Who is Hayley Burtt — the person behind the page?
It would be easy to think that because I am writing a Family Lifestyle blog that I have been one of those people who dreamt of her big white wedding, having children and living in a house with a white picket fence, but this was not me. I was a career girl who climbed the ladder of several industries and in more recent years, owner of my own successful company.
I have always been that person who could never hold a baby without looking ridiculously awkward. The person who gagged so badly when changing my nephews nappy that my mum had to take over whilst I was dry throwing up.
The world of motherhood was completely alien to me and the fully embraced full time mum version has been even more daunting. My blog will document my journey but for those who will be sticking around a while, I thought it might be fun for you to get to know me a little better. What lead me to this ‘Mum’ career, who am I underneath it all, what do I enjoy, and some silly facts — hopefully you can relate.
So here goes…I’ll try not to write it as a Eulogy.
I’m a 36 year old mum of 1 and wife of 1…
I was born and raised in Sidcup, Kent to a pretty normal family. As the youngest of 3, you would think that I was nurtured through life by my elder brother and sister…but in reality, I have always been the most sensible of all of us.
I grew up with the love of performing. I wouldn’t say I am an extrovert but I have always loved creative outputs. At age 3 I started dancing and my later educational life was spent learning Performing Arts at college.
After falling into the boredom of a London 9–5 working in a dull pharmaceutical magazine company, having realised my chances of being a star were much slimmer then I had hoped, I took a job working overseas with Thomas Cook as a holiday hotel entertainer. 19 years old, I jetted off to the glamorous resort of Magaluf…(if you have been you know I am being sarcastic, although it is a place dear to my heart). I worked for the company for 5 years in Magaluf, Fuerteventura and Cyprus — it was my university, the ‘university of life’ as I like to tell people. The situations I dealt with when overseas were simply mental.
This was one of the most fun periods of my life and where I met my hubby James Burtt. He was an over exited, cocky lad who had the gift of the gab. He made me laugh and as he likes to put it, I couldn’t resist his charms. The reality was that it took me quite a few years to actually ‘like’ him as I thought he was a bit of a brash and immature idiot!
When James and I gave up the sunshine for a life to settle back in the UK I found myself in a situation of not knowing what to do. I had always been a career girl and had worked my way up to one of the more senior roles in my entertainer career with Thomas Cook.
So what to do? James was off singing in a boyband tribute act (hilarious — they made it onto X-Factor) and my attempts of working in a girlband had not gone too well after, the first time, it turned out the ‘manager’ wanted us to just go and sing in a dodgy hotel in Ibiza and, the second time, the founder of our band turned out to be a complete psychopath. Girlband dreams were officially over.
I ended up taking a job working in central London as a Personal Assistant to a Director of a Theatre Promoters. It was a fun few years hustling my way up when working in a very male orientated company, but my boss at the time liked me as I didn’t take any shit! I soon become a Press Officer and then a Tour Booker.
It was here that my career really took off when one of our biggest selling touring acts in the country asked me to go and work for them directly and help set up their own company. This lady was one of the biggest Psychic Medium TV stars and I was thrilled with the challenge.
I helped build a multi-million pound company with sell out tours both in the UK and Australia, books, merchandise, TV shows and appearances. I could see myself doing this forever…or so I thought.
In 2014 a detrimental news story relating to the star hit the headlines and almost shattered everything we had built. It was at this point I realised that my livelihood was in someone else’s hands and I was no longer willing to work so hard for someone to take it away because of a reckless action.
The hubby and I had bought a few investment properties so at this point I decided on a new career path. In April 2015 the hubby and I set up a property business focusing on shared housing for professionals working in and around London.
To start with I loved it. The initial setting up of the branding, website and marketing tools ticked all my creative boxes and I could see just what the business could become. We took on our first rental house in May 2015 and moved in our first 4 professional tenants shortly after.
Over the next few years the company was pretty successful in its field. During this time we had also started offering marketing services to a property education company, we were sooooo busy (this always makes me laugh now as since having Louis I wonder what I actually did each day). James and I were slaves to our work.
Pregnancy did not slow me down. During early pregnancy I was Creative Director for one of the UK’s most Inspirational events, Project Inspire and then post birth, just 2 days after arriving back from hospital I built an entire website for a company…I am a bit of a jack of all trades. There was no respite. At one point, when Louis was 6 months old, between me, the hubby and my sister - who we had employed - we were managing 20 properties and 99 tenants across South East London as well as juggling being a Mum.
Now it may not sound that difficult, but the reality was that the more properties we managed the more maintenance and tenant issues we faced. It literally CONSUMED our lives! Between blocked drains, rats, noisy housemates, dirty housemates, blown boilers, no hot water and a small baby to look after, there were days where I just wanted to give it all up.
