A Liverpool mum founded her own business after being at "rock bottom" as she was made redundant.
Mum-of-two Alishia Thomas, from South Liverpool, never thought she'd be her own boss but has gone on to "flourish", not only "as a mother but as a business woman and entrepreneur".
Alishia, 37, founded and owns M0THER, a freelance agency which connects working mums with flexible job opportunities in the creative industries. Now, the brand has evolved to offer a portfolio of bespoke gifts for mums including personalised pyjamas and 'Boozy Boxes' filled with pre-made cocktails and sliders.
READ MORE: Primark shoppers searching stores to find £30 green blazer that’s selling out 'everywhere'
The agency has even gone on to create its own bespoke gins, flavoured in original and berry.
Speaking to the ECHO, Alishia said the agency came about "out of the need to help working mothers find the balance between work and children".
She said: "When I was at university, not once did I ever think about working for myself. I thought I would be working my way up through the ranks in a well known advertising agency.
"Not becoming a mother, being made redundant, and creating my own freelance community and business. When you’ve got nothing left to lose after being let go, there’s nothing left to fear and you just go for it.
"M0THER came about out of the need to help working mothers find the balance between work and children. Having welcomed a new baby myself, I knew first hand how hard it was to balance both work and motherhood.
"I identified a fantastic niche that allowed me to start my own entrepreneurial journey as well as my own motherhood journey. This journey has since allowed me to create Mother Gifts, create our very own gin, and fundamentally allowed me to do all this while raising two children - and a dog."
Mum to five-year old Noa and baby Effie, the launch of the business has not been without sacrifice. Alishia was initially shocked at the amount of hours she needed to dedicated to M0THER to ensure its success.
She continued: "Even though I am always at the school or nursery gates - and not necessarily on time - the late nights and early mornings with newborns and toddlers were not so enjoyable. But, you are doing it for them so you give it everything.
"There are no off days, so you do have to make sure you take a few hours a week just for you."
Alishia said her family are "unbelievably" supportive of her: "They thought I was crazy at first going it alone but having been at rock bottom, they’ve seen how I've flourished, not only as a mother but as a business woman and entrepreneur.
"We work with some pretty amazing businesses in Liverpool as part of our freelance community M0THER HQ - and not only this, but have created the mother of all gins."
Of her plans for the future, Alishia added: "[I hope] to continue growing, nurturing and helping mothers and their careers along the way."
You can keep up with M0ther here.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to one of our free newsletters
