“I would recommend Gemma because she is a very talented photographer and has an infectious personality. She knows how to put people at ease, creating a relaxed and friendly environment in order to capture your best side!” Sian

 

Meet Sian, aka Cowbridge Moos. I had lots of fun taking her headshots.

Tell us about your new business venture?

Well, after updating my skills portfolio over the last six months through a fully CPD accredited course I have graduated as a Social Media Manager. 
 My new skills enable me to collaborate with businesses to increase their brand’s presence on social media platforms, through engagement with key influencers and targeting an audience who are interested in that company’s product or service. A mistake companies often make is to assume that the more followers you have the more successful you will be – this is incorrect: it’s about engaging with  a targeted audience, that way influencers and brand advocates are more likely to share your content and talk about your product or service.

Why did you decide to start the business?

After a career break of 8 years during which I was full-time mum to my two boys, I decided I needed to get back in to the workplace, yes to earn some money, but also to rediscover the confident, professional business woman I once was but who had, before the course, disappeared under a rock! Being a full-time mum is enormously rewarding and I have been extremely fortunate to have been able to be at home for my children – I’ve loved every minute of being there for them. However, for me, the down-side was I lost all my self-confidence as a professional, hardly recognising that previous life/ go-getter. So, after years at home with the kids, through my learning experience I have finally found the confidence to regain my own identity and to find rewarding freelance work that fits in around family life on my terms.

What were you doing before you started your business?

I had a successful career as a retail clothing buyer. This involved lots of international travel for long periods of time, early starts and late finishes at the office, big targets to beat and loads of stress. Don’t get me wrong, before the boys came along I thrived in this environment – it was a very exciting time for the budget retail market and growth was fast in our sector, so we enjoyed masses of success. But, it wasn’t the right career for me with a young family as I hated leaving them and would only really see them at bedtime.

How do you juggle being a mother and working at the same time?

Having just graduated, I am looking for opportunities as they say! 
 In terms of how I will juggle both, the beauty of social media is it never sleeps, plus my work is freelance and can be done on the move from my mobile device wherever I happen to be.

What do you love most about being a mother?

I love everything about being a mum – before they came along I couldn’t imagine my life with them and now they are here, I cannot imagine my life without them.

Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to start their own business?

Someone once gave me a great piece of advice – she said you have to have ‘fake confidence’, even if every bone in your body is telling you to run, don’t, face a new challenge head-on, tell yourself you can do this! You will have loads of wobbles on the way but just stick at it!

If you would like to increase your brand profile on social media and you’d like to know more, Sian would love to hear from you  – get in touch via Facebook or Twitter.

https://twitter.com/cowbridgemoos

https://www.facebook.com/cowbridgemoos/

https://www.instagram.com/cowbridgemoos/