life balance” underwent a massive shift.  I knew immediately that I could not go back into a corporate environment to work with all the pressure and the long hours.  I wanted to stay at home full time until the children were at school full time.  Well…that was the plan anyway!

3. Why did you choose fitness as a second career choice?

Well, it really goes back to when I broke my foot, back in October 2010.  When I ended up in plaster I was utterly determined not to loose my newly gained fitness!  I spent the next 3 months resistance training with a plaster cast from toe to knee out on the deck, with nothing more than two 5kg dumbbells, a yoga mat and a kitchen chair, and in that time decided that if I could inspire myself to train in such circumstances surely I could inspire others to do the same?!?

(Yep – I think so!)

4. What excites you most about the future?

I am totally thrilled to be about to start mishfit – Ringwood!!  I can’t wait to start working with other mums to find the same passion for fitness that I have.  To help women train safely and effectively, whilst focusing on their pelvic floor, and to help them achieve whatever fitness goals they have, will be such a privilege.   Lastly, who wouldn’t be excited about being able to work with and be mentored by Mish?!!

(gee, thanks Thea – what a great answer!)

5. Favourite quote?

I’ve got a few but I’m going to share two…

“Go hard or go home”

It’s a very personal one that I use almost like a mantra when I’m preparing for a race.  It really focuses my mind and helps me give it my all!

 The other one is more to do with my approach to life generally…

 “Dance as though no one is watching you,

Love as though you have never been hurt before,

Sing as though no one can hear you,

Live as though heaven is on earth”

(Souza)

 

Thanks for sharing Thea. I know you are going to be a success – mish x

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Diary of a mumpreneur – 1 year on…

Posted on January 25, 2012 by mish

 

 

 

I started the Diary of a Mumprenuer here in Jan 2011 as an account of how I would change my business from one to many, via the franchise model. My aim has always been for a mishfit personal training business to not only make a real difference in the lives of pregnant and post-natal women, but offer a true work/life balance for the mums that will own and run it.

Connect2mums asked me to write a fortnightly blog about this journey. Recording this journey has taught me many things:

1. the benefits of being open and transparent to all

2. the value of regular writing & blogging (especially for SEO!)

3. it has helped keep me on the path that I want to be on

4. it has allowed others to follow that path and I have enjoyed every comment, or everytime some one has talked to me about my blog and the journey my business is taking

Thank you Peace & Katy for this opportunity. It has been a pleasure.

There have been highs like this - being nominated for AusMumpreneur of the Year Award

mish from mishfit, ausmumpreneur of the year nominee 2011

& this - finally releasing my CD’s: active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength

active pelvic practice CDs, kegel exercises and meditation for pregnant and post-natal women

and this - having Westpac not only promote my business in-store, but also having all their staff wearing mishfit T-shirts!

mishfit promoted at Westpac Bank

And there have been lows …like the feeling that I would never make a sale.

However, with the support and love of my family, friends and a community of like-minded mumpreneurs and other business mentors, I am exceptionally proud to announce the sale of my first mishfit franchise!

thea terry, mishfit franchisee for ringwood

As of February 1st 2012, Thea Terry will own and operate the mishfit franchise in the Ringwood territory in Melbourne, Victoria.

Like an excited child, I have had to hold off sharing this wonderful news publicly as both Thea and myself have undertaken a patient journey to sort through all the legalities that had to happen first.

Like myself, Thea is passionate. Originally from a corporate background after having children, Thea needed to do something that she was passionate about whilst managing her family’s needs. I saw the determination in Thea the moment she visited a mishfit mothers session…  she wanted to have her own mishfit business. She saw the potential of what this business could do for her, her family and for the women in her community.

Thea is honest, hard working and caring. I have liked her from the start. We share ideals and amiable natures. I have pledged to help her through thick and thin and I feel incredibly excited about the prospect of us being in business together for many happy and prosperous years!

… and I look at her beautiful photo with the mishfit logo on her shirt and smile with pride.

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Westpac and small business, Carlton Westpac and my business!

Posted on December 29, 2011 by mish

About a month ago, I decided that the time was right for me to upgrade my car and do it properly with my business leasing it for tax purposes, and get it properly sign written. I had decided on my new car and my accountant recommended that I seek my own finance arrangements through the bank, rather than to be at the mercy of the car yard. So I rang and made an appointment with the Westpac business bank manager at my local branch.

