44 - Kathy Stowell of Bliss Beyond Naptime

Kathy Stowell is the 'Founder and Chief Midwife' of Mama Bliss Coaching School and The Bliss Beyond Naptime Podcast, and she's all about helping MOMpreneurs find their purpose and get their start in business.

What gave you the idea to help other mom’s start their own business? Kathy’s creative juices began to flow quite by accident. She sought the help of a family acupuncturist for a “deep wound cleaning” to help heal past familial issues in order become the healthiest version of herself both emotionally and physically as she prepared for her upcoming marriage and eventual motherhood.

Kathy’s acupuncturist encouraged her to express herself creatively every day and thus began her journey of healing, evolving and helping others. Admittedly, this exercise turned he into a “creative monster” as she began painting, sewing, knitting etc. and eventually starting a blog to document her crafting.

After she and her husband moved, she once again began to brainstorm on how she could creatively earn an income while living in a remote area. She then began a soap-making business which she eventually sold. Her next business venture involved selling handmade clothes and e-courses on how to make handmade clothes.

Kathy grew tired of the crafting realm and sought the advice of a career coach named Michelle Ward. Michelle asked Kathy to reflect upon which of her talents and abilities people most complimented her. Kathy realized she was able to be as creative and productive as she was due to the “Simplicity Parenting” style she adopted from a book of the same name written by Kim John Payne. Kathy became certified as a Simplicity Parenting Coach and Creativity Coach. Her goals were to help others take small steps in their lives to then reach their dreams. Mamma Bliss Coaching was born out of a merging of these two coaching schools and a desire to inspire others to find/express their creative inner selves.

Once you earned your certifications, what was the next step towards creating Mamma Bliss Coaching? Kathy reached out to her blog followers and gained initial coaching clients through her newsletter. She then expanded her reach through the same advertising platforms she used to promote her previous businesses. Over the years, as clients requested Kathy teach them how to become coaches, her business model evolved as saw the need to train and certify those clients. Kathy has been certifying people through the Mamma Bliss Coaching School for over three years and her clients’ positive feedback affirmed she was on the right creative path. Kathy continues to offer both private coaching and a coaching certification course through her school.

Tell us about your model for offering the coaching school certification courses. True to form and the Simplicity Parenting style, Kathy offers two course semesters per year around her children’s schedules. Both fall and spring courses run for 12-weeks. She also offers a specialized Time Management Course for existing Mamma Bliss Coaches.

What marketing techniques have best helped you promote your business? Teleseminars have worked very well for Kathy’s business. She describes them as a “party over the phone!”

What challenges have your business posed and what did you do to overcome those obstacles? Kathy admits her own insecurities and self-doubt, the “mind-trip”, which creeps up on occasion can be an ever-present obstacle but she deals with these doubts using the same coaching tools/techniques she teaches through her school. For example, try creating a “reminder list” of your successes and accomplishments to serve as a reminder that everything you have to offer serves a need or purpose.

What do you wish you had known before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey? Kathy shares with us she wishes she had experienced a mindset shift sooner in her blogging career. This would have allowed her the confidence at the beginning of her career to promote and market herself and her course teachings without feeling shy or guilty about monetizing her services.

As a mom, how do you create a work-life balance? Kathy sets up a framework for family time and work time. Although, she is flexible knowing things can change at a moment’s notice. While her children are cared for by a babysitter who stops by a few days a week, Kathy has uninterrupted work time. Also, she and her husband trade-off weekend days so they each can have their own personal or work time.

How do you know your current business track is fulfilling your purpose? The turning point for Kathy came when she was faced with the realization that in order to help support the family, she had to either get a “real” job or commit to her entrepreneurial dreams. This dilemma was affirmation that she was going to work even harder to make Mamma Bliss Coaching a success. As her husband jokingly implies, “It’s game time.” Indeed it is.

What’s one non-tech tool you can’t live without for your business? The Planner Pad! She uses a day timer to track and organize her schedule as well as her ideas. You can find the version she likes best on www.plannerpad.com.

More About Kathy:   Kathy Stowell is the founder and Chief Dream Midwife of Mama Bliss Coaching School (http://www. blissbeyondnaptime.com/mama- bliss-coaching-school/) - a 12 week coaching training program for moms wanting to coach other moms with a focus on self-care, creativity, values and simplicity.

And when she's not coaching moms to coach moms, you can find her indulging in yet another triple shot latte, sewing something cute in her downstairs studio or sweating it out at the local hot yoga studio.

Connect with Kathy and explore your inner mama bliss by visiting Bliss Beyond Naptime. There you can sign up for her free ecourse, Money Bliss: Earn an Income from Home (and still be an awesome Mom)