When pregnant with her son, Lise Taylor took a look around the popular Australian parenting magazines and she didn’t like what she saw. Taylor thought the features were too superficial and the designs too busy. So what did she do? She launched her own parenting publication — My Child magazine.
The birth of My Child
At 41, Lise Taylor gave birth to her son, Duncan, in 2004. And like many moms, she struggled with desire to spend as much time with her newborn as possible while also needing an income. She had been working in the magazine industry for years and with the support of her husband Brian, she was able to start her own parenting magazine — My Child, an Australian quarterly publication.
“We chose to publish the magazine independently because my husband and I didn’t want to be beholden to anyone,” she explains. “The whole point was to be able to live our lives the way we wanted to, in particular in relation to being able to both work but also have stay-at-home Mum and Dad time!”
Though it was tough in the beginning, the magazine is now thriving. “We have got past those early years now and, looking back, publishing a print magazine really is the best thing I’ve ever done and I’ve learned an incredible amount in the process.”
About the magazine
So what makes My Child stand out among all the other parenting magazines and websites out there? “My Child is the sort of magazine I wanted to buy when I was pregnant and new to motherhood. It is [a] less mainstream magazine than its two main competitors, which I found far too superficial in their approach and unaesthetic in their design, without being overly upmarket.”
“My vision is for the magazine to be respected by the medical community of doctors, obstetricians, midwives and pediatricians Australia-wide, and enjoyed by mums-to-be and parents as a trusted, reassuring, warm and inspiring resource that they know they can rely on. I believe we have achieved this!”
Finding a balance
As most business owners (and moms) know, it’s important for your physical and emotional health to find time for yourself away from work. When you run a home-based business, that can be incredibly difficult.
“My life is one constant juggle however I find ‘me time’ essential, particularly as we still run our business from our home. I go a bit stir-crazy if I don’t get out!” says Taylor. “My husband and I have always made the time for date nights, even if they’re sometimes only once a month. We also take our son out for an early dinner one night a week, normally a Tuesday night. We’ve done this since he was a baby and find we can take him to any type of restaurant now, even fine dining. Mind you, an iPad or electronic games device does help sometimes! We also entertain a lot with friends and neighbors and I love to let my hair down on a good night out on the town with the girls!”
Advice to other mompreneurs
To start your own business, you need a creative, well thought out business plan, along with plenty of passion and drive. Even with all that, you need a good support system too.
Taylor’s advice to those moms wanting to start their own business: “Come up with an original idea and be passionate about achieving your goals. There’s nothing easy about running a business — you’ll never work harder — and don’t think you’ll be able to do it when your baby or children are around. You’ve got no chance unless you sit them in front of the TV all day! You’ll need childcare or to work at night.”
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