Kate Butcher
Hello, welcome to the podcast. Kerry Williams. Kerry is joining us today to tell us all about her business and how she juggles that with family life. So thank you for joining us today, Kerry.

Kerry Williams
Hi Kate.

Kate Butcher
Let’s get started. So first of all, Kerry, can you just introduce us to who you are, what you do, what your business is and a little bit about how that all fits in with family life for you?

Kerry Williams
Yes, of course. So, my name is Kerry. I live and work in and around Thame and Aylesbury so Bucks and Oxon. I currently run Tanya’s School of Dance which is also known as TSOD, which is dance classes for children aged 18 months to 18 years. I kind of do that part time. And alongside that business, I have recently started up an events company, which originally started doing luxury children’s sleepovers and parties and has now taken me down all different avenues and lots of different new areas of that business. So yeah, basically trying to juggle two jobs still trying to only work part time, mum of two. Yeah, kind of just sort of juggling plates all day every day, but, but absolutely loving it. So yeah, happy to sort of delve in and chat about anything you want to know really.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. Thank you very much. So yeah, two different businesses. That is a lot to juggle. I mean, it’s a lot to juggle without also having family life and as you said, wanting to be able to work part time so that you can be there for family life as well. So how did you come about having two businesses, because I originally know you from Tanya’s School of Dance from TSOD because my daughter comes along to your dance classes and my son did as well for a little while as well. So that was how we originally met. But tell us about where your second business, Sleepyheads came from?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, sure. So basically, I was approached by one of the mums on the playground, probably about two and a half years ago now. And she was looking to book an events company to do a sleepover for her daughter. And she just sort of in passing said to me, “I think this is something you’d be really good at Kez, you know, you should look at, sort of look into the cost of setting up a company like this”, and it was literally just an offhand comment. But I’m the sort of person that I’ll take that and go away and think about it. And I just did a little bit of research and I thought you know what, this could work really well. With having two fairly young children myself, you know, their friends would probably like to do this sort of thing. It’s a little bit of a side hustle I can do at the weekends whilst I’m not running the dance school, you know, so I kind of just looked into it and took it from there really. Little did I know, at this stage, that obviously COVID was about to strike and you know, I wouldn’t be able to run my dance school. So, looking back, the timing was probably perfect for that. But then you could also say that COVID was a really bad time to start a new business because obviously we’ve all gone through the struggles of the restrictions and things. So that’s, well that’s essentially how it happened. And the rest is history really Kate, it’s kind of gone from something tiny to something really big. And now it’s a case of juggling the two, which is all fun and games, but yeah, that’s kind of where it came from. I probably started off doing maybe one booking a month, something like that, just very small, which at the time suited me perfectly and then once we started getting into the lockdowns and things I soon realised that people couldn’t celebrate their children’s birthdays, there was nothing available. There was nothing they could do. So where I wasn’t running my dance school, I took that as an opportunity to grow and expand Sleepyheads. And here we are two years in and kind of booked out every weekend now for events. And it’s getting bigger and yeah, so that’s it really.

