Parents in Business featuring De Start Up Lab
Career

Parents in Business featuring De Startup Lab

This week on my Parents in Business series I am delighted to feature Dahlia who created De Startup Lab with her business partner Elena. The business is an online coaching business, with a huge focus on self-care –  something that is becoming increasingly apparent and needed for all who are constantly putting others needs before their own. 

This is a business story of success which aims to keep the boundaries between family life and work life separate, whilst always striving towards its goals. Here’s my interview with Dahlia from De Startup Lab….

Tell me a little bit about you, your background, and your business?

I have a background in Marketing and brand management in top FMCGs like Nestle’ and Beiersdorf (NIVEA) for over 7 years combined.  I then went on to do a masters in CSR (corporate social responsibility) and worked as a freelancer in this field. During this of studying and freelancing I had 3 children and found that there was no flexible childcare solutions – nurseries were inflexible, nannies needed commitments as did childminders. I also missed the office banter and meeting other professionals – so I set up my own pop-up coworking space and creche in a local church. I then went on to set up my own Ofsted registered nursery in a coworking space in Shoreditch which was doing very well.
 
After 2 years of running Entreprenursery – the building was due to be demolished and I had to reassess my priorities, I realised that my passion came from connecting people, coaching and running workshops. So I started an online coaching and e-course business, this time, with my business partner Elena. We have started with our flagship course – Business planning bootcamp which can be done at home, easily and without an fluff.  We also focus a lot on selfcare – something a lot of entrepreneurs are not talking about. The focus seems to mostly be around making big money and quick. We are more realistic, and we really highlight the importance of self care as a building block for a successful business.  

What were your motivations for setting up your business?

At Entreprenursery I loved connecting people and talking through their business ideas.  I was coaching and mentoring my members. I realised that this is where my true passion is, so when I met Elena and realised that we have such complimentary skills – it was a no brainer.  We can build courses together, coach clients, design workshops and events using our combined skills customers would be getting so much more value!

How do you balance the business around your family and childcare?

I work around my children’s schedule.  This is really important to me. I drop the children to school, and I’m there at most pickups and after school activities and of course homework time.  My work fits in between my children’s schedules. For Elena – her son is just starting nursery – so she will also be working in between nursery drop offs and nap times!  We also both work after bed time, it works for now but probably as our business grows we will need to get support via a VA and social media support as well so that we can focus on grown our business.

 

Since setting up your business what has been your biggest success to date?

Our biggest success was getting 12 signups for our very first course launch!

 

What’s your top tip for anyone who is thinking about setting up their own business?

Look after yourself, be present, and put clear goals to work towards.  Also network a lot and collaborate!

Thank you so much for letting me feature you on my blog, and all the best for the future! 

You can find out more by visiting De Startup Lab on their website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels. 

If you like what you’re reading and would love to be part of my Parents in Business series just drop me an email: thepramshedblog@gmail.com. Or have a nose at some of the other businesses I have featured in the series: Bisou Candle CoMindset by Pinky, and Kingshill Studios

Claire x

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet