A PERSONAL NOTE  FROM ME (AMY):

✨📝 On taking my own advice

The first note (of more to come bi-weekly on weekends) I've written to you all since the start of 2024 about Mixing Babies And Business™:

Some of you I have only known for weeks, others for months, and many for years! But what I do know is we have many things in common:

• you likely found me because you are (also) passionate about doing work you care about;
• in a way that doesn't harm (and may even support) other humans;
• you have been raising your own children; and/or or
• trying to create inclusive business spaces and experiences.

You want to lead by example.

Start as you mean to go on.

Show up (with your kids).

And if you're not the one showing up with your kids in this season of your life, you will always:

• pull out a chair and welcome others as they arrive;
• offer to hold the baby while they load their pitch deck; and
• mention their name positively to others when they're not in the room.

I'm writing with gratitude for all of you who have done all of the above with me, for me or before me...and oftentimes more.

It does take a village as they say. And we are also responsible for paying it forward and carving a safer path for those who are going to cycle through their own journeys as parents in future.

I haven't been able to show up for this newsletter over the past 12 months as I would have loved to – life had other plans and healing without a timeline was one of them – but while I haven't been able to 'show up' as often in your inbox, I have been working on a few things behind the scenes.

This past year has been full of many ups and downs – instead of focusing on the downs (you can read those on my previous posts via LinkedIn), let's highlight some of the ups, shall we?

• I've embodied my own advice from my first book 'Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience', setting up a pottery studio at home and joining a local community studio (design), producing handmade ceramics and art prints (create), exhibiting and selling my work at local markets and boutiques (launch) – it's been a refreshing experience to actively practice what I preach and of course, the kids witnessed it and helped out with market days, pricing and displays

• someone nominated me for RBC's 32nd Annual Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards presented by Women of Influence+ in March, the finalists will be announced next month and gala is in November (I forgot to share this when it happened in spring but I'm doing my best to spread the word now and celebrate this milestone!)

• children's play area supplies from my previous meetups have been donated to the Youville Centre in Ottawa, where I also delivered a workshop for their clients about 'Pitching and Presenting With Kids', which was well received (and reminded me again of the importance of showing up, sharing your lived experiences, repeating the message because not all audiences have heard it, challenging the status quo and asking for help)

• Mixing Babies And Business™ has become a federally incorporated company in Canada and I am officially a majority shareholder of a private company (prior to now, I've been running things as a sole proprietor under my own name and that of my first business – Notes From Another Land – registered when we relocated to Ottawa with our first kid. Now they are two separate things with different products, services, audiences and I have three kids..I guess that means my family and these businesses' plans are 'growing up'!)

• interviews for Season 6 of the Mixing Babies And Business™ Podcast are underway and will start to roll out in early September for the remainder of the year and into 2025 (so far guests and I have talked about public speaking, intergenerational family living, remote work and co-living communities, nomad family travel, raising a family and building a business as a neurodivergent individual, career planning, financial literacy and the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement and I can't wait to share these conversations with you)

It's been lovely to catch up with you. To get to know more about your values, your family, your work.

If you'd like to update me on what you're working on, I'm all ears.

And until next time, thank you once again for reaching out and showing up!

I'll be back in your inbox in early September,

– Amy Lynch (+ Family)

Founder + Podcast Host

Mixing Babies And Business™

More from Mixing Babies And Business™:

• Explore my digital resource hub
• Tune into the podcast on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Website
• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Book a call to chat about your journey mixing babies and business

Crafted with 💜 and care in Canada

Sending you positive vibes and parenthood solidarity ✨

Copyright © 2016–2024 Amy Maureen Lynch, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email as you have indicated your interest in Mixing Babies And Business™ / Babies, Business + Breakfast™ through a previous call, event query, digital resource and/or registered via our online opt-in.

We don't SPAM, do third party advertising or share your details.

Only parenthood and professional development goodness to keep you motivated and informed!