This week’s Ambassador Feature is with Jessica Symes, Symes Group
2018 AusMumpreneur Business Excellence Award silver winner
*****
Tell us the story behind why you love what you do and why you’re so passionate about sharing your message.
I started my business when my first child was born out of necessity and an almost desperation as the financial responsibilities of parenthood and building the foundations of financial stability and opportunity became a priority. For me, I also didn’t want to be away from my child five days a week as that wasn’t something I wanted to do at the time. I naively decided to start my own business and become an entrepreneur or a Mumpreneur. I based the foundations of the business on what I was good at, what I was passionate about and what people would pay me to do. The formula was focused on goal setting, planning, working really hard and with grit and mental toughness, never giving up. The foundations of my business became around helping others to achieve the same by empowering career confidence through communication and collaboration skills, education growth mindset and creativity and curiosity. Jessica is on a mission to be a part of working towards a Utopian workforce of the future in which everyone loves their jobs, has passion and purpose with out compromising their home or outside worklife.
Tell us a story about a challenging time you faced, how you overcame it and what lesson/lessons/wisdom this experience has taught you about life and business.
The most challenging time in my business was realising that it wasn’t currently profitable because there were too many things going on and some were making money and some were draining money. I had to come to the conclusion that just because you have been doing things a certain way doesn’t mean that you can’t pivot and go in a different direction. Understanding that business is about responding to the market and the opportunities rather than just setting them yourself. What I want to do is irrelevant if no body wants to buy it .I decided to drastically cut out any unnecessary overheads to the business and delete all services and offerings that were not making a profit compared to the resources required to deliver. At that time, I also decided not to spend any more advertising dollars but instead to create my own content to become the marketing for the company. I also decided to productise and scale by going digital. Letting go of the old and tired was not as hard as I thought, in fact it was liberating and the commercial reasons for doing so have already proven to have worked as we are now profitable and heading in the right direction.
What are 3 pieces of advice you would give someone starting out in business?
1. Do you really want to do it? It’s all in or nothing and you don’t have to be a business to do your own thing, you can be a sole trader or consultant.
2. Think creatively and laterally
3. Be unique, be different and be you.
(Image credit: Alex Anderson, Jam on your Collar)
What is your proudest business achievement? Why does this mean so much to you?
Winning the 2018 AusMumpreneur Business Excellence Award meant everything to me as I started my business because of my son or for my son and as a result learnt that I loved being in business and that being an entrepreneur was in my blood and I am so proud of being a Mumpreneur. I am also proud of putting myself in the running three years in a row for the AusMumpreneur Awards and each time listening to the feedback of the judges and the advice of the speakers at the conference and implementing the changes suggested that fit my business and using the experience as a catalyst for fuel to grow and became better and better. Being nominated for the Ausmumpreneur Awards and each year being a finalist as well as being a part of the amazing Ausmum community has played a big part in the growth and success of my business thus far and plays a big part in the plans for Symes Group in the next couple of upcoming years and the overall vision of the business. Thank you Peace and Katy for providing that platform for me and the thousands of other Ausmums that you have helped.
Finally what do you believe is the secret to success?
Confidence, courage, creativity, imagination, storytelling skills, authenticity, leadership and relationship building skills, commercial acumen, mental toughness, grit, passion and something valuable to sell that people on mass want and need.
About our AusMumpreneur Ambassador
Jessica Symes literally grew up in a theatre rehearsal room with both parents working at The Nimrod Street Theatre. That upbringing has coloured and shaped her career today. Jessica is the CEO and Founder of Symes Group, a Leadership and Coaching Consultancy with its principals grounded in creativity and coaching psychology. Symes Group design and deliver people development programs to support organisations to thrive in today’s ever changing business landscape. Jessica holds a BA Communications from Charles Sturt University, a GRAD Dip Directing from NIDA and a Masters in Applied Science – The Psychology of Coaching from Sydney University. Jessica is a coach, speaker and consultant with a mission for everyone to have career confidence and flourishing, meaningful and purpose driven work and life integration. Jessica is passionate about being an Ausmumpreneur and building a business alongside raising her three beautiful sons, Matthew, Sam and Joe as well as being a wife and partner to her wonderful husband Miles. To learn more, please visit Website, Facebook and Instagram.