Kate Butcher
That’s amazing. And I mean, I I see on your social media quite a lot the different setups that you do for Sleepyheads, I suppose the question that always pops into my mind when I look at it is, how many different options of setups do you have? Or is it a case of if you get a request for something that you haven’t got a setup for then you can create it or get the parts for it?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, that’s kind of what I love about it you I do get to be really creative. Naturally being a dancer or a dance teacher myself, I’ve always had that little flair and I’ve kind of always had a bit of a nice detail. You know that’s that’s sort of always been me. So yeah, I’ve kind of started off I’d say was like six basic themes you could choose from, so a girl sleepover theme or boys sleepover theme, and from there it’s just grown because I’m a bit of a shopaholic. I love to go and buy all of the products and the little bits and pieces and and all of the decor. So from there, it’s it’s grown, you know, it’s gone from six themes to probably 16 themes. And as you say, I’ve had requests, you know, say for example, a child loves pool patrol. Can you provide a Paw Patrol setup? Can you provide a backdrop Can you provide this can you provide that so before you know it, that’s kind of how I’ve expanded in business because I’ve been asked for things that I necessarily haven’t bought myself, but then I go on to buy them because I realised there’s a market for it. And yeah, it’s just growing daily. I’m learning daily. You know, I don’t know how far it will go. But let’s see, you know, all the while I’m enjoying it. And I can make it work, I think. Yeah, it’s great. And I’m sort of, I do love it. I genuinely do love it, as busy as my life is it kind of works well, because I can pick and choose the hours I work. I can still take my kids to school, I can still pick them up, you know, it’s getting the balance for me. Really that’s the most important thing.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. And not only do you do the kids sleep over tents, but you do some adult garden themed tents as well, don’t you?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, so little did I know that I was going to be erecting Bell tents for a living but again, it’s kind of gone hand in hand with what I was doing. And then the balloon decor, we do like light up numbers. We’ve started getting some sort of wedding supplies in and again, it’s just where one things led on to another. I’ve been booked for like baby showers gender reveals hen parties and it’s just different strings by really Kate but it all kind of essentially goes hand in hand if that makes sense.

Kate Butcher
Yeah, gosh, so that must be quite a lot of different target markets for you potentially going to be pitching to as well which is quite challenging.

Kerry Williams
Yeah, it is. Yeah, definitely. And I think, like with regards to Sleepyheads, I’ve really enjoyed like building the brand as such. I think I listened to your original podcast I said to you at the time, I was kind of nodding along with everything you were saying because actually, that is has been the really fun part for me. I love anything like that building up your social media followers and that’s essentially where I get all of my business. Plus I’m fortunate in the community a lot of people know me because of the dance school and my connections with that, you know where my children go to school where I run my after school clubs, it’s, you know, naturally people want to use someone they know and trust and I can understand that you know, when you’ve got someone coming in and decorating your home, it’s it kind of makes life easier if you know somebody or know of someone so yeah, I’m quite lucky in that respect. You know, I know a lot of people, a lot of people know who I am in and around the area. So yeah, it’s been really fun. And actually I’ve made some really, you know, good friends through doing this as well which is nice because I always say my clients are all quite similar sort of people, which is lovely because then a lot of them become friends off the back of it which is really lovely.

Kerry Williams
That’s fantastic. And I’ve noticed you’ve been doing quite a few collaborations as well recently. So you’re working with other party planners who provide different things?

Kerry Williams
Correct, yeah. So this is kind of, again, something new for me. We’re actually running an event this weekend. So basically, it’s people that do, this industry is really nice everybody really supports one another. So people that do similar things, but we’re not doing the exact same thing. So for example, I’m working with a grazing company whereby they can provide the foods you know, the Party Food essentially for the party setups that I can provide. So you know, it makes complete sense that we work together because they put their own following, their own network of people, as have I. But at the same time, we’re not in competition with one another. So we’re trying to sort of women empower women work together and actually it’s been it’s been really lovely. And again, I’ve made some nice contacts and nice friends through that. These are people I speak to daily now that three months ago I didn’t really know they existed so it’s good and in turn I get my own bookings off the back of that because they recommend me and vice versa and stuff.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. That’s I mean that’s that’s one of the things that I love so much about working, or having contacts I suppose with, with other women and a lot of my, well most of my clients are mums and people at the networking meetings that I meet and and having those contacts, it is those people who will sing your praises recommend you, shout about you, isn’t it and that that’s what I find so empowering about working with other mums and working with other women in particular it’s, that’s one of the things I love about it. It’s, it’s fantastic. There is that real solidarity, I suppose, isn’t there?

