WMW #30: Ayesha Mustafa, corporate woman turned entrepreneur, mum to a 9-year old
"There is no formula to be a great entrepreneur and to be a great mum. It's so unique to everybody"
I haven’t done one of these in a while, and never have I posted my candid video chats with the mums I interview.
So here goes!
This issue of Working Mum Wisdom interviews Ayesha Mustafa, corporate woman turned entrepreneur and mum to a 9-year old.
Also, it’s a special interview because Ayesha and I used to work together, maybe 15 years ago!
Thanks to the internet and me always on the look out to speak to inspiring mums, we reconnected for this interview and also met up in Dubai!
I love my newsletter for connecting me to incredible women, and giving me the opportunity to tell their story.
In this interview, we talk about Ayesha’s multiple career transitions that lead her into entrepreneurship; her start-up ventures and what she has learned from them; the launch of her current sustainable fashion brand Everyday Phenomenal and of course, being a mother.
Meet Ayesha Mustafa, CEO and founder of sustainable fashion brand Everyday Phenomenal, and mum to 9-year old girl.
Q. Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m originally from Pakistan but I've grown up across five countries, making me a true third culture kid, with London feeling most like home since I have been here now for 17 years.
Growing up, I was passionate about social justice and aspired to become a women's rights lawyer, which led me to study related fields and work in a law firm in New York.
However, disillusioned by the legal grind, I followed by passion for writing and turned to journalism, and started my career in Dubai at a public relations company before moving to London for a master's in media and communications.
My journey took me from startup environments to corporate roles at Pepsi and Target, focusing on brand marketing and sustainability, a cause close to my heart.
Inspired by an internship at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, I've always sought to empower women and promote justice. This experience, combined with my international network, sparked the idea for Fashion Compassion in 2011, an online retailer supporting women-run brands. However, after eight years and becoming a mother, I scaled down and moved more towards consultancy work.
However, my learnings from Fashion Compassion and from my consulting work helped me realise that there is a gap in the market for a brand for mums that creates a space for them to feel and look good, but is also casual and can be mixed and matched with the rest of your wardrobe.
And that’s what lead to the launch of Everyday Phenomenal, which was about two and a half years ago.
Q.What happened to Fashion Compassion?
Facing the challenges of living in London without much family support, my husband's frequent travel for work, and the responsibilities of raising a small child, I found myself stretched too thin.
Despite having help at home, the lack of extensive support made it difficult to balance work and family life, especially when managing collaborations with 39 brands, including a significant project with Virgin Airlines. This project, while initially successful, faced quality control issues that highlighted the limitations of my small business. These experiences brought to the forefront the realities of motherhood and entrepreneurship.
Fashion Compassion has always been my first child; it is something I absolutely love and adore. And I've spent so much of my life on it. So it was hard, but I decided that cannot continue this way.
Understanding that you cannot do everything simultaneously and recognising the importance of personal and family well-being, I made the tough decision to scale back Fashion Compassion to only online orders.
Q. How are you applying the learnings from Fashion Compassion to Everyday Phenomenal?
My greatest lesson from Fashion Compassion was the importance of owning the supply chain to ensure quality and timely production, as relying on others introduces uncontrollable external factors.
Now, for Everyday Phenomenal, I collaborate closely with a select group of women seamstresses, managing everything from quality control to design. This hands-on approach allows me complete oversight and flexibility over the supply chain.
Additionally, I've come to understand that not every venture will sustain its peak; recognising when to move on is crucial.
It's so essential to separate personal feelings from business realities and acknowledging the inherent challenges of the fashion industry, particularly for small, sustainable brands
Q. How has your evolution as a mother alongside your professional journey, from the early days of Fashion Compassion to starting a new venture, influenced your relationship with your daughter, and what impact do you believe your actions and changes have had on her perception of you?
Navigating motherhood initially felt overwhelming due to the lack of a guidebook and the barrage of advice from all sides, leading to a self-imposed pressure to be the perfect mother.
Over time, I realised the importance of being happy and engaged with my child, and understanding that my emotional state directly influences hers. Accepting and learning from mistakes, and allowing myself to be genuine, became crucial.
My daughter sees me as a pivotal figure in her life, something that she told me during a journaling activity when she said I was the person she admired most for managing so many things and that I made it seem easy.
