What is your name?
Sam Leader
What is your business name?
Flying Solo
What industry is your business in?
Online community for solo business owners
Where are you based?
Mullumbimby, northern New South Wales
How long have been in business?
Five years
Is it a full-time or part-time business?
Three directors work on the business, two of them full time and I work part time, two days a week. My principle responsibility is as the site’s editor, which means I look after all contributors, applications, check and schedule article submissions.
Did you start your business before or after becoming a mum/step-mum?
Before
Why did you start your business?
Robert and I had written the book and thought an online community of solo business owners would work really well.
What has been your biggest triumph in business?
Overseeing the publication of 1000 articles. Having regular feedback along the lines of “I am so happy I’ve found this site” and “This book has changed my life”.
What was your biggest mistake in business?
I think I stretched myself too thin after having my first child, but learnt to take a bigger step back from the business after my second. Also it is a mistake (personally) to try and ‘do’ parenting and work at the same time. In my experience you do neither very well! I try not to think of business while with my family and vice versa.
What is the one piece of advice you wish you’d been given about running a business with children when you started out?
You’ve got to really love what you do or it’s going to feel like a big burden. It’s important to do something meaningful. Also as mentioned I wish I’d been more realistic about how much I could achieve and I wish I’d known not to mix work and family.
Name your top three business successes
1. The two Flying Solo LIVE! events we’ve run so far – seeing nearly 400 members of the community at each event gave me a real buzz.
2. Watching the Facebook fan page go from 0 to 1,500 likers in just a few months
3. Being labelled ‘one of Australia’s leading independent online publishers’
What are you passionate about?
My family and my work.
What’s the one thing you can never resist?
A trip to the swimming pool on a hot day.
Who inspires you?
My business partners and my family.
What is the song that gets you fired up?
I find music too distracting to listen to while I work and prefer to use it to unwind, so if you ask ‘what do you like to unwind to’, at the moment it’s Bob Marley’s Legend. He was a legend!
What is your favourite quote?
I love a good quote and it’s hard to pick just one, but this one neatly sums up my business philosophy: “If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.” Anita
Roddick
Contact Sam
Website: http://www.flyingsolo.com.au
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/flyingsoloau
