Vivacious Australian publicist and journalist Johanna Baker-Dowdell wrote Business and baby on board, a working mum’s bible for succeeding as an entrepreneur, over four years while juggling her own start-up and young family.
The book is filled with true stories and tips to provide inspiration to mothers who want to have it all: the family, the lifestyle, and the career.
It features case studies and advice from 20 high profile businesswomen, including Boost Juice founder Janine Allis, Red Balloon founder Naomi Simson, writer Kaz Cooke and Carman’s Kitchen founder Carolyn Creswell.
Johanna’s own heart-wrenching story of how she overcame a health scare which threw the family and her writing and public relations consultancy Strawberry Communications into crisis mode is a standout among the case studies.
As a regular blogger and public speaker about combining business and motherhood since 2007, Johanna knew there were thousands of other Australian mums looking for advice on how to start a business while raising a family.
She was initially inspired by reader responses to a series of articles she wrote on the subject for sole trader web community Flying Solo.
“A lot of the people who were members of Flying Solo at the time were mums at home who were freelancing, so that really struck a chord with them,” she says.
“A couple of them said, ‘You should write a book, because you have a really good writing style and you obviously have a handle on this topic.’”
This idea grew into a print book, published this month following a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2012. Digital first non-fiction specialist Editia is publisher of the ebook edition.
The print version of Business and baby on board is available via Strawberry Communications and selected independent bookstores for $19.95. The ebook is on sale for $9.99 at Editia.com and major ebook retailers.
Johanna has attracted an enthusiastic following via her blog, businessandbabyonboard.tumblr.com, Twitter profile (@bizbabyonboard) and Facebook page (facebook.com/BusinessBabyOnBoard). She is available now for interview and public speaking opportunities.
Thanks for the book shout out Nancy x