Kerry Williams
Totally. And to be honest with you, I’ve never really experienced anything like that before. So Sadly, in some professions, it can be a bit competitive and you end up comparing yourself to others and which isn’t something I’ve necessarily ever done. I’ve always sort of just done my own thing, but it’s really nice that other sort of artists in that industry are recognising your work or that your work is good. And then they’re reposting your stuff on their pages on Instagram and Facebook and it’s you know, it’s really lovely and actually, we do all work together like in the sort of Aylesbury community, there’s a few of us are quite similar things and if one of us isn’t available for an event, we’ll give the others number, and if, do you know what I mean we kind of help each other out. I’ve never really known that before. So it is lovely. It’s nice to be involved and, made a nice, a nice sort of Friendship Circle. It’s lovely.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve found actually through, yeah, through business. I’ve actually made a lot of my very good friends through business and through networking and through the groups that I attend because when you’re attending a group with people who or when you’re working alongside people who are in a similar position to you, I suppose yeah, it’s dealing with like minded people, isn’t it and I spending time with like minded people.

Kerry Williams
They get it you know what I mean, they get it if, for example, a friend of mine that does the same thing. We’ve not spoken for two days and I just know that she’s busy, she’s busy doing her own thing. It’s cool. You know, she’s got kids, she’s the same as me, and then we’ve just caught up this morning you know, and you’d have to touch base and there’s none of that. “Well, you didn’t bring me” or “you didn’t get back to me” and yeah, it’s just understanding one another and the juggling, you know, aspects of all of our lives really.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. Absolutely. And your your first business that you had, Tanya’s School of Dance, so can you tell me a bit about why you decided to have your own business and where that came from?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, so basically, Tanya was my mother. I inherited her business. So sadly, when she passed, she basically left the dance school to me, and at the time, I’ll be honest, you know, I was 18, 19, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. I just come out of college. I wasn’t convinced I wanted to be a dance teacher. You know what I mean? And I kind of got thrown into it under, sort of, quite sad circumstances, but I kind of just turned it around and made it work for me. And I soon realised that, it was nice sort of hiring village halls, I’m running my own classes, but I’d like to work in schools. I’d like to run off to school clubs. And that’s kind of where all of that came from really. But as I say, I was quite young at the time. So, looking back, it was probably quite a lot to have taken on, but I only ever did that part time and I’ve also had like I’ve done other jobs. I had a beauty and tanning salon, back in my early 20s, which, you know, didn’t really work out but again, I put it all down to experience so I have sort of gone down that avenue as well but it’s always kind of led me back to doing the dancing and it’s always led me back. And then when I had a family of my own I was very conscious that I didn’t want to be out working full time. I wanted to work part time. I wanted to be there for my kids, particularly when they were young. And it was it worked again, it worked really well because it meant that I could be at home with them when they, when they needed me when they were tiny and then once they went to school I could go back out and work again. So it’s kind of been a bit stop, start in that respect. I’ve always ran the dance classes, but I could choose how big it went at the different stages, if that makes sense.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. So actually, you have had your own business for all of your adult life effectively.

Kerry Williams
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s yeah, it’s when you look at it like that has and it’s sort of I’ve never really known any different To be honest, like I’ve never gone and done a regular job. I’ve never, you know, had someone in charge of me and I think that’s what I love about what I do because it gives me so much freedom. I’m in control. And for a lot of people, I think that’s quite daunting, isn’t it? Because you’ve got to keep at it. You know, you’ve got to, you’ve got to get up every day. You’ve got to find the motivation, but realistically, I’ve never known any difference. So I’ve kind of always had to make it work. So yeah, that’s I think that’s why my attitude is quite the way it is really because I’ve just had to do it and in that respect, it’s been it’s been good to me.

Kate Butcher
And it sounds amazing how you’ve made it work around your family, but actually, your family and the commitments that you have to your family have always been at the core of that and you’ve made the work fit around that rather than the other way around.