On the morning of my appointment, my beautiful partner gave the advice (in jest) of …make sure you wear a low cut top to ensure a favourable outcome on my application for finance… to which I laughed and said, I have one better than that! When I made the appointment, I had been told that the business banker had only just returned from maternity leave. I was sure there could be a mutual exchange of professional advice!

As one mother to another, it was only natural to ask about her to return to work and the inevitable juggle of motherhood (her baby had just turned one). From there it was just my professional instinct to ask about her pregnancy and how her body had coped post-pregnancy. There was lots of information shared and my advice to anyone who wants it is: just ask, it is always given freely!

We both had shared experience of being new to Australia while our babies are small (with her being South African) and the impact that that has on our parenting and relationships. I shared with her about being a single mother and how that was a huge influence on why I changed career from teacher to personal trainer. I needed to work around my children and their needs and she understood the frustration I felt in the workplace of and balancing career movement with kids in nappies.

About an hour later we started the conversation of finance for my business car, but by that time, I really felt I had made a firm friend. This is really how I like to do business.

Westpac have always had a great small business attitude and I have for a long time been involved with The Ruby Connection – which deeply appeals to the feminist in me (being for women in business!)

My Westpac business bank manager and I made a further appointment to talk about how the Carlton Branch could further help me and my business. She suggested that I do an in-store promotion, promoting my CD’s, mishfit personal training services, as well as advertising the franchises. The tellers will also be wearing special mishfit t-shirts and this morning I went in before the bank opened to put out all the promotional material and brief all the staff about mishfit!

This opportunity is also open to other mishfit franchises that choose to bank with Westpac.

Last night, I watched I Don’t Know How She Does It, with Sarah Jessica Parker. This movie highlighted many issues that any working mother will identify with. One thing that made me feel uncomfortable in the movie, was the main character almost pretending not to be a mother in order to compete with the men in corporate world.

How refreshing to find in real life women who move up in corporate life, who don’t leave their mothering experience behind. Instead, they find that it helps them to relate to others in business and generally creates a win-win situation for all.

Many people have asked me how I managed the brilliant opportunity to advertise (completely free of charge) at my local Westpac branch. The answer is that Westpac do indeed support not only small business, but women and mothers in business. It is also about taking time to ask others about themselves, regardless of their position and relating shared experience. More often that not, that shared experience will bridge divides greater than you can imagine.

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weight loss, braces and the commitment to change

Posted on December 18, 2011 by mish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this week I had my teeth fitted with Invisalign, which for uninitiated is a clear version of braces. The difference being is that they are a series of clear plastic teeth moulds that you wear 22 hours of the day (only to be removed whilst eating or drinking) that over a long period of time, change the shape of your teeth and jaw.

For most of my life I have hated my teeth and braces as I was growing up was never an option. For those of you who know me probably will think “oh your teeth are not that bad”. And that is because I never show them. I have perfected the art of smiling with little teeth showing and big belly laughs are accompanied by a hand over my mouth. I am subtle, but I don’t show my teeth.

My mother is never fooled. She will tell me in photos “show your teeth Michelle” But then again, she also tells me to go into the sun without sunblock, “to brown up.”

After x-rays and uncomfortable indentations into a blu-tack substance, I have had my first set of clear braces delivered from America. I popped out in between clients to have them fitted by the dentist. It felt like having Hubba-Bubba smoothed over your teeth with an unmistakable pressure applied that caused me to lisp slightly. Great.

My next client of the day arrived and I felt the need to explain about my teeth, as I was a little self conscious of my lip-smacking (as they constantly feel dry). The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful teeth. She had braces when she was a teenager. Again, I silently cursed my parents.

This particular client’s main goal is weight loss. She is overweight to the point of being pre-diabetic. The weight causes issues for her joints, particularly her knees, which then make it more difficult for her to move. She has 3 children (1 still in nappies) and works 4 days a week, while juggling the greater proportion of home duties.

I believe her cortisol (stress hormone) levels to be high, causing her body to crave fatty and sugary food and depositing it directly around her middle. When we work together, it is not just about exercise, it is often about strategies to

a)   eat healthier

b)   move more

c)   minimise the stress in her life

The PowerPlate is an excellent way for her to exercise as the vibration not only makes her work harder than on land, but is much kinder to the joints and ligaments.

