We caught up with mum of four and home educator Emma from Basking Babies Hornchurch to hear all about her Basking Babies journey.
Around 18 months after attending a Basking Babies Baby Massage course with my youngest son, the opportunity arose for me to join the team. As a mum to four children who I home educate, I was looking for a business that would fit in with my family life. On top of that, it had to also align with what I was passionate about.
You get the understanding very quickly that Basking Babies is a brand who genuinely want to be there to support parents and their families. The team provides the utmost care to everyone they meet. I felt that taking all of this into account, as well as their fabulous reputation across Essex, it was the perfect fit for me. That was enough to make me jump at the opportunity.
I had previously worked as a qualified Nursery Nurse but when my third child was a baby, I trained as a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter. I ran feeding groups in a children’s centre as well as providing private support to mums. After that I then went on to do an Access to Midwifery course.
Having not owned a business before, it was all quite new to me. However, the support I have had from Carla (Owner and Founder of Basking Babies), Claire (Franchisee Support Manager) and the other franchisees has been astounding. For that reason, I absolutely love being apart of the Basking Babies team!
Everyone at Basking Babies wants the best for each other and are on hand with any advice or support that is needed. I have asked a lot of questions along the way but have never been made to feel like a bother.
I thoroughly enjoyed the training given over a period of a few weeks. It was a great chance for me to get to know Carla and some of the other franchisees very quickly. By the end of training, I felt completely prepared to run my own classes, which I began at the start of March 2020.
Although a little nervous, I delivered my first session and completely loved meeting the new mums and babies. I got to show them all of the amazing benefits of baby massage and watched them bond over conversations of ‘mum life’. It felt so rewarding and I knew that I made the right decision by joining the team.
Two weeks after I started running my classes, we went into ‘lockdown’ due to Covid-19. I think being able to be flexible and move with whatever was thrown at me, as well as the fact I completely trusted that Carla would be able to help me navigate everything, was what helped me get through it all. I certainly did not think that would be how I would be running my classes!
Since starting my Basking Babies journey, I have learned so much that I cannot quite recognize myself in some areas! Overall, it has shown me my strength and made me a more confident person. I am excited to see how far I can take my business so that I can help give my family even better opportunities as they grow. All while not having to compromise on our beliefs with what we want for their education.
I am proud that my family can see me as a businesswoman working in an area that I love so much. I would recommend anyone who is thinking about whether to take the opportunity to do so. You will be pushed out of your comfort zone and you will have to learn lots of new things. But, the rewards that come from that will be so completely worth it.