Jen Smith of The Curious Mentor tells us how she set up her own business for someone who “needed a bit of help for a couple of weeks”, and how, 14 years later, she’s found the joy in her work.
How do you identify as disabled, and what does it mean to you?
I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which affects all my joints and connective tissues, causing dislocations (full and partial), joint instability, chronic pain, fatigue, and a host of other issues, including allergic reactions, heart problems, painkillers not working, oversensitivity to hormone changes, chronic sinus problems, dry eyes, and difficulty in getting both eyes to work together.
I also have autism and ADHD, which present their own challenges with staying focussed, understanding other people, sensory issues and my mental health.
Tell us a little about your business.
Through The Curious Mentor, I mentor people and organisations to inspire curiosity and bravery in everything they do.
I had previously set up DigitalJen, which provided services to SMEs and bloggers. Then in 2021, I got involved with The 52 Project, which changed everything. I realised that it was the mentoring and business development work with the clients that I really loved, and so I started to shift things more in that direction.
At the end of 2022, I did some mentoring for Small Business Saturday and LOVED it. So, in February 2023, after some serious overthinking, much planning and a deep breath, The Curious Mentor came into being.
As a mentor, I can now understand why people say they love their job. I love the work. I love the variety. I love the people.
Why did you start the business? Share your story so far.
I founded DigitalJen in 2009, after going self-employed for a couple of clients who “needed a bit of help for a couple of weeks”. Suffice to say, those weeks turned into months and years and the client base grew.
I started by providing admin, website design/maintenance, social media and photography support to SMEs and bloggers who didn’t want to take on a number of freelancers to do lots of small jobs. We offered a service whereby we did all of them, thus saving the businesses briefing time and keeping everything together. Over the years, the work became predominantly website related, alongside some business/marketing consultancy and training.
Having worked incredibly hard during lockdown, it was beginning to reach the point where I wasn’t enjoying things as much any more. Working on The 52 Project with Iain Price and Dulcie Swanston helped me realise that there was more out there, and a business pivot plan started to form. The Curious Mentor was the result.
What do you see as the main challenges facing your business and its continued operation or growth?
So many challenges! Finding the balance between running a successful business and remaining as healthy as possible is one. Being there for both my teenagers (both of whom have complex needs) is another.
Throw in a cost of living crisis and a massive reticence for any business to spend money – it’s tough out there.
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?
Whether you are born with a disability, it develops over time or it’s an acquired disability (through illness or accident generally), the focus to get the help and support you require is always around what you can’t do.
Someone offering to help and encourage you can be a really alien concept – and working with disabled people to build the trust and support to encourage them to start businesses makes for strong foundations going forward.
To the potential customers/clients: a disabled person setting up a business is a disabled person setting up a business. They are not a liability. Or inspirational. Or if they are, no more than a person without a disability. We need to change the perception around this.
What do you consider your greatest achievement or the proudest moment in your life so far?
There are lots! My university tutor saying “We never thought you’d make it through, but you did” is up there, as is winning my first piece of business that came through a tender process, and passing my exams to become a Level 3 Wheelchair Basketball Table Official at the age of 46.
Recently, a comment on LinkedIn said “If you want to see the world a different way, talk to Jen” – and that was wonderful.
If there was one thing you could change about peoples’ perception of disability what would it be and why?
Just because multiple people share a diagnosis doesn’t mean that we experience our disability in the same way!
And… just because I’m disabled, doesn’t mean that getting on with living makes me inspirational.
And why would I change it – because at the heart of it all, we’re people. Not labels.
Who or what inspires you?
All sorts of things inspire me. I love the natural world – and am intrigued by so much within it. Photographing it brings me joy as well as challenging me to look at things carefully.
My voluntary work (especially with teenagers) is a constant source of inspiration and utter bafflement! I get more from giving back every time.
Do you have a recommendation for a book or a podcast which has helped you along your journey?
In a piece of shameless self-promotion, I’m going to recommend DOSE: Personal Prescriptions for a Happier Life and 52 Science Based Ways to Get it by Dr Iain Price and Dulcie Swanston.
I got involved with this project by accident, and it was the start of a huge journey for me as I went from “Jen, we need a website in a hurry” to contributing to 24 of the tips that we shared over the year on the Instagram Lives and on the website.
Over 2 and a half years on, I’m still using the tips, stacking my habits and reaping the benefits!