I was showing her an exercise, when my client looked at me and said

“Can I have your figure?”

I replied, “Can I have your teeth?”

The way I see it, we both have a long journey ahead (I will wear my braces for around 18 months). We will both experience pain, expense and the constant desire to give up because the experience is hard, long and costly.

Today I want to take these damn things out of my mouth. And have even heard myself say “you know, your teeth aren’t that bad” and “hey, they are character teeth”

But this self-talk is just trying to allow me to take the easy way out and NOT make any change at all. This sort of self-talk is not helping me.

I listen to this self-talk, acknowledge it and then allow it to be replaced by improved self-talk.

In my case it is:

“I really want to have straight teeth”

“I want to smile with confidence”

“I will get use to the pain and it will get easier”

The reality is, that if you want to change something in your life and really want to change, it will be a journey. It will be fraught with self-doubt, possibly expense and most probably hard work.

The procrastinating can take a long time but the way I see it, once the journey is started, then you are on your way.

Do you have a change that you want to make?

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active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength – CD launch!

Posted on November 25, 2011 by mish
I am so excited to announce the release of active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength!
These CD’s started out as an idea, well over a year ago. A very dear client said to me after our session, which had ended with a small meditation in which we concentrated on her pelvic floor exercises.
“Mish, I wish I could tape your voice and listen to it before I went to sleep each night”
I am sure it wasn’t my voice exactly that she wanted to hear, it was more that I forced her to take a very small break for herself, and encouraged her to put aside all the hundreds of things that demanded attention in her world, to focus on herself and her pelvic floor contractions.And that is how the meditative CD of active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength came about.
As mums, we live extremely busy lives and often, as much as we want to – we usually put ourselves last. When I ask my clients what stops them from practicing daily pelvic floor contractions, their answer is usually; “I am too busy to make the time” or “I just forget”.This has bothered me for a long time. How can I make an activity that we all know is so important, a daily practice?
I, like many mothers like to multi-task, so I thought what about creating a shorter recording that women can listen to while they are doing the daily chores, going for a walk or perhaps driving in the car? Stickers around the house only have so much success, but we reach absent mindly for our iPods while going for a walk, or turning on the radio while driving.

And this is how the active CD of active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength came about.
This is an absolutely unique product… there are no others like it!

I then took this idea to my partner, Mark’s meditation teacher Sara Brooke (from the space in between), who has a voice that epitomises calm nurturing and gave her my script. For most of this year, there have been meetings, trials, focus groups, discussions with lawyers, music people, producers, graphic designer, evening with friends and wine and recording studios. In fact, this was a much bigger process that I ever could have imagined.

But here it is!

There is one more thing I want to add about these CD’s…
It has been my absolute guiding light to present these CD’s as beautifully as possible. There are already a few meditation CD’s on the market to help women with their pelvic floor contractions… but they don’t appeal to me. They are not something that I would like anyone to see me with! From here came the concept that this should be a gift. A gift to yourself. A gift to a new mum. A gift to your mother, your sister, to your friend. active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength is beautiful on it’s own to warrant interest and delight by the holder.

Pelvic floor exercises need to be re-claimed, not hidden!
If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of active pelvic practice – the gift of inner strength -
you can easily do so here! ($35)
active pelvic practice will also be available as an iTunes download very shortly and
you can follow all updates on the new facebook page
I am passionate about making a difference in this area of women’s health and believe this product has the potential to help many many women.
If you have any ideas or contacts on how I can get this out to the wider media, I would love to know and would appreciate your help. Or if you know someone who might be interested, please forward them this email!

Yours in health and happiness,

Ps. Many many many thanks go to Fi who is responsible for the graphic design and seeing inside my heart when I said I wanted something beautiful. Sara for her voice and intellectual input and her brother James for all the contacts in an industry I know nothing about. Rach, my best friend who is also responsible for the fantastic photography. Bridgit, Annabel, Thea, SallyRose and Melissa who participated in a mini-bed in and  focus group. Hillary from Inform physio, who gave very very valuable feed back. My wonderful partner Mark who got behind this idea and supported it into reality.
And to all my clients who remind me why I do what I do and allow me to love my job as much as I do. This is dedicated to you x

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Active Pelvic Practise – the gift of inner strength CD launch!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mish

 

 

 

I am so excited… let me draw breath, back track and tell you why…

Tonight was the Fun, Fitness and Pelvic Floor info evening hosted by The Continence Foundation of Australia. And I have been very much looking forward to attending.

