"I had no formal beauty experience, but I threw myself into all the inhouse training that was on offer. This gave me the confidence and the drive to set myself up on social media and to start promoting my new business."

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What a journey Helen has been on.  Helen established a successful career in retail management, but found that part-time opportunities at that level were pretty non-existent when she had her children.  That's when Helen moved on to develop a career in training, before facing some very scary and difficult times personally, which meant she needed to rethink things again.  "How could I return to a ‘normal’ and fulfilling life?  But when the time came working for myself made so much sense"  I think you'll see how her passion drove her forward, despite entering a whole new field (for the second time!).  Her story is humble, but I suspect Helen is braver than she may realise.  Enjoy!

Tell us a little about yourself – who are you besides the job you do? 

I’m married to my lovely supportive husband Nigel, we have 2 (almost) grown up boys and the only female company in my house is Amber, our Cockerpoo! We live in a small village on the outskirts of Stratford Upon Avon where we enjoy village life to the full and love getting out and about in the local countryside on foot or by bike. 

What do you do now? 

I’m a Leader with Tropic Skincare which basically means I help others achieve their dreams! Whether that means happy customers who see fabulous results or those that join Tropic as an Ambassador and build successful businesses on their own terms whatever their goals are, I help them achieve them!

What do you love about it? 

Being part of Tropic is like being part of one huge supportive family. It’s an environment where your efforts are valued, encouraged and celebrated Starting my journey back in 2013 was like taking in a lovely invigorating breath of fresh air!  At last something I could be passionate about, products that I could rely on to contain no nasty chemicals that have the potential to cause so much damage to our bodies, just pure natural ingredients to boost my health and vitality.  When I look in the mirror I know they are making a difference to how I look and certainly to how I feel. Sharing this feeling with others is a joy!  I feel empowered to make a difference in others’ lives which is something that has always been of great importance to me in whatever role I’ve been in. I’m now also in a position to be able to help others share this amazing feeling too as I build a team of like-minded people all sharing the same passion.

I love learning new ways to achieve my goals. This fresh, exciting, journey has allowed me to make so many good friends along the way and I think I’ve found my true path in life! 

What did you do before and how did you end up there?

Most of my adult life I have served others.  I’d worked in Retail Management for many years before deciding to start a family and when Jack my first son came along part time management roles were simply not available, so I left to search for pastures new. I stumbled upon a role at Coventry City Council where I was part of the Training Team delivering training in all areas of Council Tas and Benefits legislation.

Why did you decide to change?

Back in 2012 I received the news that no one wants to hear, that tore my world apart, when I was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour.  Luckily for me treatable, albeit with major surgery but leaving me with little choice but to step away from my previous role. 

How did you decide what to do instead? 

My recovery was slow but thankfully straight forward, in the scheme of things I was incredibly lucky!  No chemo or radiotherapy to endure but many long months of agonising pain and an overwhelming sense of doubt in myself and my body.  How could I return to a ‘normal’ and fulfilling life?  But when the time came working for myself made so much sense, I could work when I wanted to, where I wanted to and, best of all fit around the needs of family life!

I was offered the opportunity to work with a major established company selling makeup and gifts door to door. I enjoyed getting back on my feet at my own pace and it was great meeting new people and being sociable again!

Whilst the flexibility was great, sadly the earnings weren’t, and I’d also noticed my skin reacting to some of the ranges. 

Where did you start when it came to actually making the change?

I realised that self-employed life was attractive to me, especially as a parent. So, I began to look for alternative options locally.

How did you actually make the change? (training, finances, learning etc)

By now I had two boys to think about and one of my school Mum friends had just started with a new company and she invited me over to see what it was all about. I fell in love immediately with the ethics behind the brand and how the products made me feel. I had no formal beauty experience, but I threw myself into all the inhouse training that was on offer. This gave me the confidence and the drive to set myself up on social media and to start promoting my new business.

What were /are the biggest challenges? (internal and external!)

