Latest / The Women Behind the WOW / Baby Sensory Mum to Business Owner: Hayley Garrett's story is the strongest
Transcript
- Lee Whitwell: Welcome, Hayley. I'm very excited to speaking to you, before I start, can you introduce yourself, your name, where you are in the country? And if there was somebody that was thinking about coming to your classes, what is it about Baby Sensory that makes you amazing? Hayley Garrett: my name's Hayley and we are over on the lovely Isle of Man. so we're a little bit separate from the rest of c of the country, which means that we're the only Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense on the island. but prior to university, I started off with working in nurseries and pr anny in for private families, which I absolutely adored. and then I went to university and I did a psychology degree. And then following on from that, I did my teacher training. So within psychology, my psychology degree, I specialized in child development, educational psychology, developmental disorders, and that was something that I really loved about Baby Sensory. So I think something that makes our classes so different is that it's so heavenly science based. So everything that we do in Baby Sensory and toddlens classes has been thoroughly researched, which I'm sure you know yourself. I'm preaching to the choir here. And that was definitely that something that stood out about the the classes to me. So I am a more A little girl who was three. and I started attending Baby Sensory on the island with her. probably shouldn't say this, but so you might want to take it out. But I actually, when I first started going to Baby Sensory, wasn't that keen. I was a bit like, what is what is going on here? This is bizarre. What have I just walked into? and then as the weeks gone went on, I sort of saw. Developmental benefits for her, how she was becoming more confident and more independent in her play and her exploration. and I saw I really saw that that positive impact for her, but it was also great for me to have motivation to get out of the house, to meet new mums. one thing that lots of people have said to me, actually, and I found myself, it was great for just practicing those normal day-to-day skills, so feeding in public, changing nappies in public. just getting out of the house on time for something. so there's lots of lots of little things that were great about Baby Sensory for me. and I was obviously due to go back to work after mediterity leave. so I had a year off. unfortunately I had quite a few struggles with my mental health after having my daughter with postnatal depression, anxiety and things like that. and I was very, very anxious about leaving her. It was just something I couldn't fathom doing, couldn't fathom doing it at all. So it was really, really stressed about having to go back to work. and then as these things sometimes do, the opportunity sort of came up to buy into Babysensory and Toddler Sense on the island. and when it first came up, it was a bit like, no, I'd never be I've got no business background. I'll You know, I've got no idea how to run a business. I never even did business at school for GCSE or anything like that. It was never on my radar. and I actually heard that the the business was going to be sold and I was really disappointed when I heard that and I thought, I've really missed out on something there. and then for one reason or another, the sale fell through and Baby Sensory and toddlessends came back up for sale. And I was like, yay! so I think it was it was having that reality check of that realizing how disappointed I was that I'd missed out on it that sort of gave me a bit of a a push to go and find out more about it. which I did. And it was probably the scariest decision I've ever made buying the business, even though I was really lucky in that it's Our classes on the island were very well established. The business, Helen that I bought the business from, she was moving off island. She was incredible. You know, she'd set up this fantastic business. I was really, you know, stepping into something good. It was still making that jump and sort of believing that I could do it was terrifying, really. but yeah, it's for our family, it's the it's the best thing we've ever done. and I just love it. Lee Whitwell: There were so many questions in my head that I was trying to keep in my head as you were telling me all that. Hayley Garrett: Yeah. Lee Whitwell: first of all, I've never been to the Isle of Man. I don't even know, like, what's the population? How big is the Isle of Man? It's small, isn't it? Hayley Garrett: So yeah, it's pretty small. So it's roughly about 80,000. so we're we're famous on the Isle of Man for the T T races, it's a beautiful little island. It's very, very safe. It's a lovely place to bring up children. there's loads Lee Whitwell: Is that where you're from? Hayley Garrett: yes. But Lee Whitwell: Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hayley Garrett: the the island in general is just a lovely place. but yeah, my husband is a dairy farmer. we have actually got three pygmy goats in the garden, so you might hear them. Yeah, so we have we have a room within a community centre called the sensory hub and we run Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense classes from there. and I've got two fantastic class leaders that run classes for me. I was running Baby Sensory classes for myself for a little while, which I loved doing, but the practicalities of giving my all to the business, giving my all to Baby Sensory classes. sorting the bits out for Gemma for Toddler Sense and having a well, she was two at the time, was just too much. and I wanted to make sure that customers were really getting somebody that was fully there and present with them, whether that being when they're messaging and going through the booking, which is when they get me fully present with them, or when they're in class, which is when they have Michelle who takes care of them on a week to week basis. But I do I do bits here and there and I do miss it. 