Small Business Blog Series -Tranquil Birth
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This new year I’m excited to bring you a short showcase of some fabuolous businesses. Through Isabella and Us. I am lucky enough to collaborate with, showcase and share amazing small independent businesses, which is just amazing and shopping small is something I am incredibly passionate about.
So over the next few weeks I’ll be bringing you a short showcase of some fabuolous independent businesses!
Today is Tranquil Birth by Sakina Ballard.
Tell me a little bit about your business...:
Tranquil Birth supports women and their families before and after Birth to feel confident and calm. Antenatally I work with expectant parents teaching hypnobirthing techniques, evidence based antenatal education and tools to calmly navigate the physical and emotional transitions of pregnancy, birth and early family life.
Postnatally I offer support to women to regain their confidence and sense of self after birth, with Birth Trauma Resolution therapy.
Tell us more about yourself - What did you do before your business, your interests/hobbies and any fun facts:
Before having my children I was an actress and an acting agent. I still love theatre, arts and creative projects but have less time for all now!
My current passion is refurbishing our new family home on a limited budget, so DIY skills are being increased, as is my love of second hand furniture and up-cycling.
I grew up in Tanzania and love animals and being outdoors. My early life has left me interested in environmental issues and love reusing things - its just how things were there. I love zen time; yoga, mindfulness and writing.
What inspired you to start your business?
My first birth in 2011 was traumatic and in the middle of that experience i remember thinking 'there is another way' but I didn't have any tools and was exhausted by that point. I left the hospital with my baby and I was in tears, I knew that no woman deserved to start family life like that.
When I was pregnant 2 years I was scared and knew I needed to try something else. A few friends had mentioned Hypnobirthing and I thought 'what is the worst that can happen?' it sounded like everything that appealed to me but it was more than I imagined; empowering information on how birth works and a practical and tangible tool that I could use to support myself and so could my partner.
My second birth experience was empowering and I knew I wanted every woman to feel that way and have techniques that could empower her so I trained with Katharine Graves (KGH).
I felt intuitively though that there should not be a divide in positive and traumatic birth, we needed a space in between where birth was about women being empowered and having suffered PTSD after my first birth knew I wanted to help other women overcome their birth trauma so trained to work with Birth Trauma Resolution Therapy.
I am constantly inspired by women I meet and by birth and I have found the whole journey personally and professionally rewarding.
How do you keep a good work/life balance with running your own business?: It's hard, my dreams and to do list always extend the hours i have in the day.
I work around the school day and have recently found an extra hour in the morning and one hour after kids are in bed and the challenge is to stay disciplined to this so I can wind down and also spend quality time with my husband and kids. Post school to bedtime I try and keep kids time as well on Sundays we try and go phone free.
My aim for 2019 is to incorporate more self care time, as that has been neglected over the last year as I built Tranquil Birth.
What top 3 tips would you give to someone starting their own business?
Know why it is important to you & enjoy it.
Stay in your lane & don't compare yourself to others.
Keep going and have a support network for those tricky times, which happen to everyone.
What is one thing you wished you had known before you started your own business?
Just how it would challenge me, I am constantly meeting myself in my business; my personal limitations and beliefs but it has been the most rewarding experience as I move those mindset walls.
You can see more of Tranquil Birth over at:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
I hope you enjoyed reading the small business showcase from Tranquil Birth.
Emma x
If you’d like to take part in the Small Business Showcase please head to the website here.
