The Breakout
Welcome to The Breakout, the official blog of The Breaker Collective. Think of it as our communal venting booth, thought lab (what a ridiculous term), and digital couch — where we rant, sometimes be vulnerable and occasionally say something profound between sips of coffee (or wine, depending on the hour). Expect authenticity, humour- we’ll let you decide who’s funnier Caroline or Gemma- a dose of TMI and the occasional “wait, I never thought of it like that” moment.
We Are All Queens…
No matter your opinions, it is a fact that Madge is not “just” a pop star, she is the definition of an affluent businesswoman, actress, producer, musician, writer, model, journalist, etc. the list goes on. She has even written 5 children’s books.
She also said she finds it “exhausting” balancing her career with parenting and “Whoever you are, having children and raising them is a work of art and no one gives you a manual. You have to learn from mistakes.”
Is It Worth It?
In an attempt to find some motivation, I googled successful start-ups that first failed. Very few women came up, I’m not sure if it’s because the successful women didn’t fail first, or more likely because there are less out there that have been able to take the plunge. Depending on what article you read, women receive between 1% and 3% of total venture capital.
Putting On My Big Pants
For me, public speaking is especially terrifying. I can remember at school I would never put my hand up in class to answer a question for fear I would be laughed at.
We Got You
The last two weeks have been particularly stressful in my little world. The helpful husband and kids are great support when I’m feeling low or stressed, but it’s my network of women, my friends who often are the ones who give me the energy, wisdom and sometimes the necessary nudge to pull me out of a funk and see things clearly again.
Flipping Work-Life Balance
We inevitably, because it’s one thing we all are striving for and one of the core values of The Breaker Collective, got onto the subject how we are juggling EVERYTHING and work-life balance. She then said something which was a light bulb moment for me…she said…“I like to call it LIFE-work balance…life is the most important bit, why does the work bit always come first?!”
Lice free, Guilt Free
It’s time to address the elephant in the room. Or should I say, the laundry pile that resembles Everest in the hallway OR the layers of dirt caking on my unbathed child for the second day in a row, alright, third… FINE it’s been a week, ok!? The guilt trip.
Sorry not Sorry
Caroline tells me repeatedly to stop apologising…it really annoys her. At first, I found her annoyance irritating because saying sorry is just good manners, right? But actually, I’ve now started to annoy myself (especially the time I walked into a lamp post and said sorry to it!), yet I still can’t seem to stop – it’s programmed in and has become a habit.
Beckham, Bullies & Beauty Queens
This week I started Beckham on Netflix. As a non-Brit I had no idea about the amount of heckling he got after the World Cup fiasco. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a World Cup fiasco, I just knew about Posh and Becks, this couple that flooded every magazine cover in the supermarket line
You can sit with us
We often talk about the judgements we’ve experienced from other women. Feeling like you have to be fake, or somehow not yourself to fit in. One of the things that drew us to each other was being authentic, letting it all hang out. We don’t have it all together!! That’s why we want the Collective. We want a place that’s a no judgement zone, where you’re accepted and celebrated even. A place where you’ll always have a seat.
We’re Live! (ish…)
So, Caroline and I are busily working away at Breaker HQ - AKA Caroline’s Kitchen, the heart of her home, which is always a hive of activity.