When One Door Closes . . . . .

When One Door Closes

For as long as I can remember I wanted to work in food.

I wanted my own coffee shop, café, restaurant, burger bar – something, anything that allowed me to cook for people and, hopefully, make some money.   I did think I wanted to work banking at one time, but missed out on that placement for work experience in year 10 and ended up with my second choice, 2 weeks at Judy’s Country Kitchen.

I started cooking when I was about 5 - making a batch of meringues – with Mum’s supervision - her patience still astounds me to this day, and I was hooked!  From then on it was home-made ice-cream, torte’s, mousse and most of the recipes that came on the back of condensed milk cans, biscuit packets and the likes of Bernard King (Who I hear you ask??  Some of you may remember him).  I cooked dinner parties for my parents, friends.  

I moved to Perth when I was 19 and while working full-time (Travel Consultant, Electorate Officer, Assistant to the Minister for Transport, Parliamentary National Party), helped friends, Anthea and Karen, who had a catering business called Dish De Lish.  We had lots of fun and I learned so much from these beautiful ladies. I also worked with Anthea at The Wembley Hotel.

I catered from home - weddings, parties, anything - however, I did not have the COURAGE to leave my safety zone of full-time work, to start up an actual business venture. 

That was until I actually got to work in a bank!!!  I was offered the position as my previous job was finishing, I wasn’t sure I could do it as it was so far removed from what I had done, but I knew I could learn and a change is as good as a holiday.  I was sooooo wrong!!  This job made me GRIND MY TEETH every night and cry - a lot.  It turns out that this is AMAZING MOMENTUM for quitting and starting up your own business, and so, Hel’s Kitchen was born.

Initially I was catering from home and looking for a premises,, then I had the opportunity to go to France for a couple of months and stay with my brother and his partner (see my other blog “Hel’s Kitchen” if you would like to read a little more about what I got up to over there.)  I love Paris!  I love the food, the architecture, the shops, the markets – this was my sixth trip over there and I would fly back tomorrow if I could.  Actually, I almost stayed there - I had visions of opening a cup cake shop as there were none there at the time - but I had a wedding to cater for in Geraldton and you cannot let a bride-to-be down. It was while I was home in Australia that I fell pregnant.

Long story short, I opened a premises and started running Hel’s Kitchen, I was busy and happy and I didn’t think about being pregnant too much.  Until 29 weeks when there was a complication and I had to be hospitalised for a week in Perth.  When I returned there was no opening of the shop front, only catering.  Charlie was born on 5 Jan 2011.  

Everything changed.  I thought I could cook and run the business with Charlie on my hip.  I had a caesarean which put my return to work timing back a little, but the real problem was that I didn’t want to leave her.  After 6 weeks I went back to Hel’s Kitchen, I cried on the way there and I cried on the way home.  You see, having a baby was my other dream.  I wanted to be home cuddling her, feeding her, looking after her.  Then, at 9 weeks Charlie become really sick with a hospital-grade-staph infection.    

We were down and back to PMH (children's hopsital) and committing to catering dates was difficult, I felt guilty working while she was at home with my Mum and my heart wasn’t in it any more.  My daughter was more important – so I closed Hel’s Kitchen.  Funnily enough, everyone was relieved and I thought they would think I was weak or doing the wrong thing AND the big question hanging in the air was “How would I earn a living?” Frankly, I didn't care - if I had to be poor for a while to be with my baby, that was okay by me.  I needed to find a way to make a living from home, so I could be with Charlie as much as possible.  

After enrolling in uni to study primary teaching and then switching to Psychology  – I decided that Body; Mind; Soul wellness was what I really wanted to do.  

I love nutritional healing, universal law, positivity, learning about the potential in myself and those around me and "finding my bliss".

Hel’s Kitchen door closed, but Blissful Sister’s is opening . . . . . .


Love and Bliss


Helen xxxx