"Creating with your hands and reconnecting with matter" is what Jennifer Hart-Smith is passionate about.
Can you introduce yourself in a few lines?
I am Franco-Australian and I am part of the generation of reconverted people who easily change their lives . A graphic designer in companies then a pastry chef, I followed a naturopathy course at cenatho and a complementary mention in phytology which has nourished my practice and my work today.
My business is quite diverse. I currently have a catering service that is operating at a slow pace due to the Covid crisis, and I am also the author of several books . I have just launched a range of groceries and a self-published magazine that talks about cooking, baking and naturopathy with a more local and inclusive dimension of the regions.
How did you come up with the idea of starting your own business?
The birth of my first child allowed me to refocus on my needs and desires. It was difficult for me to return to working as before in front of a screen. I wanted to create differently, for myself, to put my energy and my thirst for work at my own service . I also wanted to reconnect with the material, the manual . Pastry offered qualities similar to graphic design: 'rigor, aesthetics, beauty but also pleasure'. Naturopathy was added in parallel later to bring the notion of meaning . Creating a business was done organically, I learned by doing and by making mistakes too. It took me 3 years to structure myself well and to make a living from it.
How do you balance your life as a mother with the pace of being an entrepreneur?
Today I have found a real balance . But for a long time, the first three years of entrepreneurship, the line between personal and professional life was very porous. My children also arrived at the same time as my career change and entrepreneurship. Sometimes I look back and I don't know how we managed to juggle all that... Looking back, I think I prioritized life as an entrepreneur before family life in the beginning.
Today, I have some regrets, but healthy regrets that have allowed me to readjust my focus and devote more time to my children . Knowing how to say 'no' to outside requests, structuring my time, setting boundaries between professional and personal life is essential to personal and family balance . But when you're passionate, it easily overflows. I remain vigilant.
What are the little things that bring you happiness and inspiration every day?
Spending time with my family in the countryside, picking , taking time alone in Aveyron.
A word for those who would like to get started?
Don't think too much with your head :)
