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What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?

One of the earliest challenges we had was trying to work out where to spend our limited marketing budget. Chris nor I had any sales experience. We had this really great service but were weren’t sure what the best way was to attract clients.

The first thing we did was connect with other local businesses. I found a Facebook Group in our local area for business owners. I connected with other local women, who told me what had worked and, more importantly, what hadn’t worked for them. Marketing is definitely not ‘one size fits all’, but it gave me insight into what my options were so I could assess what the best approaches would be for us.

Finding a network to exchange ideas is so important, even just for your sanity. When you start a business, it’s often just you, so connecting with people that are going through similar experiences is amazing. We set up a WhatsApp group for The Sleep Consultant Academy graduates so they can support each other as they start their new careers.

In 3 words, how would you describe your business journey so far?

The primary driver for setting up our own business was to have more time with our boys. We wanted something that pays well but gives us the flexibility to be with them. But we also wanted something that enriched us, as well as paying the bills! So my 3 words would be Flexible – Grow – Thrive.

What makes you proud?

I am so proud of Chris every day. He had a vision, not just for a business but a lifestyle for our family. If it weren’t for him taking that leap of faith, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

What is your best tip for someone struggling to take their business idea forward?

Figure out what your blockers are and invest in removing that. This is something we teach our graduates all the time. You are going to thrive at so many elements of your business and others you are going to find hard. You can sometimes get stuck and spend lots of time on one element, which can stop you moving forward.

We had an example of this recently. On the course, we help you create your own brand name and logo. But one of our students was struggling as ‘creativity’ wasn’t her strong point. My advice was to pay someone to do it. She found a design student in her local area that created something she was really happy with for about £100. She then went on to build her own website, write her own copy, and she flew. There were others that designed their own logo but needed some help setting up Google ads as it’s more analytical than creativity. Don’t try and be everything, and recognise when you need a bit of help.

How do you manage your time between family and business?

We are so lucky that sleep consultancy is flexible around family life. My biggest problem is saying no to new clients. I have to remind myself that my primary drive is flexibility with my boys, but I do find it hard to say no when a family I have worked with before recommend me to friends or family.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

We have 3 young boys, so I don’t feel like spare time is a thing at the moment! But when I do, I am a big reader. I am part of a local book club, and I always make sure I carve the time out to go to the meetings and read the book. And my love for Italian food is being adopted by my kids – they love spaghetti and pizza, so we try and eat out as a treat.

Who or what inspires you?

I am constantly being inspired by the amazing women that come and train with us. So many of them leave careers they have worked all their lives to achieve, and then when they have children, they reprioritise. That’s HUGE and very brave. It is now our passion to take these women on a journey to set up a thriving new business but at their pace. It’s important to keep your goals in mind. Some women join us and say they want to work 2 days per week, whereas others want to jump into a massive new venture. Both are achievable. ■

Dani and Chris McFadden themummyanddaddysleepconsultant.com