20 Questions with… Sick Happens
Penny from Sick Happens was nominated by a few people and I can certainly see why! I often have people contacting me saying they want to start a side hustle but they’re not sure what they want to do as they still love their current job and then if they do have an idea how do they make a business out of it!? Penny is a paediatric nurse so who better than to give mums and dads info about when ‘Sick Happens.’ Penny has turned her 9-5 job into a side hustle offering so much free advice but then also putting all that info into amazing bundles and courses which you can purchase on her online store. Genius right!?
Want to learn about her amazing journey? Read on!
WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR SIDE HUSTLE BUSINESS AND WHAT INDUSTRY ARE YOU IN?
Sick Happens
HOW LONG HAS YOUR SIDE HUSTLE BEEN RUNNING?
Roughly 18 months
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
Because day after day I would encounter worried, frightened and confused parents not knowing what to do when their kids were sick. I desperately wanted to sit down with all of them to teach them about what was normal, and what was not, but there was simply not enough time in my shift. It took me many years to pluck up the courage to take the leap, but I am so glad that I did because I KNOW how much this education and support helps parents.
DO YOU STILL WORK FULL TIME ANYWHERE ELSE?
Yes. I am still working on a casual basis at my local Paediatric Hospital. I don't plan on ever completely quitting, because I value my clinical skills and the ability to be able to keep my finger on the pulse (so to speak) and deliver the most up to date information to parents. I don't want to be an outdated educator.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST FINANCIAL INVESTMENT YOU'VE MADE IN YOUR BUSINESS?
My graphic designer. She created my logo, colours and fonts, and it has enabled me to create a consistent and recognisable brand that flows through into every single part of my business
DID YOU INVEST IN BRANDING WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR BUSINESS?:
100% YES. I can't recommend this highly enough.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU REGRET OR WISH YOU HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY IN YOUR BUSINESS?
I wish I'd spoken with more people in business in the early days about the nitty gritties. Aka the tech stuff, the logistics, the insurances -- all the things you don't realise are super important until you've created a complicated mess of a system to untangle.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
To do things the way I want to do them, rather than being told what to do from others. I loved being able to flip health education on it's head and get in front of parents in a way that they consume information: on social media. It's been nice to provide evidence-based information amongst all of the "nonsense noise"
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
About how long you will ultimately work for free, or in a deficit before making a profit. It was much longer than I anticipated.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR SELLING YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE?
To give value, value, value. Giving lots of valuable information away shows what you're capable of, and then people trust you and want to purchase from you to learn more.
IS THERE SOMEONE WHO ORIGINALLY INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR SIDE HUSTLE?
Not necessarily at the start... but now that I am in business, there is an endless list of females in biz that are so incredibly supportive, collaborative and inspiring at what they do. I call them my insta colleagues
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE STARTING A SIDE HUSTLE?
Just jump. Don't keep holding yourself back thinking about the what ifs... just do it. It's so much better to have tried and failed, then not to have tried at all.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
It honestly varies depending on whether I am childless or not. But, I'll always get up early to go to the gym. Then come back and get the kids ready for the day and either do drop offs, or go straight to the park for a play and coffee. Then the day is full of packaging up orders, answering email or DM enquiries, content creation, or juggling it all with the kids. Not to mention cooking, cleaning, groceries -- it's a hectic juggle, but it's incredible
HOW HAS LIFE CHANGED NOW THAT YOUR PURSUING YOUR PASSION AND LIVING YOUR DREAM?
So much more time flexibility, so much more job satisfaction, so much more passion for what I do. I work so many more hours for now, but I am bursting with happiness.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BUSINESS IN 5 YEARS?
Still developing online courses and educational resources for parents, but hopefully with a bigger team. I'd love to have staff to help with the running of the business, so that I can keep working ON the business in the strategy
BEST TIP FOR BUILDING/GROWING A COMMUNITY/FOLLOWING ONLINE?:
Give lots of value, listen to what your audience actually want, speak in a language that they will understand rather than showing off what you know.
ANY OTHER ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU, YOUR BUSINESS, OR BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN GENERAL?:
It is literally me at the moment. So many people think I am part of a team, but I am the designer, the marketer, the content creator, the emailer, the tech "wiz" -- it's part of owning a small biz.
HOW DO YOU REST, RECHARGE?:
Go the the beach with my boys.
ONCE COVID IS ALL OVER WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL TO?:
Somewhere tropical with waves and sand, or jump in a caravan and cruise around Australia for months with the fam.
insta: @sick.happens http://sickhappens.com.au
