The Illawarra has two finalists in the 2018 AusMumpreneur Awards.
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Following news that Lisa Burling, of LBPR in Wollongong, is a finalist in the Rising Star category it has been revealed Jade Rennie, of The Brain Child, has been named a finalist in the Service category.
The AusMumpreneur Awards presented by The AusMumpreneur Network in Melbourne on August 31 will celebrate and recognise Australian mums in business who are achieving outstanding success.
They were launched to celebrate the achievements of a growing number of women who successfully balance motherhood and business in a way that suits their life and family.
Mrs Rennie is founder of a creative design studio in Nowra that specialises in logo design, branding, web design.
The Brain Child offers design services to business and not-for-profits.
Her aim is to help her clients grow their business through her creative designs.
Mrs Rennie’s interest in digital design started while she was doing A Diploma in Arts (illustration).
She soon added style editor, business admin, buying, marketing and sales to the CV over the next seven years in a career that took her from Melbourne to Sydney and Singapore.
She said motivation, organisation and discipline were all important to her success as a business owner and mum.
Interstate moves allowed her partner to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor.
She said the hardest thing was leaving support networks behind.
Relocating from her hometown of Mornington on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria to the Shoalhaven moved her away from friends, her family and to some degree her identity.
Part of the role she undertook was to keep her family afloat financially which is why she became self-employed with two children under the age of three.
Mrs Rennie said her children were a big driver behind building The Brain Child business and promoting herself as a graphic designer.
She has adopted her own advice to her children by being brave, following her dreams and leading by example.
“Being selected as a finalist means so much to me because the freedom of being self-employed is second to none,” she said.
Mrs Rennie said her decision to become self employed meant she was able to manage her own hours and work around her family. But is is not something she takes for granted.
“The freedom that being a mumpreneur gives a mum with young children is truly priceless,” she said.
Win, lose or draw at the national awards night Mrs Rennie hopes her story will inspire other women to believe in themselves. And that they too can work for themselves doing what they love.
Mrs Rennie’s advice to others thinking about starting their own enterprise is “small business ownership is a journey, don’t compare yourself to other businesses highlight reels on social media, they don’t often advertise their shortcomings and failures”.
“Value your clients as they will be your biggest advocates. So treat them well and always give them more than they expect.
“Honesty is always appreciated and lastly, to not be afraid of failure. That is when the lessons are learned”.
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