Me talking about myself

Be Seated was born in the early months of 2019 from a place of enthusiasm, passion, and also admittedly a little desperation. Not only had I found myself a solo parent to my daughter Addi (4), I had just welcomed my second daughter Remi into the world and was navigating my new life with two children. It was chaotic to say the least, but my desperation wasn’t just with my own situation, it was with what I was watching happen in the cars on the roads around me.

I’d always had a keen interest in anything with a motor growing up, if my stepdad was in the garage I was there hovering over his shoulder, watching and learning. Though with cars and bikes, came a responsibility to safety, and this was always drilled into me by those around me. So, when I became a mum, it seemed only natural to learn as much as I could about child car safety and how to do it right. Never did a realise how confusing and daunting of a task that could have been.

I’ve often joked you need to learn a few extra languages to decipher car restraint manuals, except its not much of a joke when you think about it. When we are taught to drive, we’re taught that we are in control of a “weapon”, we’re required to spend hours practising and then pass tests in order to be in control of that car on our own. Yet somehow when we have a baby there’s nothing. No tests, no age limits, no one standing over our shoulder to ensure we’ve put the car restraint in correctly, and the baby too! Nope, we just walk out of hospital after doing our best at that “everyday parenting task” that ended in 7 arguments, a call to your friends, a few swear words bellowed from the garage, and away we go! It’s actually terrifying!

The proof was in the pudding around me that the task wasn’t as easy as everyone tells you it is. I wasn’t just seeing badly installed restraints; parents and carers just didn’t even seem to understand how to use their restraints. Harnesses were incorrect, children in inappropriate restraints or unrestrained at all! My head was exploding in fear and anxiety, and I knew I had to be that superhero that every local family was so desperately in need of – though they may not have known it!

So, in April 2019, I was accredited as a Type 1 Child Travel Safety Professional, applied for an ABN, registered a business name, and started a Facebook page. I was determined, I was set, and I was effing clueless! I’ll never know how she found me, but I’ll never ever forget my first “real” client. I had practised on friends and family for months leading up to this day, I was confident enough to go and charge someone for my newly refined skills and up to date knowledge, then not even a week after I FINALLY launched Be Seated to Facebook and Google, her call came.

I was so nervous, her name was Victoria, and she was going to need three restraints installed into her new nanny’s car. I was confident I could manage that, so I took her details, we agreed on a time, and we said goodbye. I’d done it! I had booked my own client. What a feeling!

I arrived at Victoria’s a few days later, to 8 restraints sprawled across her front patio, yep, 8! In my excitement to receive her call I hadn’t heard Victoria properly nor taken proper notes, oops! What she actually needed was 3 restraints into her personal car, and then three restraints into her nanny’s corolla. Her what?!

I had my work cut out for me, and I’ll admit I was slightly intimidated, but I put my poker face on and got to work. Before too long, I finished up, wrote Victoria’s certificate and she paid me. I hopped back in my car, and as I reversed out of her driveway I burst into tears. I’d done it. I had successfully completed my first paid work from someone that wasn’t a friend or relative! And I hadn’t stuffed up!! The only way from here, was up, and that is exactly where I went!

In the years since starting Be Seated, I’ve undergone all kinds of courses, coaching, and learning to better myself and how I operate Be Seated, a name change, and a total re-brand that held strong to my roots. That’s not all though, you see, when I decide I’m going to be good at something, I cement that idea into my being and it becomes me…

I’VE PICKED UP AFFILIATIONS, CONNECTIONS, AND FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA WIDE.

AM A PROUD STOCKIST OF BRITAX, INFASECURE AND SNAP SHADES PRODUCTS.

BECAME A MEMBER OF THE KIDSAFE AND SAFE SEATS NETWORK.

HAVE RUN SAFETY SESSIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

COMPLETED OVER 10K INSTALLATIONS AND SAFETY INSPECTIONS.

BROUGHT IN NEW SERVICES, BASED ON WHAT I HEAR AROUND ME THAT YOU ALL WANT.

DID ALL OF THIS WHILST MANAGING MY TWO DAUGHTERS AND THEIR VERY CHAOTIC LIVES!

It’s safe to say I’m kind of a big deal at what I do now, I’ve seen nearly every vehicle and child restraint combination that Australia has to offer, and I have no intention of stopping any time soon!

Be Seated for me isn’t just about fitting car seats, it’s so much more to me and I think anyone that’s worked with me would agree. My number one goal every single day when I open my front door, or you open yours is that we are going to part ways feeling confident and excited. You might not be as excited about car safety as I am, but you’ll be confident and excited that you have the knowledge to put your children into the car safely each and every time – and that gets me excited!!

Find out for yourself, today!