'cause there's there's just nothing better. Lee Whitwell: So when you took on the business, did you take on the class leaders or that has been a decision since taking on the business to grow it? Hayley Garrett: Yeah, when I when I when I took the business on there were there was a Baby Sensory class leader and a Toddler Sense class leader. Yeah. Yeah. Lee Whitwell: there's still so much to do running a business and behind the Hayley Garrett: Yeah. Lee Whitwell: scenes isn't there. But actually having class leaders is not for everyone but it actually is the best for a business. Hayley Garrett: I for me I I couldn't be without them. They are fantastic. And it just means that we're so Gemma looks after Toddler Sense, Michelle looks after Baby Sensory, and then I do all the business, admin, the cleaning. And so I joke that I'm the island's baby's social secretary and cleaner, basically, because I just clean and and and organise activities for them, which is great and I love it. But it means that each of us have our own roles and we can be fully committed to that role so that the parents that come to us, are really getting the best of us. but also we're all we're all mums of young children ourselves. So you know, it's it's nice to have a team that's we all understand what each other's going through. We understand what our families are going through and which is really important, I think. so yeah, it's I I couldn't be without them, couldn't do without them. Lee Whitwell: interestingly, you said when you first went to class, you were thinking, my days, what, I remember running class, especially Father's Day, the dad's coming for the first time. thinking, what have I come to? But yeah, like so many of us, it draws you in because it's such a beautiful, beautiful Hayley Garrett: Hundred percent. Lee Whitwell: program. Hayley Garrett: It really is. Yeah. And it's it's so lovely to see that progression so quickly. We quite often get really young babies coming and then by the end of the term I always say to the mums or when I was running classes, I used to say to the mums, you know, I know they're so sleepy now, but they're still taking all that sensory information in and I promise by the end of this term the difference then that just seeing them so much more awake and alert is just so lovely. It's so yeah, it's so special. I did have one baby and I joke with she's with us for Toddler Sense now. She slept for the first two terms, I think. but mum said she just used to love coming. She just she said, I I love coming for me. I don't I if she's asleep, I don't care. So I didn't meet her for about twelve weeks. She was just asleep the whole time. Lee Whitwell: point though actually our classes are for the parents isn't it so actually Hayley Garrett: Yeah, yeah. Lee Whitwell: it gives that that parent a little bit more opportunity to really tune in and then when they go home recreate Hayley Garrett: Yeah. I also thought for me, I think mum guilt is a big thing for anybody. The mum guilt is just whatever you do, you feel guilty about it, don't you? You just whether you go back to work, you feel guilty for it. If you don't go back to work, you feel guilty for it. And I when I was sort of really low mood wise, I and I genuinely think this, I'm not just saying it 'cause I now have Baby Sensory, that one hour a week of quality time with Darcy and it was focused on her. There was no distractions. I didn't have my phone. I didn't have the TV on in the background. I didn't have to go and do the washing or this, that, and the other. All of that noise was drowned out and it was just her for that hour. It made me feel so much better just having that quality time with her. and it was a real mood boost. And I was talking to a friend about this recently actually she came to Toddler Sense with she's got A little girl who'll be three in January and then she's got a baby that's eight months old. and she said she was having a really bad morning. She's and she messaged me, she said I wasn't going to come to Toddler Sense I was just having an awful morning. I was in a horrible mood. no particular reason. I'd had a bad night. And she said, I just got up, went to class, and I feel so much better for it now. And she said it's just given me that real serotonin boost and just, you know, that sometimes just joining in and being silly and it just having a laugh at yourself. and it can just turn your day around totally. and I think we're so privileged to be able to provide that to people, provide that space. we really are very lucky in that that's what we do as a job. Lee Whitwell: But it's connection, isn't it? it's real community, the whole point is, when they go over to that EPA area and they have that time to just talk or even to being near to another human being whilst they're sat around the paddling pool or the bed area and they're talking about what happened the night before. They're talking about how they're feeling and knowing that they're not alone because there's so much. Hayley Garrett: Yeah. Lee Whitwell: false information social media and stuff everyone's doing a brilliant job I feel