Home > Life > TMC Talks > TMC Talks To Jasmine Wicks-Stephens Founder Of Faace. Post author By The Mum Club Post date 5 July 2021 TMC Talks To Jasmine Wicks-Stephens Founder Of Faace. The Mum Club5 July 2021 Let’s face it being a mum is a big enough job on its own. It’s a full time commitment with no pay and mad hours! So adding ANOTHER full time job to the mix is not only very impressive but also massively inspiring. We recently spoke to Faace , Fuss-free skincare Founder Jasmine Wicks-Stephens to find out how she manages it all.. Explain what you do in a sentence? I own and run two businesses, a communications agency, Known, and skincare brand, Faace. How long have you done your job? Communications for brands, 15 years, beauty brand owner, 3 years (if you include development time). What’s the coolest thing about it? That I get to be creative every day. Whether that’s for my own brand, or other people’s, I love the fact that there is variety in every day and I get to do work I am genuinely passionate and excited about. What does your day or week entail? Personally, it involves being a mum, wife, daughter, friend and all the errands that come with that (I won’t bore you with the details as I’m sure you’re all well aware). Work-wise, Zoom meetings with clients to give advice on how they can meet their individual goals, team meetings to help them do great work on all projects and to brainstorm ideas, copywriting, creative direction on projects. Where did you start out? My Uncle was involved with a fashion brand, Paul Costello, and I did my first work experience placement at a London agency who looked after then. I soon realised I loved PR, but perhaps wasn’t cut out for fashion. I then fell into beauty, through a chance meeting, when a larger than life character came into the pub I was working in and befriended me (we’re still friends), and as we got talking and drinking, she and I hatched a plan for me to start working at an agency she worked at. After a brilliant and crazy 18 months there I moved on, and progressed from agency to agency, until setting up my own. What has been your biggest challenge? Running two businesses and being a good mum, wife, friend, family member, I always feel a bit like I’m letting someone down. Not overcome that one yet either… What piece of advice would you give to someone hoping to do the same? Don’t get into this industry if a very hectic environment stresses you out. You need to enjoy working at a really fast pace. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to coast a long a bit, in fact I can really see the benefits of that. But, if you want to get into comms, wherever you work, you always have to enjoy going the extra, or it could leave you feeling overwhelmed, frazzled and not in a good way. Something you’ve learnt that is crucial to either your job or to success I think a really important lesson in life is to be tolerant and consider what someone else might be going through. I used to take things more personally when I was younger. And what I’ve learnt, as I’ve grown up is tolerance, empathy and understanding of the fact other people might have things going on, that you know absolutely nothing about. I think if you have that in mind, it makes things a bit easier. How important is it to switch off? Probably very, but I am not the right person to ask that of. How do you manage your work / life balance? Although I work long hours sometimes, I also try and treat myself to random times off that I wouldn’t if I was employed. For example, I’m not a morning person, so would rather chill a bit when I get up, so, if Frank (my son), isn’t at pre-school and wants me to sit and watch a film with him at 7am, then sometimes I will. I know, that if I start work at 10am, it doesn’t actually matter, as I’m always going to catch up another time, as that’s just in my nature. How do manage mum guilt? I don’t really get that anymore. For a very long time I did. Frank used to prefer my husband to me (and I mean for like a year), not just a phase. That was really tough. I never took maternity leave and so my husband and I just did everything 50/50. I felt like it was my fault he hadn’t taken to me like a ‘proper mum’, as I hadn’t invested the time in him. But now, he’s three and a half and he likes me just as much as my husband. I’ve just accepted that he was just a baby, that it probably wasn’t my fault, and now, I just want him to be happy with whoever is looking after him. So as long as he’s happy, I don’t really feel guilty. How did you get over the feeling of missing your baby when you went back to work? I didn’t take any maternity leave. I used to just juggle the two like a crazy person (I think, I don’t actually recall). The Mum Club5 July 2021 ← Why You Should Consider Getting A Night Nanny (Hint: You Deserve Some Sleep) → 10 Most Tedious Parenting Tasks
