Hi I’m Debbie O’Connor, the Master Franchisee for Motivating Mum in the UK.

So who am I exactly?  I would describe myself as a mum first and foremost, part-time businesswoman and closet diva.

My children are Anne-Sophie age 7 and Eoin (pronounced Owen) who is 5.  Two bright sparky little beings who keep me constantly on my toes, provide endless sources of pride and occasional frustration, and teach me so much about myself and the world.  For me, being a mum is absolutely the most important thing.  My business interests exist mainly to keep my brain active, keep me socially involved with others, and provide a small amount of income for me to follow my passions. I think this helps me to be a better mum and wife & keeps me sane.

I quit my job as a finance director when pregnant with Anne-Sophie and have not worked full-time since.  My hubby was posted to the Channel Islands – I went with him & I wasn’t allowed to work, so I spent a couple of years as a stay at home mum, doing a bit of charity work with the NCT and training with them as a postnatal leader. Since coming back to England in 2006 I have dabbled with various home businesses, part time jobs and training, searching for a stay at home job that suits my skills, and fits  the time I want to give it , whilst still being there for my children.

For the moment my main business outside of Motivating Mum is helping people to lose weight with Cambridge Weight Plan.  It’s a very flexible business and I get a real buzz out of helping people to achieve their dreams.  If anyone is interested in Cambridge, either for your own weight loss needs or as a business, please see my page on the website (Cambridge Weight Plan) or contact me for a chat.

The one thing I have learnt over the last few years, both with leading the NCT postnatal classes and as a weight loss coach, is that I have a real talent for listening to people, supporting and motivating them and allowing them to define and reach their dreams.  This is why I am so excited to be taking over Alli’s role in the chair at Motivating Mum UK.

I’m more than happy to act as the first point of call for all your enquiries, whether you need specialist advice or just need someone to chat with, get support from and bounce ideas off.  I like nothing better than chatting and making friends, in person and online, and I will gladly help in any way I can. I’m also backed up by a fantastic team of experts here at Motivating Mum, so one way or another I’ll do my best to get your queries and concerns sorted.

If you want to know more about me, you can read my story in several installments on the Motivating Mum blog, starting here

Lastly the closet diva bit.  My passion is singing & I indulge it by belonging to the English Chamber Choir in London. I’ll try not to bang on too much about that on this site, as its not exactly relevant, but I just mention it in order to show how I find my own work-family-self balance, which I think is the key to everything.