{"id":22348,"date":"2022-11-14T07:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T07:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=22348"},"modified":"2022-11-14T07:00:49","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T07:00:49","slug":"i-turned-my-blogging-hobby-into-a-business-says-ou-student-entrepreneur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/i-turned-my-blogging-hobby-into-a-business-says-ou-student-entrepreneur\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I turned my blogging hobby into a business\u2019 says OU student entrepreneur"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Karen Oliver, 31, lost her job due to illness, she turned her health blog into a coaching business to support those struggling with eating disorders.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s now studying Psychology<\/a> part-time with The Open University and says the support she\u2019s received as a busy entrepreneur and single parent is taking her business to the next level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe support, resources, and advice I\u2019ve received from The Open University as a student entrepreneur have been a game-changer for my business,\u201d said Karen.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe OU is set up and designed for distance learning, so I knew I would be well supported. I can fit my studies around all my other commitments as a single parent and business owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking on a new business venture<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Karen previously trained as a social worker and was inspired to begin documenting her own struggles with body image and disordered eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started Beyond The Bathroom Scale<\/a> in 2012 as a health blog during my first degree. I saw it as a hobby at the time, but later, when I lost my job due to illness I began to think about my business more seriously as I needed to make money from home, often while in a hospital bed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Karen\u2019s business soon evolved and she was inspired to create a series of affordable, simple self-help tools to support those wanting to \u2018make peace with food and their body\u2019. Her business now provides a range of services from an award-winning coaching programme to digital therapy resources and an intuitive eating app.<\/p>\n

Karen\u2019s next step is to expand her business into private practice so she can provide tailored one-on-one support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realised the moments I loved most in my social work job were the deep conversations I had with service users. I decided I wanted to pivot my career from social work into psychotherapy so during lockdown I chose to study a Psychology degree part-time alongside a CPCAB counselling course at my local college,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Balancing business, parenting and study<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As a busy student, mum and CEO, Karen says that planning her time is vital to fit everything into her packed schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to fit my studies and business activities into the school hours or after 8pm when my son is in bed,\u201d she said. \u201cI set goals and plan for the month ahead and then break this down into actionable tasks for each week. I also use a project management tool, Asana, to keep track of my daily business tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karen says that having a supportive student community has also been vital to keep her motivated and help spot new opportunities for her business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am part of a lovely study community on Instagram and I\u2019ve connected with graduate psychologists who have offered invaluable advice on training and setting up private practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone at the OU is supportive, friendly and eager to share advice and resources to help other,\u201d she added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Finding light through darker times<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Though Karen chose to study to advance in her career, she admits she didn\u2019t realise how much it would positively impact her personal life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time of enrolling, I had suffered a severe mental health breakdown following the death of my father and my divorce in the same year, just before the pandemic hit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt very anxious, depressed, and withdrawn as a person. I felt like a ghost of the person I was when working in social services. A year later, I can honestly say that returning to my studies gave me a source of hope for my future, support for my business and ambitions, and has thrown me a rope to pull me out of what was a dark place.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she progresses through her degree, Karen is now looking forward to expanding her coaching company and developing a business idea close to her heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the idea to set up a specialist mental health service to help people with eating disorders, something I experienced myself as a student during my first degree,\u201d she said. \u201cI want students to be able to access support from the comfort of their phones, without long waiting lists or fees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Karen says that the OU careers team has been invaluable in helping her develop this idea further, suggesting resources, additional training courses and opportunities like the OU\u2019s annual Student Entrepreneur Competition, through which she won a \u00a31,500 grant from Santander Universities.<\/p>\n

Advice for fellow entrepreneurs <\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s opportunities like this that Karen advises all students to seize to help make the most of their studies:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy advice for OU students is to keep an eye out for opportunities within the University alongside your degree. Being at university is about so much more than the qualification you are studying towards.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake connections, form friendships online, seek advice from all the services offered by the University and throw yourself into it to get the most out of the next few years \u2013 they will go very fast!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

LEARN MORE<\/strong><\/h3>\n