Kerry Williams
Totally like, I do. I do feel like it’s quite hard for us, as mums, do you know what I mean, because you kind of get mum guilt don’t you if you go to work full time. But at the same time. I don’t want to be a full time mum, I don’t want to only you know, be a mum and deal with my children, so to speak. I want to be me I want them to see me working hard and you know, being able to support them. So, yeah, again, it’s a juggle of that but that’s worked really nicely for me because I’ve been able to pick and choose the hours I work and being, again like I said it’s, it’s really just part time so it’s great. You know, I can be around in the daytime. There are some, some evenings that they would have to go to after school club or, you know, go to someone’s house after school, but luckily my partner, we managed to, our working hours work quite well together. So, you just make it work. Don’t you just do what you can where you can.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely and make it work is absolutely essential when it’s your own business, isn’t it? You have to make it work. And if it’s not working in the format that it’s in, you have to shift something so that it works a different way.

Kerry Williams
And there’s times when, you know, I feel terrible, like school holidays or weekends. You know, sometimes the kids have to come out with me and go to clients houses or help, even help out. And you know, I feel really bad for that. But at the same time I also did that with my mum, and that’s the life I knew and she sort of built me, I guess, to be able to do that. And I think in turn that’s probably what I’m doing with my own children without realising as such. You know, they’re learning the ropes and how it all works. And hopefully one day you know if they want to then they can be a part of it too.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. And what an amazing legacy that your mom has left for you there you said you know going out to work with her when you were young has really set you in good stead for taking on the business when she passed away. I’m sorry about that as well. I didn’t, I didn’t know about that at all.

Kerry Williams
No, a lot of people don’t they often say to me like where does Tanya come from? Who’s Tanya? So yeah, it’s, it’s nice. And also like in the area where I live. A lot of people knew my mum. A lot of people that used to go to her dance classes now come, they have children that come to my classes or they remember me when I was 20 teaching them and they’re now adults with children, which makes me feel really old. It’s nice, you know, like, it’s just a nice. Again, it’s a nice little industry to be in and a nice little community as well. So even if people just come to the dance school for like a small period of time that, I feel like they always remember that, you know, and they’ll always talk about that. So it’s good.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely, well as you know, my daughter came to your classes for a while and then she decided she didn’t want to come for a while and then she really missed it. And then she decided she wanted to come back again. So she has she’s back again with you. So, she wouldn’t be a natural dancer, my daughter, but she loves it. She loves your classes. She thinks it’s so much fun.

Kerry Williams
Absolutely. And for me that was what it was. All about. It was never about finding the best dancers or the most talented children and it was just making any child feel included. And never making anyone feel like they’re not good enough or can’t do something, you know, and essentially build their confidence and give them something fun that they can do with their friends, you know, and for that hour kind of lose themselves in that really so that’s like what we’re about, you know what we want to try and promote it with the dance school kind of accept any age, any ability for whatever period of time like you say kids go through phases, you know, they want to do something one minute they don’t want to do it the next you know, I’m learning that with my two but it’s, it’s nice, isn’t it? They can go back to something as you say it’s, it shows they like it in the first place.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely, yeah indeed. Thank you. Fantastic. So you told us all about your your businesses and how they, I suppose kind of fit in with each other and with family life and actually, as you say how amazing that you just started up Sleepyheads just as the pandemic started so you had something that you could be building and working on. And that was a, I suppose, a new business venture to really push which, yeah, fitted in quite nicely with the pandemic because you could potentially, I suppose, at, a lot a lot of points of the pandemic still take the setup to people’s houses for them to have something on at home for their children to still celebrate which is fantastic. Overall, though, with what would you say the best bit of business advice is that you have been given in the time that you’ve been in business?

