61: The Podcast Turns One; Lessons, Downloads and a Glass of Wine in Brittany

This solo episode is coming to you from a bench on the shoreline of Brittany, recorded after a day of full sun, a generous glass of wine at dinner and several failed attempts to get the usual tech setup working from a campervan. It was a perfectly imperfect way to mark the first birthday of the Mum Means Business podcast. A year ago I was a 39 year old mum of two with tech overwhelm, raging imposter syndrome and a glint of excitement pressing publish on the very first episode. I had no audience, no downloads, no financial backing and no real idea what I was doing. All I had was a healthy fear of regret and a hunch that I would love it. In this episode I reflect on the three biggest lessons the past year of podcasting has taught me, share my download stats because I wish someone had done this transparently for me when I was starting out and say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has chosen to listen in. In this episode, I reflect on: ✨ Why starting the podcast felt like the scariest and most necessary thing I could have done at 40 and how the decision to take action when I felt stuck changed everything ✨ The moment I bought Jenna Kutcher's podcast lab, took my first small steps and how those thoughts of who are you to start a podcast have grown quieter with every passing month ✨ Why we were never supposed to do this alone and how this podcast has helped me find and connect with women who truly get what it means to build a business whilst raising small humans ✨ The antidote that honest, unfiltered conversations about the messy reality of entrepreneurship provide to the curated and filtered version we are sold everywhere else ✨ The download stats I am sharing because I could not find enough of this kind of transparency when I was starting out - from 1000 downloads at four months to nearly 5000 at the one year mark ✨ Why the quote about overestimating what you can do in a year but underestimating what you can do in a decade has never felt more relevant and what building the D-Day Revisited charity over 11 years taught me about the long game ✨ Why things take time, why that is okay and why focusing on the journey rather than the destination has made this whole experience all the richer Takeaway for Mums in Business: You overestimate what you can do in a year but underestimate what you can do in a decade. Things take time. If you can take action, stretch your comfort zone and find the people who truly get what you are trying to do, the rest will follow. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!