This new chapter hasn’t been without plenty of challenges but then that is what makes it a positive experience!  The first challenge was family, the ones you would think would be the most supportive were a little sceptical and to be honest still can be! You have to build a level of resilience as for many the idea of buying direct from someone rather than a shop is still a little alien, so you learn to accept the ‘nos’ and move on! You need an eye for an opportunity and don’t overlook any that come your way.  Remember that people buy from people and that you need to offer excellent service and exceed their expectations constantly to keep them coming back to you. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

Never settle for something that you are not happy with! You’re working for far too long to be doing something where you don’t feel fulfilled!

How has life changed?

I now have the flexibility to work as and when I want. I’ve made some incredible new friends and have had some amazing experiences that would never have been possible without being self employed with my current company.

What do you miss about your previous line of work?  

In some ways I miss the ‘regular ‘hours. When you are working for yourself it’s hard to stop and to take a break and if you are not careful working from home can be challenging, you need to be strict with your time management otherwise domestic and work life blur into one!

What hopes do you have for your future?

I hope to encourage more people to make healthier lifestyle choices and to empower others to build their own successful businesses.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to find and pursue a career/job they love?

Make a list of pro’s and con’s of your current role, address the ones you have control of then decide whether the others will ever change and if not seek out new challenges that and play to your strengths.

Where can people find / follow you? 

 www.tropicskincare.co.uk/helenchidgey   

 http://instagram.com/helen_chidgey_tropic 

https://www.facebook.com/TropicskincarewithHelenChidgey/ 

Twitter: @tropicstratford

"I have more flexibility with my time, I am not wasting money on public transport, we were able to get a dog, I get to exercise more, my confidence has grown, I have the power to help other business owners and to drive my own life forward." 

 Whilst Hannah's passion for marketing has always been with her, she's moved within the wide scope of the field to fit in with the twists and turns of life over the years, and now loves running her own social media marketing training and coaching consultancy.  I think Hannah's innate talent for creativity has played a huge role in her happiness and success in Marketing, and it just shows what happens when you do work that aligns with who you are.  Whilst being on the right track certainly makes everything more purposeful, you still need to flex that bravery muscle from time to time! "it wasn’t an easy decision and I felt really out of my comfort zone. I took a deep breath and applied for the course."

 

Tell us a little about yourself – who are you besides the job you do? 

I am a Londoner, born and bred however I am only 1% English!

A mum to two teenagers and a gorgeous golden doodle called Nala, we moved to Kent 5 years ago, when I was still commuting into Old Street where I was working in advertising agency. I quickly knew commuting wasn’t something I wanted to do for long.

I love creativity, creative thinking and I am a ‘forever learner’ whether that is doing a course, reading books, listening to podcasts or listening to friends, I love finding out about things and growing my mind and having new experiences.

Walks with my dog, whatever the weather, clear my mind and energise me. I am a keen skier, love pilates and yoga and have continued to invest in my career development becoming an accredited social media trainer and Facebook Ads consultant.

What do you do now?

I run my own Social Media Marketing training and coaching consultancy called HanSocial. Where I work predominantly with a whole range of wellbeing and creative clients helping them to navigate the world of social media to promote, grow and monetise their businesses. I am passionate about mental and physical wellbeing and an art lover and I wonder if this is the reason that most of my clients have been in these areas.

What do you love about it?

I love being able to help my clients to experience a mindset shift, one that enables them to think about their social media content in the same way that they think about the service / experience they provide usually in person. It is such an amazing feeling when I see my clients go from not knowing how to post, what to post, when to post to becoming confident in using the organic social media to advance their business, increasing sales and to having client waiting lists!

What did you do before and how did you end up there?

My passion has always been photography and I have 2 O’levels and an A’Level in it, not because I wanted the certificates but because it gave me access to the dark rooms where I loved to develop my own prints. I found out as an adult, that I am dyslexic and this explained a lot about my visual learning methods and passion for creative ideas and media.