But it was a task to get there. I spent the day with Steve Brossman and his 1 day video workshop. Steve Brossman is a fantastic speaker. He is straight up and certainly has a wealth of knowledge and experience at his finger tips. The seminar was excellent and has given me lots of tasks to update my videos and how I can work video into my business… watch this space..

But sitting all day is tough. Coupled with a mad dash to get home, feed the family, dodge the storm and get everything ready for the stall table I was having at the Fun, Fitness and Pelvic Floor evening.

As you know I have been working on my very own double CD called Active Pelvic Practice, which looks something like this…

… And I have blogged previously about it here...

The last update on my CD was awhile ago, as I have thoroughly under estimated what it takes to bring a product like this into the world. It has been a mad rush to get the CD’s completed and into my hot little hands. It was my dream to launch my CD’s tonight

… and it would have been the perfect event to do so.

But alas, some issue in the warehouse meant that there was yet another delay and it can be expected on Friday or early next week :(

Without the product, I can’t photograph it to use in marketing materials or worse still … have it to actually launch, promote and  sell tonight. So my beautiful partner dropped everything last night to make me a poster, which I had to rush to Office Works this morning to enlarge to A3 and buy a little stand to display on my stall table to attract pre-sales.

Marietta Mehanni and women’s health physio Bernie Sexton both delivered both entertaining and fact-filled talks to about 90 women. Bernie talked about the stresses of the pelvic floor during the life of a woman. And Marietta discussed what this meant for both fitness professionals and women exercising.

The verdict that they both gave to repair pelvic floor disfunction? Certainly not buying the incontinence pads, who had set up on the other 3 stall tables… but pelvic floor exercise.

At half time and at the end of the session the hunger for more knowledge from the women attending was almost palatable!

And this is my very very exciting news.

I sold my very first CD’s! 3 women pre-ordered Active Pelvic Practice and I took their details and promised to send the send the CD’s as soon as they were ready. I know that if I had had the physical product for them to take home, I would have sold many more.

What I saw tonight really excited me. Women want help to not only do their exercises correctly, but help in remembering to do them daily.

Active Pelvic Practice – the gift of inner strength will do this!

 

 

 

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interview with Shira Kramer – Melbourne’s leading women’s health physiotherapist

Posted on November 5, 2011 by mish

 

 

Shira Kramer is a Women’s Health Physiotherapist, fitness instructor and Director of BeActive Physio located in Prahran, Melbourne. Shira regularly presents at universities, conferences, international events and at local community groups, sharing her passion for women’s health and fitness.

And I asked her some questions!

What differentiates a women’s health physio from a physio in general?

Women’s health physiotherapists have undergone further post-graduate studies in all areas relating to the assessment and management of specific issues relating to women such as musculo-skeletal and pelvic floor problems. They have specific skills to work with females from adolescent girls to pre and post natal to menopausal aged women and beyond.

They are particularly sensitive to the specific needs of females at each of these life stages.

What are the most common issues do you see pregnant women for?

There is a lot of controversy regarding safe exercise for pregnant women. I often see women seeking advice in terms of safe exercise practice and guidelines. I also work with the physical symptoms associated with bio-mechanical and hormonal changes that come with pregnancy. These commonly include lower back pain, pelvic girdle pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and pelvic floor dysfunction. I get enormous satisfaction from supporting women through this very special life stage.

What about post-natal women?

The most common post-natal issues that I see are lower back pain, pelvic girdle pain, abdominal diastasis and mastitis. Women are also seeking advice on how to re-gain their fitness.

I commonly see women who start doing things too quickly post delivery, or may choose inappropriate exercise and unfortunately turn up with injuries or delay postnatal recovery.

I am passionate about educating women to choose appropriate exercise during this post natal period.

What should I expect to happen in an initial assessment from a women’s health physiotherapist?

It depends on the reason for the consultation.  You can expect a discussion about the current situation, your specific goals and a thorough inspection of the issues you have. At the end of the first session you should have a good understanding of your diagnosis and have a plan. In layman terms this means an estimation of what is wrong and how long it should take to fix it.