So she sees me doing different things. I'm very honest and very open. I tell her when I find things hard when I'm having a tough time. I don't paint a rosy picture for her. When I go to the production studio, there's so many issues that happen; sometimes my production is stuck sometimes the material is stuck, so she see’s that journey with me, right? So I think she gets it and she gets it that I'm making it real. She's the person I actually talk to the most about my business!
Q. What's your biggest productivity hack?
I will always do the task which is the most important that I will least enjoy, first.
Then I give myself a little bit of a break and I'll do something that I like, then I'll go back to the second big thing. I don't know if it works for everybody, but I do the most annoying and the hardest tasks first.
Also I’m very aware, that I'm not perfect. And I'm going to make a lot of mistakes. And I just don't let a lot of things bother me that used to bother me.
I don't want to go by any set standard - it's just my standard, and it's my day. And honestly, I give myself permission to just be.
Q. What is your parenting mantra as your daughter steps into her pre-teens?
You know, I keep thinking about it, especially as my daughter is growing up and will soon be in her teens. I talk to other moms, and they tell me their stories, and I get so scared. And it seems like its always mother that gets the brunt of it. So then I just tell myself, you know, it's gonna be okay, it's gonna be fine.
I think I just want to be like a friend to her. I want to be this kind of parent who's a parent with boundaries, but also somebody that she feels safe and happy to be with.
I don’t think there is a cookie cookie cutter approach, because different things work for different people. I want to lead by what my daughter needs. I want to be flexible. I want to listen to her. And I want to do what really makes her happy; I just want her to be a happy child!
Q.What do you do in your me time?
So one thing that I really love, because I live in London - and I absolutely love the city - is I go for walks; walking is my absolute favourite thing!
I go for long walks, I sometimes listen to music, sometimes I go with a friend, but I actually really enjoy walks alone. Because I just feel it's my time with nature and connection.
I also do a bit of meditation that I’ve just started recently, and its been really amazing for me. I also like to take the time to meet very good friends, you know the you kind that give you the boost that you need.
And I love that London is filled with so many things that you can do. Liberty in London is my favourite place that I can go there every single day and be happy. It's just so beautiful!
Q. What would be your advice to mums who are kind of trying to build their own careers, but also trying to be mums?
I would say, look after you and your needs, they come first. And really connect with yourself. Block all the stuff that people tell you and really be in touch with who you are in your gut and what you feel like. There is no formula to be a great entrepreneur and to be a great mum. It's so unique to everybody.
I think whatever calls out to you and whatever you feel comfortable with is what you have you have to go for and you can't do it all all at once. I personally do really believe that.
I think you can do everything but at different times and just just be honest with yourself and don't put these assumptions and these ideas that have been passed down from or previous generations, culture and upbringing.
Q. What are your thoughts on work life balance?
My take on the talk around being a mum and balance is really at the heart of Everyday Phenomenal.
If you look at the star emblem of Everyday Phenomenal, it's a seven pronged star. And not each point is same. It's uneven. It represents our days, none of the days are even, but if you look at it as a whole, it still looks like a nice star, right? That's how life is. That's how your week is. You go through a lot on a daily or weekly basis, and then it still turns out well, and that's what I’m trying to remind mums of with my brand.
Q. Best book you’ve read lately
“All my Mother's”. It's all from a little girl's perspective on motherhood and her thoughts about what we want our mothers to be and how each mother is so different. It’s a very wholesome read.
Q. Best thing you have watched lately
“Fool me once” on Netflix. It’s a thriller and also a mother’s story. I watched it for like two and a half days; I honestly didn't go out! It's just so gripping.
Q. Ultimate goal as a working mum
I think your goals keep changing as you evolve as a person. So I can't tell you my lifelong goal right now, as it might change.
My goal in the next couple of years, as a working mom, is to really be balanced as much as possible. Within my role as a mom, and a working mom, I want to really understand which side do I need to pivot to at particular times. I think sometimes we lose sight of that; I hope that I always know which side needs me more.
I also want to be able to create a brand that impacts people and makes them smile and makes them think about the day differently and makes them want to connect with themselves more and and understand that, as mothers, the most important thing is first to look after yourself.
And then for my daughter, I want to be there for her as a friend, somebody that she can speak very openly to.
You can watch the entire, candid, unedited video interview below.
You can check out Everyday Phenomenal here.
If you want to leave a comment for Ayesha, do so below and I will make sure she gets it!
Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did putting it together.
Have a great week,
Love
Abha x