- Please introduce yourself: Name, what do you do & how many children you have.
My name is Sarah Holmes and I am the managing director of Merrythought. We are the UK’s oldest remaining teddy bear manufacturer and have been creating the quintessentially British teddy bear of the highest quality for more than 90 years. I have one child, Rollo, who is twenty months old.
- How do you manage to juggle work and life balance as a mother?
It’s pretty challenging juggling a baby-turned-toddler alongside Merrythought, but it does get easier with time, and in the early months of Rollo’s life I soon learnt to function fairly well on intermittent, or lack of sleep.
You have to make sure those short windows of working time, usually when Rollo is asleep, are as productive as possible. But I have found it mentally demanding having to constantly ask your brain to switch between being a mother and being a managing director. I could find myself rushing to finish a feed in time to pick up a conference call with a major customer such as Mulberry – you become the ultimate multi-tasker.
- What top tips would you give to any working mum?
One thing that really helped me was to try to get Rollo into a routine as early as possible. This meant I could roughly plan my day around his feeds and nap times, and definitely helped him to start sleeping through the night from a fairly young age – which meant more sleep for me too, and therefore more ability to tackle the demands of Merrythought the next day.
- What do you love most about London? Do you have a favourite spot with your children?
Rollo was born just a few months before the pandemic and as we are based in Shropshire we haven’t been able to visit London as often as we would like. However, I lived in London for several years before working for Merrythought and would normally return regularly for meetings and pitches to customers. One of my favourite spots to escape the fast-paced London life is Battersea Park, particularly in the Summer, and I still love visiting flagship stores such as Fortnum & Mason and Harrods as part of my work. It still means a lot to see Merrythought teddy bears on display in their toy and gift departments, particularly in the case of Harrods whom we have continuously worked with since 1930. I can’t wait for Rollo to experience Harrods’ toy department too one day!
- How do you define quality ‘me-time’?
Just any time that is both child and work free – which isn’t very often! But it could be a good run while listening to my favourite dance tracks, or a soak in the bath with a large glass of rose alongside!
- What is your favourite & least favourite thing about parenthood?
Least favourite: Losing the option to be impulsive and do things at the drop of a hat has probably been one of the hardest adjustments to my lifestyle. What was once ‘let’s pop out for dinner’ now has to be planned days in advance and requires a lot more admin!
Most favourite: The unconditional love a child gives you, and being greeted each morning by a beaming happy face (usually!). It puts me in a positive state of mind for the day ahead and whatever challenges I might be faced with in the Merrythought office.
7. Tell us something people don’t know about you.
I’m the great-granddaughter of Merrythought’s founder, Gordon Holmes, and the first woman to run the company. Merrythought teddy bears have been a part of my life since I was a child, and my grandfather and father were both previously managing director before I took over after my father passed away.
- Given we are all about embracing Motherhood, what advice would you give a first time Mum?
Don’t be too hard on yourself! I went into motherhood thinking ‘how difficult can it be, millions of people do it!’ and that I could easily juggle the business alongside parenting. Particularly in those early weeks, it’s incredibly tough and soon had to accept that it simply wasn’t possible to ‘do it all’, and it was a case of prioritising my time and energy to ensure Rollo always came first.
- I’m a mum and……
10. Finally, please let us know what you love most about Kensington Mums?
What I love most about Kensington Mums is the support and sense of community it offers. Being a mum is hard work, but when you follow Kensington Mums and the useful insights it offers, you feel you’re not on your own!
Read more inspiring interviews as part of our online motherhood exhibition and get in touch to share your story with us. We would love to hear from you.