Kerry Williams
That’s a good one. Okay, so I don’t really do this anymore, but I probably did when I was younger. So never compare yourself to anyone else. In particular, if it’s people that are in the same sort of industry or the same field of work, naturally you do, don’t you, whatever aspect of life, it is natural, so that would probably be my main one because you’ll forever be saying well, I’m not doing this or they’re doing that. And, it’s, yeah, just go with your gut, you know, trust your instincts, because I think as well, with any job or new job or old job, you know, if you’re not feeling it, then you’re probably right. And kind of, someone once said to me that you make your own luck, and I never really understood that and I think it’s more to do with when others say, “Oh, she’s really lucky.” You know, “she’s doing really well. She’s really lucky.” But actually, you don’t get you don’t get lucky. You create it. So that’s all to do with your mindset. You know, how you get up how you face your day, you know, if you get up and you feel down in the dumps and your whole days gonna go like that, isn’t it really. Certainly try and stay positive like I say don’t compare yourself too much. And yeah, but go with that gut feeling, you know something’s not quite right. You know, or if you were going to a job every day and not particularly enjoying it, or there was something you know that like, icky feeling, perhaps, that you know, definitely mean something. So listen to that.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. I mean, one of the things that really does come across, when, when you’re talking is how, how much you do enjoy what you do, how much you love what you do, and I think that’s exactly what you said there. You know, if you’re doing something that you don’t love, we spend a huge amount of our waking hours, doing whatever work it is we do and if you’re going out to a job and you’re not enjoying it or it’s not fulfilling you in whatever way you want to do or you’re dreaming about having some other, you know, career or some other job. I mean, that sometimes you have to just take the leap and do it, don’t you however, frightening it is. It’s always going to be frightening. So it’s going to be scary.

Kerry Williams
It’s things I’m doing now that I would never dreamt I’d be doing a year two years ago. You just have to, I feel like you have to trust the process as well. You know how, like, sometimes in life something doesn’t work out and you’re really gutted at the time and you’re, you can’t get your head around it and then actually, something better comes together. And it’s, Yeah, I think we’ve stuff like that, I’ve always just thought “just trust the process”. You know, if we’re in, let’s say we’re in a school, running an after school club, that doesn’t work out like some of our schools we haven’t been able to go back to since COVID, but new things have come up so, you know, you have to kind of just roll with it don’t you sometimes and maybe you have too any expectations. Do you know what I mean, just kind of wait and see how things pan out because 9 times out of 10 From my experience, they work out for the best.

Kate Butcher
Absolutely no, I agree with that one as well. You know, I think things do generally work out. I noticed it with finance-

Kerry Williams
Yeah.

Kate Butcher
It’s, it’s always when you kind of think “oh gosh the bank balance is getting a bit low” and “got bills due to come out” and you, and someone pays you and you know something that you’re expecting, it always just, might work out as long as you have the right mindset around it.

Kerry Williams
I bet. You’ve gotta manifest these things, haven’t you, which, and I’m like a real believer in that I love the book The Secret. I need the power that’s like my go to and I’ve always always believed in that you know the dream, believe, achieve effect. Because if, if you, if you want something enough you can make it work, you can make it happen and like you say with the finance thing I completely agree, where I spent all day kind of “oh god you know, I’ve got no money I don’t know what I’m going to do” and you know, have that mindset. Yeah, totally that, you’re not going to bring it to you are you so

Kate Butcher
Exactly. The words we used are so powerful and if we use negative words, and no’s and not going to happens, and those kinds of things, all the time, It won’t. I think, oh, I can’t remember who it was who said the quote, I think was Henry Ford maybe “if you think you can, or if you think you can’t, you’re right” either way, because you will go where, you know, if you really want something, like you say, you will go out and you will get it and you will achieve it and you will do what you need to do to make it happen. The manifesting thing, I really struggled with manifesting for, to start with because I thought you can’t just put it out there and then it just happens, but no it doesn’t. You put it out there and then that makes you make it happen, which for me is so significant. It’s such a massive learning for me over the last few years to to realise that, that you can make anything happen if you try hard enough and if you really want it.

Kerry Williams
Yeah, and I think that’s where it comes back to that thing I said about luck. You know, when you’re young when you’re growing up, you’re just oh, you know, she got some new shoes, she’s lucky or he got this. He’s lucky. It’s not that at all, you know? And as an adult I realised that, and how you can kind of make that work in business as well. Does that make sense?