How long this takes depends on your goals and your condition. For example: mastitus could be resolved within 2 sessions, where as more complex conditions such as  pelvic joint or floor issues may take a little longer. My aim would be to get you active as soon as possible.

Top 3 tips for pre & post natal  women?

1 – You can only be a good mum if you look after yourself first

2 – Do your pelvic floor exercises daily – Non Negotiable!

3 – Don’t suffer in silence – if in doubt be proactive and get it checked out!

Thanks Shira for your comments. I love it that you are as passionate as I am about women’s health. Be Active also has a great range of pregnancy and post-natal exercise classes that are reasonably priced. If you are interested – please contact Shira and her team here!

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Mish’s 7 tips for resuming exercise after your baby arrives!

Posted on November 4, 2011 by mish

Navigating the exercise world after giving birth can be difficult. Your ideals of what you thought you would do (or be able to to do) before you had your baby, might be completely different to now, when you actually have your babe in your arms.

One of the first things you may notice is that your belly may not look that different from when you were pregnant, except squishier! It certainly wasn’t how I imagined I would look after finally giving birth! The reality of your post-natal body can initially be very disappointing. But please don’t worry.

You have to remember that it took you 9 months for your body to change shape and  a good rule of thumb is to allow 9 months to get your body back into shape.

To safely exercise in the first 3 months after your birth, it is wise to pretend that you are still pregnant. In terms of hormones, you are, kind of. Your body will still have the hormone relaxin floating around, which loosens your joints and ligaments. This means you still have to take extra care not to over stretch, especially through the pelvis. Your pelvic floor might be feeling particularly weak and some other issues to be aware of are carpal tunnel. Breast feeding may be taxing on your upper back and sleep deprivation may make the whole situation seem a lot harder than you imagined.

The best exercises during the first few months are similiar to what you could manage during the last months of pregnancy.

1. Focus on your pelvic floor. A great time is while you are breast-feeding as lactation will be working on pulling the uterus back into shape. But whether you are breast feeding or bottle feeding, it is a time when you are sitting still and this allows you to concentrate on first activating the pelvic floor and then gently drawing in the lower abdominal.

2. Focus on your posture! Use pillows to bring baby closer to your breast or bottle, rather than folding over baby causing the upper back to be stretched and the muscles in the chest to contract. Regularly draw attention to your posture, while you are sitting, standing and walking. If you are putting baby on your hip, try to swap hips. If you are pushing the pram, walk tall (adjust your pram so you can do so easily) and think about lifting your breasts up off your chest with your posture and connecting with the muscles in your upper back.

3. Getting out and about with the pram. Walking is a great way to get your body back into shape and can also have a fantastic effect on your mood. There are often lots of appointments in the early days with baby. Try and schedule the time, so that you can walk there and back. When walking, try to focus on pelvic floor and holding your posture upright. Walking tall allows more oxygen into your diaphragm. This means you will not only look better, but feel better!

4. Rest! A very important part of any exercise routine is rest. Adequate rest allows the muscles to heal. If you are offered help with baby – take it! Assess what is really important … the load of washing or a nap. If your body is repaired you will be able to achieve a lot more in the long run.

5. Join a specialised post-natal exercise class. Your body’s needs in regards to exercise have changed after having your baby. Often this is not quite understood by fitness professionals. Finding a fitness professional who reminds you to contract your pelvic floor at the right time during an exercise is very important. Exercising post-natally without due care can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back that takes you to prolapse. Don’t be afraid to ask your personal trainer / fitness instructor about their understanding of pelvic floor issues for post-natal women.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Check yourself out with a women’s health physiotherapist. We don’t think twice about putting our car in for a service and god knows what they do… yet we quibble over spending money on ourselves! If you are really unsure of whether you are contracting your pelvic floor correctly, find a women’s health physio that offers real time ultra sound. They will be able to show you how to correctly contract your pelvic floor on screen. This is usually a big “ah ha!” moment!

7. Avoid crunches and sit-ups! These are not the way to a flat belly and make sure that you don’t have diastasis before resuming them. If you are not sure if you have the splitting of the abdominal muscles, ask your mid-wife, fitness professional or women’s health physio to show you how to check. The best exercises for obtaining a flat belly are pelvic floor exercises, which will contract the transverse abdominis … who would have thought!

