As an experienced naturopath nutritionist, Tasha Jennings knew that her passion could make a huge difference in the lives of women and couples struggling with fertility.

Today, Tasha is helping proactive women and couples to improve their fertility wellbeing to create healthy pregnancies and healthy babies through her business, Conceive Baby.

Tasha is an advocate for positive lifestyle changes as an influence on not only a healthy conception but also the lifelong health of a future child. She has made it her mission to give couples the chance to experience the happiness that creating a healthy new life can bring.

What do you enjoy most about running your own business?

“I love that I can work around my family because I created this business to help other people to share in the joy that I have found in my family.

I like that I can set my own hours and still be there for them. I can see patients all over Australia and overseas via Zoom and I can regularly do that at night when my kids are tucked up in bed and when it suits my patients.”

What are 3 pieces of advice that you wish you had been given when you started?

1. Trust your own knowledge and instincts. I think as women we can tend to not do this. This is your business, so if something doesn’t feel right go with that instinct. I felt initially like everyone else knew more than me and that I shouldn’t be asking silly questions, but the more that I’ve turned away from that, the more my business has flourished.
2. Get support around you. Having a place where you can go to get trusted help and advice is really important, particularly if you are a solopreneur like myself.
3. Do your groundwork. You might have all this passion for your idea and you just want to jump straight into creating, but doing your groundwork before you start can save you countless hours and a lot of money later on.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a business?

“I think that the groundwork is the biggest thing. You really just need to write down every single thing that you can think of about your market and your research and really get a good understanding of that. Looking back at my own business plan, even now, always gives me such clarity when things aren’t going the way I want them to. Getting a solid foundation beforehand is going to be really helpful.”

What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?

• Tech. Getting some basic skills — websites, email marketing, a general online presence — is important. You can spend a lot of money in these areas for not much return if you’re not careful. Even if you do end up outsourcing, work with someone who can teach you along the way so that you can build an understanding of how it all works.
• Social media. Don’t feel like you need to do it all. What I would suggest is to just pick one social media and do it well, because trying to do everything at once can really eat you up.

What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you are not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?

“I think when I look at the vision board that I created when I started and I look at where I am today, I’m pretty close to my ideal business. I think my ideal next step would be to just have it on a bigger scale and to be able to reach more people, which is something that I’m really focusing on this year.”

Who is your favourite entrepreneur and why?

“Suzi Dafnis rocks. I’ve been following her since 2004. I know a lot of people talk about the massive American entrepreneurs and although I love that, I think what Suzi has is a lot of integrity and a lot of passion. She’s living her passion and helping other people live theirs and I find that really inspiring.”

How do you balance a flourishing career and family life? And, what advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are struggling to find that balance?

“I would say it’s a constant juggle more than a balance. I think the main thing is to be clear about your priorities, and also be open to those priorities changing as your kids grow and as your business grows. Think about what your core values are and align your priorities with them. Keep the lines of communication open with your family and ask for help and support when you need it.”

What do you think are the biggest advantages in being able to offer both a product and a service to your clients? Are there any disadvantages?

“The biggest advantage is that Zycia is very much in line with the rest of my business so they bounce off of each other. Having a product also means that not all of my income is a time-for-money trade, and that is something that I want to expand on so I can reach more people.

I guess the downside would be that all of the logistics, manufacturing, and distribution stuff is not what I’m passionate about as a naturopath nutritionist, so it has been a big learning curve for me.”

Can you describe what the process of creating an online course is like? And, in what ways do you see your business and clients benefiting from its launch?

“It’s been a long process because I do get tied up in consulting, but I am really passionate about getting this out there.

I’ve worked with some patients who’ve been through heartbreaking rounds of IVF and have been referred to me by the clinic to help improve their egg and sperm health. By making some simple shifts, they’ve fallen pregnant before I’ve sent them back to the clinic. Of course, not all of my patients are that simple, but I would love to be able to reach more people and get the right information to them before they go through that heartbreak.”

What problem does being a member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?

“HerBusiness really gives you that network of support that I was talking about initially. When I was starting my business I really didn’t have that. In hindsight, I was floundering a fair bit. Through the network of women and e-learning at my fingertips, HerBusiness has given me access to so many resources and so much support that I wish I had had sooner.”

Do you think that the benefits of the HerBusiness Marketing Success Mastermind Program have advanced your passion for your work?

“Totally. Joining Mastermind has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s amazing to have these great businesswomen who are so generous with writing referrals, asking questions, and giving feedback is so helpful. I always come away from the in-person meetings feeling reinvigorated. The thing I LOVE is the online Facebook group because if you’re struggling with something at 11 o’clock at night, you can just throw it in there and get that feedback straight away.”

Learn more about Tasha Jennings, Conceive Baby, and the Zycia Premium Pregnancy Nutrition.

This post was authored by MaryClaire Lancaster. MaryClaire is completing a journalism internship at HerBusiness. She studies communications and English literature at the University of Tennessee in the United States.