quite emotional thinking about it it's just having that human connection Hayley Garrett: And it's I was extremely lucky in that we've got, you know, my in-laws live next door, they're fantastic. My mum is ten minutes away. She's brilliant. I had a great group of friends. you know, both very, very lucky, really supportive husband. not everyone has that, but I still felt so lonely in those first weeks, months, year probably. And having I was really lucky that I met a group of ladies through Aquinatal and we were all at a similar stage and then we carried on going to Baby Sensory together. And having those people that were going through the same things at the same time was and it sounds cliche, but it was honestly a lifesaver. It really was having people that got it and understood and being able to talk to them. I think it's quite, you know, there's lots on social media at the moment about maternal mental health for various different reasons. it's yeah, I think it's often overlooked or taken for granted what a big life change it is and you sort of expected to get on with it. but actually it it's Lee Whitwell: it a shock for you to be feeling this way? Hayley Garrett: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I all as a child, if you'd if you'd have asked me as a little girl what I wanted to be, I'd have told you I wanted to be a mum. it was all I ever wanted to do. and we had sort of a few or potentially thought we were gonna have a few difficulties having children, and then you know it happened very quickly. We were very, very lucky, had quite a tricky pregnancy. so when Darcy arrived, I was like, wow. This is it, you know, I've I've I've made it, I've done it, you I I'm a mum. And then you again, it's that guilt that you you're not loving every minute. And actually, as much as you love your baby, sometimes it's really hard. And sometimes I don't love being a mum every minute of the day. but it's that it's that guilt for saying that. And you you think, I can't say that to anybody because then I sound like I don't love my child or that I'm being ungrateful. but actually I would say probably ninety-nine percent. of people I know have felt the same way at some point. but if we don't talk about it, then then nobody knows you're feeling that way and no one knows that it's okay to feel like that. so yeah, it was it was Lee Whitwell: I Hayley Garrett: a huge shock. Lee Whitwell: you're Hayley Garrett: Yeah, you just go into survival. Lee Whitwell: I mean, I guess for when you're a business owner, all of this helps with empathy because we have our parents coming into our classes and actually you can empathize because of that experience as well, can't you? You are very aware of what might be going on behind the scenes. So that's... Hayley Garrett: Yeah, and I I personally I think I wouldn't be running this business if I wasn't a mum. but I don't think I would be able to do as good a job of it if I wasn't a mum, if I haven't if I hadn't attended classes and been through that process myself so recently. I think that does help and you know, still being she's three now, but we're still sort of Some days are are harder than others and she's amazing and she's hilarious and funny, but she's got her own mind. And you know, so although we're out of the nappies and the sleepless nights now, you can you still empathize in lots of ways. And, you know, it's yeah, being able to to talk to other mums and being a l a listening ear for them is is something I'm really grateful for. And although I'm not in classes anymore, I have mums messaging me all the time. And I, you know, I always say to people, I don't I don't have a switch off from this. You know, it's not it's not just a job. I care about the people that book onto our classes and, you know, our community in general. so message me anytime. And I do have mums messaging me saying, I'd had a really hard night It's just nice. It's like it's almost like an extended friendship group. It's it's really lovely. and I do, yeah, I think being a mum in business, it's sometimes people say, it's so hard. But actually I think it's a massive asset to this business because you do understand your customers that are coming through the doors and the families and what they want and what they need and how they're feeling. Obviously everyone's situations are different, but you know, it it gives you a a bit of a head start to be able to sort of see what people are going through, I think. Lee Whitwell: So you mentioned as well, like so many of us, when you started this, you'd never run a business before. I would say 99.9 Hayley Garrett: Ha ha. Lee Whitwell: % of us that come into the world of children activities, whatever, you know, our programmes and beyond, it's because of our passion. the, the, the running of the own, our own businesses is, you know, it's not necessarily something we've ever done before. So what surprised you about running your own business? Hayley Garrett: out sound like I'm bright how capable I am I can do it I can do it I thought I couldn't I thought I wouldn't be able to it's if you keep on top of things and you know don't let things slide it's surprisingly more manageable than you think it would be Lee Whitwell: you. Hayley Garrett: I'm not saying it's easy there are some some times that I wish I was still getting my my monthly paycheck through on the dot But you know, there are so many more benefits to it. It's so much more flexible around children and families. We've just come back from from a holiday. I was a teacher before, so the holidays were great, but obviously it would have