Sometimes a great business idea isn’t something you spend days racking your brains to come up with.
Instead, it could stem from that interest that keeps you awake at night, or even the ‘Aunt Agony’ questions that you find yourself at the centre of.
Because if friends trust your advice on something, chances are, others might too, and that’s exactly what Michelle Hon discovered.
And so, she took on the mantle of ‘The Chill Mom‘.
How To Be A Chill Mom
“The Chill Mom began when I became pregnant with my first child,” Michelle says.
Learning to be a mum online was “overwhelming” so she decided to develop a site where moms-to-be could “get all the information in one place”.
She wanted them to be able to “enjoy their pregnancy”.
Using a free platform, she set up the website from scratch.
“That was the most difficult part in getting started”, Michelle admits.
“Content creation has always been easy. I had first-hand experience and motherhood fed me with ideas.”
Although the online sphere for mommy content is saturated, The Chill Mom is “unique” as it focuses on content for mothers who want a career.
“I want to empower women to embrace motherhood and engage in entrepreneurship, I want my readers to continue learning and engaging in the community.”
So as her blog continued to gain traction, she began receiving multiple requests from women who wanted more support.
This inspired her to launch The Chill Mom’s maternity concierge, she shares, to help “busy first-time parents plan and manage the arrival of their babies”.
Her clients are mainly professional women in their 30s who need the extra help.
Through the maternity concierge, Michelle helps in planning “shopping lists, one-on-one consultations and sometimes bed rest assistance” for them.
“The women I supported began recommending me to others and I also had the opportunity to host ‘Man Birth‘ on Channel 5.”
This amplified my personal brand and helped me further establish myself as a mumtrepreneur.
Instagram has also become her best friend.
“It’s easy and I don’t need many gadgets. Instagram Live also allows followers to understand my daily routine.”
“When I first began, I never expected such a response [and] it feels truly inspiring to be connected with the community.”
Mom Out Of Commission
The dengue fever episode of 2016 is an event Michelle hopes to never repeat.
“It all happened so quickly. I was hanging out with my children over a weekend [and next] I had a high fever, body aches, vomiting and low blood pressure.”
“I was so sick that I had to forgo an important business pitch, and it took me over a month to recover.”
I had no idea a tiny mosquito could have such a massive impact on me, my family and my business.
“The experience taught me how important it is to take precautions, especially when you are the only one responsible for your business,” she reflects.
He dengue days also inspired her to become a Dengue Ambassador, especially since Singapore is the perfect breeding ground for diseases.
“Hopefully my story can demonstrate the crippling effects of dengue,” she says.
“Entrepreneurs can’t afford being out for days, let alone weeks. [I hope to] inspire them to include preventative measures in their daily life.”
A good place to start is the “Be A Wall Against Dengue SG” Facebook page, she says.
Mumtrepreneur Michelle
From an investment that didn’t cost a cent, The Chill Mom now makes 5 digits yearly, and Michelle couldn’t be happier about where she is.
Being The Chill Mom has enabled me to continue learning, working, failing and pushing to discover a better me every day.
In 2018, she’ll be releasing a book that has been 2 years in the making, fine-tuning her concierge services as well as focusing on her role as Dengue Ambassador.
As for her goal to empower more women to be like her, she will also be releasing her #MOMBOSS e-course.
“I want to help mothers who would like to start a business while being free to stay at home.”
The road to success is not easy but “take full responsibility in making things happen and be 100% committed to your goals.”
“The low moments that you experience are those that tests you r entrepreneurial commitment and tenacity.”
If you know someone who might enjoy what Michelle has to share, here’s a link to The Chill Mom as well as her Instagram.
Featured Image Credit: Michelle Hon
