Kate Langford is a Sunshine Coast businesswoman, business coach and mum of three. Now, she can add author to her list of achievements. Founder of Kate Langford Career Consulting, Kate is passionate about helping people find empowerment and fulfilment in life and work.
In her new recently launched book Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!, Kate shares all the lessons and gold nuggets she’s collected on the way – told with honesty and good humour. The book also shares her strong belief that with planning, time management and bold execution, you can have your cake and eat it too!
Can you tell us about your new book – My book is a guide for anyone who feels like they can’t be a mother or father while also having success in their career or business. I speak about my life and work experiences that led me to starting my business and everything I have learnt that will empower people to have strategies and inspiration to have it all.
Who will it appeal to? – Women, mainly, who either have a business or want to start one and want to know how to do business and children while maintaining sanity and not burning out. It is also for career changers who want to find their passion but are not sure how.
Why did you decide to write it? – I wanted to share my journey so that it could help others to achieve what I have in a very short time in business. I started documenting everything when I realised that my purpose is to help the masses find a job (or business) that they love, not just one they can do. I also found it very difficult trying to juggle being a mum and having a corporate career. I hope that my book can inspire and guide other mums to start their own business so they can have the flexibility to be there for their family while also feeling fulfilled in their work.
What are some of the topics you cover? – Drive, flexibility, family, business, time, self-worth, money, growth, health, resilience, love, balance, vision, guidance.
Speaking of having your cake and eating it too, do you believe women can have it all: career and family balance? – Yes. This is exactly the premise of my book. You can have it all but not at once. My book goes into detail of everything I have put in place in my personal and business life so that I can be a present and loving mother while also being a great boss who takes care of my staff. It is a myth that you have to choose between one or the other. I also have downloadable ‘gold nuggets’ with strategies on how to do it.
If you could give yourself one piece of advice as an 18-year-old, what would it be? – That no matter what, there will be problems to solve. It is how you deal with them that makes you succeed. I don’t live with regrets as it makes me who I am today. But if I was to say one thing, it would be: nothing changes if nothing changes.
What are some of the biggest rewards of running your own business? – Balance in my work/personal life. I can choose to only work three days a week, so I have time for my family, and Friday is ‘Kate Day’. I get to go to the sports days, see friends, love my work and family – all in the same week.
What are the challenges? – Mindset is a big thing: 70 per cent of a successful business is based on mindset, and 30 per cent is the doing. You must be mentally fit and constantly strive to learn about yourself and be humble enough to own and take ownership where necessary. Some days are harder than others but on those not-so-good ones, take 24 hours to feel it and then dust it off and fix the problem.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business? – Remember that you don’t know what you don’t know. Reach out to others who have walked your path before you and ask for help. I also have a coach. Every coach needs a coach, I believe, because we all need that mirror (but make sure you are willing to look into it). Have good mentors, supporters, friends and people who will have your back through thick and thin in your corner and you can’t go wrong.