Kate Butcher
Exactly. It totally does. Yeah, you make your own luck and you earn enough money to go out and buy those shoes. It’s, it’s that simple. So yeah.

Kerry Williams
Absolutely that’s it, and I think you know, that’s what always, like financial independence has always been a massive thing for me because I don’t want to, rely on someone else to buy me the things I want or need, you know, so again that, that’s a good motivational tool as well. You know, and just being able to provide a great life for my kids and you know, so um, goes about same doesn’t it really without spoiling them within moderation. Do you know what I mean?

Kate Butcher
Absolutely. Fantastic. Thank you. And you mentioned a couple of books there that you really enjoy that you’ve always had as your go to books. Can you tell us a little bit more about them?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, of course. So someone I knew years and years ago, probably like, maybe 15-16 years ago introduced me to a book called The Secret, which as we’ve just said, it’s all about sort of manifesting things, the dream, believe, achieve effect, etc. And in that series, there’s a few different books so there’s the secret power and money and those books have literally changed my life. I’ve changed my, the way I look at situations even down to things like when I was pregnant with my daughter, my first child birth was a bit of a rough ride. And then when when I had my daughter I read The Power, because I used to wake up the silly o’clock, you know as you do when you’re pregnant, and it helped me through my labour. I can’t really explain it. It just changed my mindset. And, in turn, I then had a really lovely easy labour with my daughter, which you could say is a complete coincidence, but it really helped me, and I always, I don’t read those books as much anymore, but I always refer back to them, so say a problem arises or I want something or I want to go for something new. I tend to always have a little look at those books. And I keep them, weirdly, I keep them by my bedside. So when I’m asleep at night, they’re they’re kind of looking over me, which might sound really bizarre to some people, but it’s just something that kind of works for me. And it’s just been a great tool in, in business, you know, in relationships, in all different aspects of my life. But they’re, they are my kind of go to, my little Bibles and yeah, and just like sort of daily quotes and things like that as well. I just find they really help, and they can help pull you out of a bit of a dark place if you need it. So yeah, it’s good.

Kate Butcher
Fabulous. Uh, The Secret I’ve read. I didn’t realise there was more books in the series. So I’m gonna go and check those ones out. And they’re all by the same author?

Kerry Williams
They are, and it’s a very similar pattern of, of like how the books are written. But the, the one about the money, is obviously all about drawing money into your life. And the one about the power, which is the one I used with the whole childbirth thing, is just sort of like overcoming fears and, really helping with like, your mindset and what you’re capable of doing. So yeah they have been great.

Kate Butcher
And do you know, the name of the author is, is it Rhonda Someone Rhonda?

Kerry Williams
Rhonda, That’s correct. Yeah, I haven’t got the books to hand.

Kate Butcher
I couldn’t remember her surname.

Kerry Williams
I’m sorry. I should have had it.

Kate Butcher
That’s all right. I’m gonna put the details in the show notes. I can, I’ve, I’ve got it on my audible somewhere so I will go put them in the notes.

Kerry Williams
You can get them in like audio form. I believe there’s a film as well, but I-

Kate Butcher
There is.

Kerry Williams
I’ve always just enjoyed, you know, having a little look through the books because you can just kind of pick them up where you want to as well. I do this random thing where I just open the book or whatever page it happens to open on, will be like my thing for that particular day or that particular-

Kate Butcher
What a good idea.

Kerry Williams
Yeah, it’s really random.

Kate Butcher
But that’s a good way of just boosting your mindset, I suppose. Isn’t it and-

Kerry Williams
Exactly that, yeah, and like, say kind of if I want something new, I do that with the book and read that particular page. It’s really, it works for me.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. And do you have a particular tool, as well, that you use within your business, any apps, any programmes, any tools, anything that, that for you, you would recommend to another business owner?