And do you know what for once I listened to my subconscious and James and I agreed that this was a business that we just simply didn’t love. James had already become a Director of what is now a leading UK coaching brand and I hated the responsibility of having so many tenants, landlords and agents needing my attention. Yes I could have outsourced more, but I had learned too much about business and the importance of drive and passion. With the constant changes in governmental housing laws, the rise of sites such as Airbnb the market was changing rapidly and I had no desire to change with it.
Our last property went back to the landlord in November 2018…and we are now in the process of shutting it down completely through Companies House. Hip Hip Hooray!
So that’s what led to me becoming a stay at home Mum. The property business was ending, James’ new company was flying and so it just made logical sense.
So this is now me, a full-time Mum. My days are filled with focusing on keeping my 23 month old alive…and now sharing my journey with you all!
But what do I like doing when I am not wiping stinky bums and dribble? What are my hobbies?
Well I don’t have specific hobbies or anything but organising gatherings with my friends is something I love to do. That’s not a hobby you may think, but in my close friendship group everyone relies on me to fulfil this role. And I love my friends dearly, they are the people that recharge my batteries, make my life feel whole and the people I have shared some amazing memories with.
Family — Spending time with my family is definitely a favourite of mine. Again may seem obvious but I know a few people who leave gatherings to the crucial once a year Christmas meet up. My mum and Dad are incredible, they love Louis (and all their grandchildren…no favourites there), and spoil him rotten by buying every bargain toy they find at car-boot-fairs, charity shops and supermarkets! I have actually tried to curb their addiction, but I just get met with “it was 50p”. Then there is my brother, the most sarcastic person I have ever met, my sister, a complete free-spirit who would rather live on a toadstool in a land of fairies, my two sister-in-laws, one a homeopathic yogi and the other an educational genius and a crazy bunch of gorgeous nieces and nephews who I adore. I spend time with my Nan, she is 96 and an absolute legend, always so wise and positive about the world. I have lots of fab aunts, uncles and cousins who I had the BEST childhood with. Year after year spent at the seaside Walton-On-The-Naze and Lyme Regis.
Eating — Put it simply — I love FOOD. I am gluten intolerant but rather then it hindering me; I have just become like a lion tracking down its flourless prey. I could probably start a blog on where to find gluten free cakes!
Watching RomComs — I enjoy all sorts of films, but give me a RomCom and I am hooked. My best friend Chris and I have the same taste and aim to find the worse chick flicks just to wind up our other halves.
Board Games — Random but board games are a staple in my family household. Cards and Trivia Pursuit feature heavily…it’s fun but there is always a very serious competitive edge.
Singing — Oh how I love to sing. My glory days are over and years of smoking didn’t do wonders for my voice but I’ll still bang out a karaoke tune now and again. Louis currently enjoys my renditions of ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack…I even stopped him recently from a full blown screaming fit in the car by serenading him.
Dancing — my dancing shoes don’t come out very often but I do love to dance. An odd zumba class is the nearest I get now as well as my annual reunion with one of my old entertainments team where the aim is always to find the cheesiest nightclub and dance like no one is watching! As I previously said, Tap Dancing is something I am hoping to get back into…but I am a procrastinator!
Travelling — I love a holiday. Sightseeing, relaxing on a beach, spending time with loved ones; it’s what it’s all about right? After years of working hard and sacrificing travel, last year James and I made it our mission to holiday more and boy did we. Louis may be one of the most well travelled 1 year olds; Thailand, Cornwall, Spain, USA and Australia!
What would those who know me best say about me?
I am a worrier — I constantly think about other people and their feelings and overthink scenarios that don’t even exist.
I am funny — I have got a pretty good sense of humour, sometimes its quite wicked and sometimes unintentionally. Let’s not go into detail about how I react to bad news but lets just say please never tell me something serious, unexpectedly and then go silent.
I am caring — god I sound like an angel. But yes, it links into my worrier instinct. I just want to make everyone happy!
Silly Fun Facts
- I haven’t changed my married name after 6 years because I can’t be bothered with the paperwork.
- I once auditioned for a presenter job and acted out a Kate Bush medley in the style of Alan partridge ‘AaaaHaaaa’.
- I had really curly hair as a child and my Mum had to use an Afro comb.
- My Hollywood crushes are — Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds.
- I once called out an ambulance to my home at night to be told I had pulled a muscle in my back from intense housework! How embarrassing!
- My hubby and I once recorded an album for a friends birthday under a comedy pseudonym ‘Two True’ covering tracks including wind beneath my wings and endless love. It was pretty tragic!
- I have performed in front of the giant dinosaur fossil at the National History Museum.
- I regularly forget the exact date I got married (James gets really annoyed, he he!)
- Literally within minutes after giving birth I stuffed a pack of fruit pastels, jacket potatoes with cheese and beans and a yoghurt.
- James and I had a joint ‘Stag and Hen Do aka Sten Do’ in Liverpool and we sang a Beatles song live at the Cavern
So there you have it, a little bit about the person behind the page.
Until the next time…
