This week’s Ambassador Feature is with Natalie Roberts-Mazzeo, Miracle Mama
2017 Gold winner of AusMumpreneur Influencer award
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Tell us about yourself and your business?
Miracle Mama is an online sanctuary for mums who have a child with a disability or life changing diagnosis. Specifically designed to help empower mothers to manage their unique life circumstances. The mission is to revolutionise the way we approach special needs parenting and disability all over the world.
Through coaching, speaking, writing and online community, my aim is to create space for women to find peace and purpose in their motherhood journey’s and meet each day with more ease and flow.
Aside from 1:1 coaching packages through ‘The Reignite Program’, I also created ‘The Miracle Project’ an inspirational blog (soon to be podcast) where I interview mothers from around the globe to share their unique stories from diagnosis, grief, shock all the way through to joy, acceptance and gratitude.
What was your inspiration for your business?
It all began after my youngest daughter Chiara had a stroke.
Before Chiara was diagnosed I was working as a yoga and meditation teacher, however due to the demands of hospital’s, therapies and broken sleep, I decided to close my business and concentrate on the huge task at hand!
I began to share my journey via a personal blog Chiara’s Journey. Soon my writing began to connect and help other mums in similar positions. I would stay up past midnight and respond to every single message I received from a mum who shared their child’s diagnosis with me. Their stories are extraordinary, heart-wrenching yet deeply inspirational. However, these mums were all experiencing the feelings of exhaustion, grief, guilt, isolation, sadness and worry. I wanted to help them as much as I could.
So I decided to create an online resource specifically for mums raising a child with a disability, diagnosis or life-threatening condition. I knew that my writing was connecting with them and I wanted to offer more, so I trained as a life coach and Miracle Mama was created.
My daughter Chiara is the heartbeat behind Miracle Mama.
Did you have any experience in running a business or in this industry before?
My background was in corporate, I worked for Buena Vista Home Entertainment (The Walt Disney Company) as a National Account Manager and Trade Marketing Executive. I was responsible for some of the largest accounts in Australia, so organisation and professionalism was paramount.
So from a business level, I had incredible experience with one of the worlds largest leading producers and providers of entertainment. I gained incredible skills not only in business, but relationships. I’ve made life long friends from my previous work life and feel blessed to have worked for such a fun team.
After I left the corporate world, I studied to become a Yoga Teacher as well as a Naturopath, the focus on health and wellness has been huge for my business supporting mum’s. Prior to launching Miracle Mama, I studied to become a qualified Life Coach, so I could further support women who are raising children with additional needs.
Most of all, I have hands on experience with raising a child with very high needs, so I am able to combine my previous corporate with my current health and wellness work.
What’s your point of difference that makes your business special or unique?
My motherhood situation is unique in the sense that I am raising two girls, one of them had a stroke, so is 100% reliant on me for her every day needs. My business is an extension of my every day life, learning to find creative and new ways to approach this challenging yet incredibly rewarding motherhood journey.
What have you learnt about yourself since becoming an entrepreneur?
That resilience is just the beginning! I have learnt to become adaptable, flexible yet firmly focused on my vision.
I have learnt to align to my highest purpose of connecting to my “why” and letting my work flow from there.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them?
Running a business whilst also being a mother/carer to my beautiful daughter who cannot walk, talk, self-feed, bath, dress, go to the toilet. Due to the nature of my daughter’s complex health conditions, my time is often dictated by the calendar of hospital appointments, therapies and day-to-day care. Which means that I have spent a lot of time working on my business during adhoc hours and yes even in hospital waiting rooms!
So I have focused a lot on my business foundations and organisation to keep it flowing, so I can continue to meet both my passions : my family + my business.
I have so many ideas to help serve and support the special needs community, that I often have way too many balls in the air at once. I’m on a mission to create a lot more streamline action for my business, so I can work more efficiently.
What lessons have your business taught you about life?
That you can work smarter, not harder.
That as a women showing up in the world with many roles such as: mother, special-needs mother, wife, business owner, daughter, sister etc that you need to honour yourself first.
Just like life, there is always going to be bumps in the road.
Keep sailing, there’s a new adventure just around the corner. Not all your business ideas and plans will work out – the need to let go and move on is just as important in business, as it is in life.
If you could go back to when you were starting your business and give your younger self some advice what would you tell her?
Stay aligned to ‘your’ vision, do not get distracted by the success of others and feel your dreams are simply unachievable in comparison.
Your real work, is in helping to change lives – the likes, comments, shares of social media are secondary to the important work that is at the core of what you do.
When those challenges arise and you feel overwhelmed, let it be a gentle reminder that you are human and to nourish yourself and invest in self care.
Most of all be patient, and trust that the momentum will build when you have all the right foundations in place. Go slowly, be brave and keep shining your light.
What’s next for your business?
I’ve recently launched The Reignite Program, to further help support mum’s raising children with additional needs.
I aim to reach more mums in need, so together we can embrace this wild motherhood experience.
If you could change the world, and money was no object, what would you do?
Create a cure for every single child living with a complex medical condition, so they could access life with complete heath, wellness and ease.
To learn more about Natalie and Miracle Mama, please visit
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/natalierobertsmazzeo/
Facebook community: The Miracle Project with Natalie Roberts-Mazzeo
Nominations are open for the 2018 AusMumpreneur Awards!
Proudly presented by AusMumpreneur and The Women’s Business School, the AusMumpreneur Awards recognise the best and brightest in the Australian mumpreneur industry, acknowledging success in business, product development & innovation and customer service at a glamorous awards event held in Melbourne. Previous AusMumpreneur of the Year winners and finalists have been featured in national media including Sunrise, The Today Show, Today Tonight, Cosmopolitan, and the Herald Sun and The Australian since winning this award
To nominate yourself or a mumpreneur you admire, please click here. HURRY! Nominations close 29 June 2018.