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7 top tips for exercising safely while pregnant

Posted on November 3, 2011 by mish

 

Asking google for tips and advice on exercising whilst pregnant can bring up such a myriad of stories of facts and fiction!

Like most things, I believe that general common sense is a great guide.

But here are some other tips that I have picked up over the years of training pregnant women.

1) Listen to your body! As simple as it sounds, if it doesn’t feel right or you feel concerned about doing it, then don’t! Listen to your intuition and stay in tune with your body and your baby.

2) Avoid split leg exercises. This includes lunges (in any form) step classes, breast stroke and standing on one leg to perform exercises. The release of relaxin allows much more flexibility with muscles – this is great for child birth, but not for supporting the bones of the pelvis. To keep it simple think “tight mini-skirt and no knickers!” For more info read this previous blog. Avoiding pelvic instability is important, as the pain can be debilatating and last for the length of the pregnancy and sometimes beyond.

3) Think Pelvic Floor First – your pelvic floor comes under immense pressure holding the weight of your growing baby. Practice activating your pelvic floor for both long and short holds and it is especially important while you are exercising.

4) Breathing! Try not to hold your breath while you exercise and if you can remember, exhale on the hardest part of the exercise (for example pushing up from a squat). Holding your breath will bear down on your pelvic floor.

5) Squats are sensational – your exercise program should be like training for a marathon… which may be your birth. You may find a squat position helpful during labour. But what would be even more helpful, will be having the leg strength to support this birthing position.

6) Stay active – do what you can to get out and exercise regularly. It can take your mind off morning sickness, help you stay in control of your weight and put you in the best possible place to return your body post natally. Not to mention all the positive mental benefits.

7) Lying on your back. There is a lot of advice about exercising on your back while you are pregnant. This is purely individual (see point 1), but remember if your body weight cuts off your blood supply, your body will feel uncomfortable and you will naturally move before you baby is harmed. This is the same if you find yourself sleeping on your back.

Don’t be afraid to ask your personal trainer / gym instructor if they have had specialist training or previous experience with pregnant women. This is a special part of your life and getting the right advice and support can help avoid any unnecessary discomfort and potentially help you be the best you possibly can for birth and beyond.

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A family-oriented business

Posted on November 2, 2011 by mish

 

It is not news that I created mishfit to work around my family.

If you know my background, you will know that my life as a primary school teacher while putting my own children into care, just did not work. I refused to believe that this was how it had to be and set about creating my own reality. Creating a business, doing what I love and making a difference in the world.

Making that decision to create my own working lifestyle set an enormous snow ball in motion, to lead me to where I am today. I am now sharing this business model with other women who wish to create their own work/family balance. So they too can have the freedom of working around their families while doing something that not only keeps their body active, but also their mind engaged. A mishfit franchise also allows women create a community of like-minded women.

I used to think that I created a business to work in with my kids.

I want to share with you something organic that has happened through this process. I now believe my kids now work in the business.

I mean this literally as well as figuratively!

Let me explain. Both of my stepsons help me and earn pocket money in the process. The eldest, Ethan, is in control of data entry. I did this by showing him the process of what needed to be done and then asking him to create a type of flow diagram – which is printed and left in the folder of work for him. Just in case he forgets.

My second stepson, Simon enjoys more the fiddling of documents, so he is in charge of making exercise cards. This means everything from taking the photos of me doing the exercises, to manipulating the photo so it fits in the page, to entering the instructions on the card. Simon is also responsible for indexing each card and adding it to a spreadsheet. He will also take over the editing of my little video clips.

My youngest 2 children are better at more marketing type jobs – folding letters, filling envelopes, sticking stamps etc. But they do look longingly at the jobs that they can aspire too.

But it is not just the physical jobs. It is also the interest they all take in my business. mishfit is often a topic at the dining table. They all love hearing my updates on the women who have been interested in the business. They all love to give their ideas and feedback on how mishfit can be bigger and better.

I believe that they are all aware of pelvic floor issues for women. I did get asked on the weekend how pelvic floor feels for men. This is a question I quickly hand-balled to Mark ;)

They all come up with various ideas to help. One was electric underpants that reminded you switch on your pelvic floor. Another was a marketing idea that the yellow McDonalds M should be replaced with the blue mishfit m!

I am not sure mishfit will take on all of these ideas in the future, but I sure do enjoy sharing the education of building a business.

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