to be taken during term time, outside of term time, which makes it more expensive. Now, because I've got the girls running classes, we can set everything up so that we're all able to have holidays whenever we want, really. I a hundred percent present for my daughter when she needs me. If school nursery drop off, pick up I'm there, you know, I can do work when she's in bed at night. I don't have to work nine till five, I can work ten till three and then I don't know, seven o'clock till ten o'clock, you know, it's the flexibility. S yeah, the flexibility surprised me to an extent. I thought it would be more of a tie. but it is so flexible that it doesn't feel like a tie. because I'm my own boss I don't have to be working from this time to this time. Lee Whitwell: what goes on behind the scenes, What have you had to learn there? What do have to do? Hayley Garrett: So I think putting yourself out there is a big one for me. So doing something like this, if you'd have met me pre-the business, so 2023, I would never have done anything like this. Never. Like on never. I was, I've got so much more confident in myself, which is something I didn't expect to happen. I kind of will just put myself out there, and if people think I'm silly, then people think I'm silly and what does it matter? Maybe I I am silly. We should all be more silly. I think, Lee Whitwell: We should, yes. Hayley Garrett: yeah, being able to put yourself out there, being open to feedback from people being able to to adapt and change things, not being worried about changing things and trying new things, 'cause if they don't work out, then you just change it back. Yeah. the market yeah, the marketing side of things, I think social media is a big one nowadays. You know, lots of people are on social media, but equally remembering that the people that there are people that aren't on social media, you know, so so using emails and things like that as well. but it is a little bit different on the Isle of Man because we are such a small community. We do rely on word of mouth quite a lot. So, we get lots of people that come in because their friends have been, or we get lots of people come in Back with second baby. or yeah, it's word of mouth is a big thing over here, really, which is actually really nice because it's nice to know that people go and tell their friends that they've been and they've enjoyed classes, or you know, they come back for a second time with another baby. that makes me proud and that that people have enjoyed it enough to to do that. Lee Whitwell: Yeah, proud, you should be proud. Proud taking that initial step in the first place. that was the other thing as well, the disappointment when you thought that it had been sold and actually realized Hayley Garrett: Yeah. Lee Whitwell: how disappointed you felt that it was meant to be. The stars aligned, Hayley. Hayley Garrett: Yeah. Yeah, it was it was meant to be. it was totally out of the blue. Nothing I'd ever considered f before. the way things were, there was no way I was gonna be able to go to leave Darcy and go back to work. So it was kind of the plan that I would have a bit more time off work, help out on the farm and things. so yeah, it it very much came up out of the blue. and because at the time there weren't any classes that I needed to physically be there to run, it meant everything that needed doing I could do with Darcy. which massively relieved all the pressure and the stress and anxiety about having to leave her. because that that at the time it was huge for me. So yeah, it just I say it happened at the right time, but it also happened two weeks before we got married. So I was planning a wedding, Lee Whitwell: Thanks. Hayley Garrett: taking over a business, and it was all a bit nuts, at 100 miles an hour. But yeah, it was it was it was just the right thing at the right time. and like I said, the scariest thing I've ever done, biggest decision I've ever made, really. but I am I'm so glad that we we did and we did it. Lee Whitwell: Well, I'm going to say thank you for chatting to me today. For anyone that is possibly sat there thinking or looking at their class leader and thinking, I think I could do that or, perhaps this is for me, perhaps this is my calling, what would you say to them? Hayley Garrett: I would say a hundred percent look into it, do it. I personally for me, and I think we're seeing this quite a lot across the UK, is that the childcare activities industry is unregulated. So I think it can look like a very easy job to do. However, the perks of Babysensory and Toddler Sense and the WoW World group in general is that we are accredited. So you know that the service you're providing is safe, that all the information you're given is correct, and you're really providing, you know, a holistic service to these families. So I think if you are going to do it, you need to go down the lines of something that's, you know, check the accreditations, check what certificates they've got. look into it properly But we just need to make sure that, you know, those safety checks are there and they are in place. and you've also got the backup of the Wow World group name to fall back on then. If you've got, you know, a Baby Sensory or a Toddler Sense franchise, you know, it's Baby Sensory celebrated twenty years this year. So, you know, it's not a fluke that it's been going for that long. It's a really well established program. The support there's fantastic. The programme is incredible. It really, really is. and again, it may sound biased, but I it's the best. It's the best out there. Lee Whitwell: Yeah,