Emily Hughes of The Parent Guide to GCSE tells us about receiving an ADHD diagnosis late in life, how she had to reconfigure her business when the pandemic threw the UK education system into chaos, and why her dad’s garage-based business is her greatest inspiration.
How do you identify as disabled, and what does it mean to you?
Last year I was diagnosed with ADHD, which finally explained all those things I thought were just me being lazy or disorganised or not good enough.
Being able to understand now that I’m just wired differently has firstly let me work with my brain, rather than against it, and secondly, allowed me to give myself grace when I’m struggling with something that society tells me should be easy.
Tell us a little about your business.
The Parent Guide to GCSE was founded in April 2019, launched in August 2019, and then quickly expanded to include the Parent Guide to Post-16 when the pandemic threw the whole system into chaos!
We support parents with teens in Years 10-13 who want to support their child but don’t know how. Five minutes at parents’ evening doesn’t really cut it, and without support, many parents end up feeling like they’re just nagging all the time.
We firmly believe that knowledge beats nagging, and that, with a little bit of information and advice, parents can not only make a real difference, but do it in a positive way!
The Parent Guide to GCSE is a bank of information that’s drip-fed throughout the year in tiny, bite-sized chunks, so that parents feel on top of it all, combined with direct support when needed via our regular Q&A sessions on Zoom.
Since launching, it’s evolved further as we’ve added content, tools and one-to-one support, but the heart of the business remains the same: helping parents feel confident about supporting their teen through the exam years.
Why did you start the business? Share your story so far.
Fifteen years as a teacher was starting to take a toll on my mental health. My husband and I decided that my sanity was more important than my salary, and started looking at ways I could leave teaching: ideally we wanted a way for him to do the same eventually too.
The epiphany came when a fellow parent posted in a Facebook group asking how on earth she should help her daughter with her maths homework. It was at that moment that I realised that, while there’s a HUGE industry around supporting students (tutors, revision guides, websites etc), there was nothing supporting parents.
I knew I had the experience to support them, so it was just a question of how to do so. After much research and planning, we went with a membership structure.
What do you see as the main challenges facing your business and its continued operation or growth?
The cost of living crisis has impacted our membership numbers a lot as people cut back.
I am in charge of all marketing for the business, as we can’t yet afford to take anyone on, and my ADHD has meant that consistency has been a struggle: I get hyperfocused on a big project for the business, and all the little daily things get left behind for a while.
What can we do to encourage more disabled entrepreneurs to start businesses – what is holding them back and what can we all do to help change that?
I think that clarity about the support available to us would be good. Admittedly I haven’t looked into it much, but having heard people talk about PIP etc, my brain immediately writes it off as sounding like ‘too much admin’ – admin being the kryptonite of all ADHD brains!
What do you consider your greatest achievement or the proudest moment in your life so far?
I struggle to acknowledge my achievements. I’ve always brushed them off as a fluke, or luck. I’m trying to get better at it though, so here goes.
- I have a maths degree from Cambridge.
- I’ve been interviewed on Good Morning Britain and Talk TV as an education expert.
- I wrote a book (GCSE Survival Guide for Parents).
- I managed to keep growing our business through a pandemic and a cost of living crisis, even with ADHD!
- I’ve helped raise three small humans who are now pretty incredible young adults.
I know that’s more than one, but as I’m sure you’re aware from working with neurodivergent folks, we’re a law unto ourselves …!
If there was one thing you could change about peoples’ perception of disability what would it be and why?
I wish mental disabilities weren’t dismissed just because no-one can actually SEE how much you’re struggling.
Who or what inspires you?
My dad built his business from scratch. What started in our garage is now a leading worldwide brand in the guitar capo industry.
He runs the business with integrity, innovation and customer service at the heart of it, while also taking great care of his employees, and finding time for his family. He showed me that it’s possible to be successful without working yourself into the ground!
Do you have a recommendation for a book or a podcast which has helped you along your journey?
I couldn’t narrow it down to one! I have a kindle library of over 100 business books, and have taken nuggets of wisdom from almost all of them. If I had to pick, I’d say any of the books by Daniel Priestley, John Lamerton or Jen Sincero.
