MumBoss and Honest Mum Vicki Psarias opens her heart to London Mums

Mums Tips

Mumpreneurs & Mums at work

Published on Wednesday, 18 July 2018 11:05

Last Updated on 17 July 2018

Monica Costa

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Meet Vicki Psarias, author, blogger, vlogger, filmmaker, TV Director & founder of Honest Mum®. I would add force of nature to her CV. I don’t know how she does it. If you don’t know Vicki already, you should. She is an absolute inspiration. Her mummy blog HonestMum has literally become a web sensation. She is an award-winning TV programme and has now written a book where she tells us all how to get through traumatic birth to establishing a recognisable lifestyle brand that is now worth 6 figures.

She is not just brilliant at everything she does but her best qualities are probably honesty and a huge passion for networking. Her love for her husband and her two boys are always on the public eye but with such grace and sweetness that feels so natural. All four of them are super stars actually. Her debut book Mumboss just released by Piatkus is so frank and a great example of how women should learn to love themselves more and shout about their success.

But Mumboss is also a very insightful manual about blogging, balancing work, passions and parenting. Vicki does not keep any secrets to herself and I love her for that. She is really unique and has star quality. She’ll go far in life and I want to be one of the first to have figured that out! 

Mumboss (I love the title, by the way) is so Vicki but also what a new generation of digital mums aspires to become. 

Here’s for an honest interview! 

Q: What inspired you to write Mumboss which is so well written, pleasant and useful at the same time? 

VP: Thanks so much Monica, I’m really touched you enjoyed Mumboss and found it useful. Writing a book has been a life-long dream of mine. I was writing stories from the age of 4 and I conceived the idea for a book empowering mums in this democratic digital landscape three years ago. Like everything though, you have to trust the timing of your life. The experiences I’ve garnered over the last few years in particular, whether that’s been my own personal growth or working with global brands has meant sharing something at this point in my life and career, which will hopefully offer the greatest meaning and be of the most use to my readers. Hopefully it’s both comprehensive and empowering. 

Q: The book gives really good tips on how to monetise blogging. From all the tips in Mumboss what is your most important recommendation to wannabe successful mummy bloggers? The web seems quite crowded right now. Is there really a space for that still?

VP:The world wide web is HUGE and yes, absolutely there’s enough room for us all. Your USP is you: your voice so focus on writing authentically about what interests you. SEO (Search engine optimisation) means a like-minded audience will always find you.  

Q: In your mind what’s the top secret of your success? You’ve got it all Vicki… You have beauty, intelligence, personality and a great supporting family.

VP: That’s so kind Monica, thank you, I am touched by your kind words. I think success is health and happiness first and foremost then doing what you love as that enriching passion seeps into every aspect of your life. It makes you feel alive. Once you find and do what excites you, everything else falls into place.  

Q: How difficult is it to get a book deal? What is that publishers look for in a mummy blogger before offering a book deal?

VP: I was originally approached by a well-known publisher on winning the BritMums Best of the Best award in 2016 then from there met with literary agents who set up meetings with various publishers. I clicked with my editor Jillian Young at Piatkus/ Little Brown from our first meeting and felt the same way about my new editor Anna Steadman who took over from Jillian when she went on maternity leave.  Editors are investing in your voice, the way you see the world and what you have to offer the reader. They are constantly seeking out powerful storytellers. 

Q: What’s the secret of your great bond with your husband? After kids, relationships usually tend to go cold but not yours.

VP: I think it’s simple, we are best friends who fancy each other. Ha! We’ve been together since our early 20s and complement each other in every way. I bring the fire, he the water. I’m high energy, he’s chilled but we are both creative and there’s no one I’d rather collaborate with. I think the secret to any relationship is compassion and compromise and saying sorry when you messed up!

Q: You recently participated in a heated debate on ITV on why it is/isn’t lazy parenting to pay for help. What’s your personal experience with getting expert’s support with parenting?

VP: I’m tired of the endless mumbashing. There is no shame in reaching out for help whether that’s paying for someone to teach your kids ride a bike like I did or any other concerns you might have. It takes a village to raise a baby and a village to raise a mumboss. The traditional sense of a village has fragmented for many so reaching out for help from experts or family and friends is the way forward. You don’t have to be a martyr to be a good mum.  

Q: You are really special Vicki but when you say in the book ‘everything I’ve achieved is 100% attainable to all’, you really tell it all but your energy and hard-working as well as total commitment are unique to you. How can average and less energetic mums get the support they need to ‘turn passion into pounds’ and become a bit more like Mumbosseslike you?

VP: Aw no one is average, we all have something to offer, but I do have high energy levels (I take after my Dad in that respect) and I write very quickly and prolifically. I did however start my blog utterly broken after a traumatic birth but Honest Mum slowly helped me to build back my confidence and an accidental career was conceived in the process too. My advice is not to put too much pressure on yourself. Quality is king or queen as I like to say so find your groove and consistently share your art with the world whether that’s daily, or twice weekly, simply keep at it and you’ll soon find you can grow a loyal audience and business online. 

Q: What’s in the pipeline for you Vicki? After so much success already, what else do you still dream of achieving?

VP: The big dream has always been to direct a feature film so who knows, maybe Mumbossthe movie might happen one day. I wouldn’t mind my own talk show too. Got to DREAM BIG hey!

MUMBOSS – The Honest Mum’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving at Work and at Home by Vicki Psariasis available on Amazon as Paperback for £13.99. 

Check out Vicki’s interview in the Summer issue of the London Mums magazine: