Mumma O was born in 2013 when I was pregnant with my son. I’d been experimenting with raw sweets for about a year and decided I wanted to share a few of my recipes via Facebook and grow my collection. My purpose was to also better nourish myself during pregnancy as well as slowly developing recipes for my little guy once he was earth side and ready to eat. I launched my page and within a week I already had 1,000 followers. Over next 4 years I shared recipes, photos, kitchen tips and tricks, hosted numerous workshops and sampling evening, gave out samples, ran market stalls, hosted competitions and was a guest at local events.
I”ll never forget the market stall I shared with a friend at 34 weeks pregnant with my second child. I had to arrange my morning and find somebody to look after my 2 year old son firstly (I get mad mumma guilts!). It was a freak 38 degree day and we were set up on the black bitumen car park. It was so hot under our tent and these markets had recently been moved from a really successful spot. The new spot however was not so successful and I made $150 profit. 6 hours of setting up and packing up and standing in the sun (not to mention all the work it took to make all my product). That was my last market. Having raw treats in markets is a challenge in itself to keep anything from melting and spoiling, let alone being heavily pregnant and over it.
Perhaps I should of persisted? Perhaps in 6 months I would of had 100’s of followers coming each week to grab their favourite treats. Who knows? As a mother of two now I have realised I simply can’t do everything, so I focus on what I can do. I’ve never used daycare and wanted to be the mum who taught my children how to behave at the shops, how to cook, and for them to realise that things just don’t happen, we make them happen as a family and as a team. I hit 10,000 in December 2016 and am currently at 11,805.
It is a continuous work in progress and a labour of love. I’m always thinking of my next post, recipe, photo, eBook and how to broaden my reach. I have never paid somebody to assist me in my marketing to date, but it is most definitely something I’d consider. Social media sites such as Facebook for example are relying more on paid and sponsored advertising, so if I went down that road to gain maximum exposure and more reach then I would seriously consider some assistance. Facebook and Instagram have changed so much in the past 4 years. I love what I do. I love helping people make better choices. That has and always will be my mantra.
If you can afford organic superfood ingredients then that’s awesome. If you can only afford dates and coconut from Coles then that’s also awesome. Why? Because it’s still better than buying a highly processed Snickers Bar full of refined and synthetic. 2 bags of dates is $3.20. 2 bags of salted peanuts is around $4. A bag of coconut is $3. Two blocks of dark chocolate are $4 and a jar of coconut oil is $5. So for $25 (ish) you can make two slabs (40 decent squares) of different slices (which are freezable and will store for months. See where I’m going? I wanted healthier options to be accessible to everyone.
So, going back a little, my recipe collection grew from 20 recipes at the end of 2013 in my first year to 129 now in my Sweet Recipe Photo Album today. It was all trial and error, a labour of love and everything was made from the heart. It was a hobby turned into a dream and a lifestyle.
In December 2017 I launched my first eBook ‘Mumma O Basics.’ It’s pretty basic, and very basic on the eye. I love it, but, knew there was room to grow and improve tenfold on presentation and style. I’d been using essential oils on and off for 4 years and then came across Young Living which has 35 culinary oils approved by the food standards of Australia and New Zealand. I was impressed. I was more than impressed! So I switched out my old oils I used in the home and on myself and the kids and started on my Young Living journey in December 2017. In the first week of April 2018 I launched my second eBook ‘Healthy Treats With Essential Oils.’ It’s 100% better than the first. My photography skills are improving and I’m slowly simplifying the content and steps in the recipes. I never stop learning. I just wish I had a bucket of money to tip in and get everything I need. Don’t we all!
My kitchen is approved by our local council so now I take lots of private orders for birthdays, kitchen teas and the like, as well as supplying 5 cafes with healthy sweet options. Now, as a mother of two, 4 and under it’s a constant juggle. I love to keep fit as I believe a strong body assists in building a strong mind. I still teach Body Combat and Body Pump a few times a week and have a few long term clients I still personal train. Team that with being a Mum (most fulfilling AND hardest job all in one!) and experimenting in the kitchen and yep it’s busy! I am a constant work in progress. Some weeks I might make $150 and some it’s 5 times that and sometimes more and sometimes less. Overall, it grows each year either financially or portfolio wise. Mumma O will continue to build and I will continue to love and embrace my journey within it.
Mumma O love’s motivating and inspiring people to clean out their kitchens a little and to make a few healthier choices for their families. Most of her recipes consist of cheap, easy and accessible ingredients that you can buy at the supermarket.. without racing around to specialty shops and having to order from the ends of the earth over the net. She has simplified so many recipes so that the busiest of people can make it in a flash. You can find her at Facebook and Instagram.