I did a Media and Communication Studies degree and having travelled and lived in Australia I returned to London and ‘fell into what was then called, Sales Promotion, and I loved it. I worked with amazing brands, solving problems, coming up with crazy ideas, commissioning things to built, creating radio competitions with Kiss FM, TV shows with MTV, what was there not to like? I worked hard and played hard and lived and breathed the brands I worked on.

Having children meant that advertising agency life wasn’t compatible with the life I wanted with two young children so, still passionate about marketing, I moved in to marketing recruitment and then to running a creative school for art directors and copywriters in Brixton. Whilst at the school I had to use social channels to promote the school and work with all the ad agencies who sponsored the school. This led me to discover the 6 months intensive Digital Mums Strategic Social Media training programme. So it was upon completion of this that I set up HanSocial, initially doing social media management and now having continued my professional development I focus on training and coaching as well as Facebook/ Instagram Ads.

Why did you decide to change?

Having moved to Kent in 2015, I quickly realised that a 4 hour round trip commute wasn’t going to work with family life and the life that I wanted for us all. Crazily expensive in financial and time terms. I recognised the power of social media and could see that if business owners and entrepreneurs could learn how to use social media properly themselves, that it could be a really cost effective way for them to grow awareness, engage with their audience and make sales whether that be bodies on yoga mats or art on walls.

Where did you start when it came to actually making the change?

Having decided that social media was the area I wanted to specialise in, I started googling social media courses back in 2016, which is when I came across the Digital Mums live learning intensive training programme.

How did you actually make the change? (training, finances, learning etc)

I did 15 hours of learning on the Social Media programme with a live client each week on top of working 4 days a week at an ad agency in London doing their internal recruitment. I couldn’t have done this without the support of my husband, children and our childminder.

I stuck the £2,500 cost of training on a credit card and paid it off monthly. It was a great investment and I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t gone for it – it wasn’t an easy decision and I felt really out of my comfort zone. I took a deep breath and applied for the course.  I was actually on holiday at the time and would have missed the application date if I hadn’t done it.

Subsequently I have continued to reinvest some of my income on continued professional training, such as becoming an accredited social media trainer as well as accredited social media ads consultant and trainer.

What were /are the biggest challenges? (internal and external!)

Massive time management challenges, trying to keep on top of kids school things, home life, as well as work and study. Internal - most definitely feeling not good enough, self sabotage and imposter syndrome!

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t’ worry so much, realise you are doing great!

Believe in yourself.

How has life changed?

I have more flexibility with my time, I am not wasting money on public transport, we were able to get a dog, I get to exercise more, my confidence has grown, I have the power to help other business owners and to drive my own life forward.

What do you miss anything about your previous line of work? 

I miss the office banter, the fun spontaneous drinks and the thought provoking brainstorms and problem solving with a big budget!

What advice would you give to anyone looking to find and pursue a career/job they love?

Make sure that you are realistic about the pro’s and challenges that the new career will hold. Rose tinted specs often lead to disappointment.

When you decide, talk about it! Be proud, the more you tell people what you do the more you make it a reality and it also makes you more accountable, possibilities can also come out of what seemed like nowhere!

Depending on your finances, be prepared to do two jobs at the same time …. Or train whilst still working. It’s a hard juggle but worth it. Be prepared for the hard graft.

Surround yourself with supportive friends and family – they are key to helping to get you through the transition.

Don’t be a wantrepreneur - Idea now – idea in 6 months

Be an entrepreneur – idea now – business in 6 months

I love sharing resources!  Are there any resources such as books, blogs, podcasts, courses etc that you'd recommend for people figuring out what they want to do for work and/or getting started?

I found the book ‘Purpose’ by Jessica Huie interesting as it helps to recognise your power and confidence to design a life you love.

I really love the booked called The Source by Dr Tara Swart which focuses on the power of mindset. She uses neuroscience to show how we can actively alter the way our brains work.

Dr Rangan Chattergee’s podcasts are so interesting, they are thought provoking and help us to find our truths and lead the life we want.

Where can people find / follow you? (if appropriate)

My website is www.hansocial.co.uk where there is currently a free 14 page download on How to harness the power of hashtags for Instagram.

Instagram: @hansocial