‘I BRANCHED OUT AND STARTED MY OWN BUSINESS’

Jojo Smith, 48, lives in Sutton Coldfield, and is a business development and branding fairy godmother

It was a real mix of emotions when my son Jacob, now 21, left home to live in Oxford to do an apprenticeship with BMW in July 2018. I’d grown up in the care system and he and my daughter Jessica, 17, were the only full-blood relatives I had, so the thought that he was growing up and didn’t need me anymore was heartbreaking.

I was also worried about Jessica. Having broken up with their father in 2009, I had a new partner, Jay, who lived with us, and I worried about the dynamic in the house changing.

For so long, my role as a mum had been my identity. Now, Jacob was grown up and I was acutely aware

Jessica wouldn’t be far behind him – so now that role was redundant.

As Jacob was just 17 at the time, I helped to find him a family home to rent a room in, bought him a plastic storage unit – which I filled with instant noodles, deodorant, socks and toilet rolls – and made his bed when we dropped him off. Then I sobbed all the way home.

The house felt empty, unbelievably quiet, without him. The fact he was coming home every weekend didn’t matter. And things were changing at work too, so I felt like I had a decision to make. Was I just going to drift or make the most of this opportunity and take some time for myself?

After all, Jacob was moving on, so I should take the chance to do the same. I’d been working in business development but left that role and, in a huge leap of faith, set up Creativsas, where I became a business development and branding fairy godmother for entrepreneurs. I gave people the confidence and belief to be themselves in their businesses – like I had.

My business became my new baby, as I nurtured and grew alongside it. I suddenly felt invigorated, energised, inspired.

Since then, I’ve become a published author, a radio show host, a guest speaker and the director of two companies. So much more than I ever thought I’d be.

While my babies are spreading their wings and flying high, so am I.

✢ creativsas.co.uk

‘Was I just going to drift or take some time for myself?’