Kerry Williams
I’m quite old school the way I do things. You know, Instagram has been an amazing platform, particularly for Sleepyheadzz. It’s also visual and it’s all about the phot- getting the right photograph and showcasing what you do. So that’s been amazing, you know, building a brand for me that’s so important and how something looks. With regard to a tool, not necessarily because as I say, I’m quite, I’m quite old school, you know, people tend to sort of message me if they want to book something, booking with me personally, I like the whole experience. Quite a personal one. I suppose. Going on a website and booking this and you know what I mean?

Kate Butcher
Oh, absolutely.

Kerry Williams
I can’t be much help there but that was-

Kate Butcher
No, I mean, Instagram in itself it’s a fantastic tool, isn’t it?

Kerry Williams
Yeah, it’s been phenomenal. I’m kind of just, I’ve got someone helping me out with my socials at the moment. What she does is she boosts your followers, she makes the brand a little bit more appealing. And I mean, I’ve only been with her for three weeks, but I’m learning so much. Again, that’s just all part of building the business, building the brand. You mentioned some some bits in your other podcast about you know, people have got to believe it. They’ve got to fall in love with it. They’ve got to understand it all. So, you know, I’m sort of constantly posting on the Instagram page, but I actually really enjoy that. That’s all part of my daily routine. It’s all part of my work now, which I love. I know you can get people to run your socials and stuff but if it’s your your forte, it’s quite nice, isn’t it?

Kate Butcher
It is absolutely. And I mean, as you know, I’m a virtual assistant. So a lot of what I do for my clients is posting on their socials. And it’s really interesting because with different clients, some people really like to do the visual stuff. So they’ll do all the visuals and we’ll do the words to go with it. And then other people who are, like me, the other way around, I’m not visual at all, in the slightest, but I, I love words. So I like to write my content.

Kerry Williams
Yep.

Kate Butcher
And then I’ve got a lady who creates my visuals for me, because I just can’t do that stuff, that side of things. And then we’ve got other clients who like to do both of those bits and then they just give it to us to schedule, and other clients who would never let go of any of that because that’s, that’s their stuff. That’s the stuff they really love to do. If it’s something you love is, if it’s a part of your business that you love, then doing it yourself is probably going to have better results than getting somebody else to do it for you. So yeah.

Kerry Williams
Totally. Get the photos of all the content. It’s like, I’m saying it’s so exciting because you’re like “oh, I can’t wait to post it can’t wait to share it.” And the more you post, in turn, the more orders you get. So it’s you know, it’s a win win really. So yeah, it’s good, really good.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. And in terms of taking the photographs for your Instagram, do you take all your own photos?

Kerry Williams
I do. Yeah. So I just on my, on my phone, on my iPhone, I’ve upgraded so I’ve got like the newest modules so I can get all the-. So I’m learning, like every day little like lighting tricks and I’ve got a few different apps on my phone that I use to use different filters and you know, get the right kind of vibe with stuff but if I’m honest again, that’s something that’s always interested me I’ve always liked that sort of thing. So you know, I’m getting to do it all the time, and I make little reels or like, little TikTok videos of some of the wor. Which is good, again, learning every day. And then obviously you can put the music over it and stuff which is really appealing because, as I say Instagrams all images isn’t it, and a lot of people use it so, like, and also I follow lots of other people that do the same sort of thing which is great for inspiration as well. And everybody’s really helpful, you know, you can message another supplier and say loved that how did you do this? How and then always come back and give advice and help you which is so nice. And quite unheard of, I think actually. But yes, it’s a great community.

Kate Butcher
Fantastic. Thank you so much. Wow, you’ve given us loads of gems today. Kerry, thank you so much. Could you-

Kerry Williams
Sorry I’ve gone off on lots of different paths and different stories and things.

Kate Butcher
That’s exactly what a conversation is all about. That’s what we do. That’s exactly where people get their inspiration from as well isn’t it? Hearing your story and hearing how everyone ends up where they are and the different routes that we’ve all taken. It’s, it’s, it’s really inspiring for people to hear all of those, those tangents that we take. So thank you. And before we finish, give us a little update on where we can find you, how people can get in contact with you or follow you or see what you do.

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