#HeadspaceStories 3 minutes 36 seconds: Niki Herring of Channel Mum
Headspace Stories are about getting to know the residents of our Farringdon, Marylebone and Manchester Spaces. Being part of the Headspace Network, means working alongside some amazing entrepreneurial business minds. This week I was fortunate enough to sit down with Niki Herring of Channel Mum. Read the story in just 3 minutes 36 seconds.
Q) What is Channel Mum?
Channel Mum is an online video publisher for modern mums that is powered by a community of mummy influencers.
The mummy influencers are the faces of our content as well as our distributors of content. We’ve got close to 450 influencers within the community at present and growing. So, that’s the official, ‘what media box do we fit into’ bit, but the point of our existence ultimately is; we are an online village for mums that supports mums.
Our collective content, with the Channel Mum brand as the main lightening rod, lives across all the social channels you’d expect from YouTube to Instagram and could be anything from how to wean your baby and potty train your toddler to DIY brows, what to feed your family and the more sensitive and serious issues of PND and maternal mental health. The marvellous thing about executing all this in video enables us to ‘show and share’ our influencers stories not just ’tell` – making the subject matter more engaging and more effective. Our network of influencers show the reality and don’t just spout the textbook – our community ethos is ‘the honest face of parenting.’
The Channel Mum village wants to ensure that no mum ever needs to feels lonely and she has a place to go…hence our current campaign message – YANA. You Are Not Alone.
Despite only launching in January 2015, our heritage is helping mums. The founder of Channel Mum is Siobhan Freegard, also the founder of Netmums, who a few years ago was awarded an OBE for her services to families.
Q) What is the most rewarding part of your job?
When you’ve had a stressful day, argued with Ad agencies over budgets and KPI’s and are working hours to rival Theresa May, I still know that we are doing, what we are doing to help mums – to make a difference to their lives. There is no bigger reward than that. Making a difference to a mum’s life is the heart and soul of our business and I am so proud of everyone within our company and community for contributing to that cause, whatever their role.
Q) What is your favourite thing about working in Headspace Farringdon?
I really like the spirit and culture of Headspace in Farringdon, it’s small, creative entrepreneurial businesses just like us. Everyone is really friendly, we need more Matt’s, (he of 3 Gents fame) in our lives, and people are always the most important factor in any workspace really aren’t they. But of course, it is also a great space to find a quiet spot to work if you want to get out of your office. I am loving the new library room and the yoga is a bonus too – so thanks for that Headspace, keep it coming.
Q) Being a small business, what advice would you impart to other small companies?
Keep looking forward. It’s okay to make mistakes – just learn from them. Stay agile and never get complacent, especially if you are in the media, tech, creative space. It’s changing so rapidly and being small is our advantage – we can pivot quicker and be more flexible than the big boys. And ‘do the right thing’ if you put good out there waves will part and planets will align. Listen to your instinct – when I haven’t I’ve always regretted it. If all else fails – wine, lots of it (or gin or both, together, perhaps!?)
Q)Tell us something that would surprise us about you?
In a previous life I was an Equity holding Actress and Voice Over Artist and I’ve done too many crap films and bad TV commercials to mention. Sadly the Royal Shakespeare Company didn’t want me so I found the media industry instead. Or maybe media found me? Who knows!
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me Niki. Its been great to get to know more about the work Channel Mum do.
Interested in being the next #HeadspaceStory contact Danielle!
