A Chronic Entrepreneur: Brenda Moore
Brenda Moore is the successful and thriving founder of Happen Consulting. Most of us have experienced a migraine or a few in our lives as a result of stress, sensory overload or hormonal changes. We take a day or two off to rest up and come back stronger. For Brenda however, these migraines became so frequent and so disabling that she was forced to resign from her job. She likely didn’t see it this way at the time, but this moment marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for her as the circumstances allowed her to begin her entrepreneurial journey and gave her the flexibility to mould her days in a way that’s sustainable for her and her health.
What came first, the “chronic” or the “entrepreneur”?
The Chronic
What is your diagnosis story? How old were you?
My migraine journey started in my early thirties with occasional attacks, as it is for most people with the condition. At different points of my life the frequency would increase but that was usually manageable with preventative medications. About 6 years ago it became unmanageable and I stopped responding to medication. I was forced to resign from my job as a Senior Manager in the Healthcare industry 3 years ago as a result.
At present I have some level of symptoms on most days including being highly sensitive to light, noise and sound. I also experience brain fog, vertigo, tinnitus, tremors, nausea, tingling and numbness in my face and limbs. Most days I take painkillers to manage my headaches. About 50% of the time I have symptoms that are so disabling that I need to stay in a dark room until the attack passes. This typically lasts 24 – 72 hours.
Did you go through any sort of 12-stages of grief with the diagnosis or take it in its stride?
I spent a very long time in denial and continued working much longer than I should have. This was partly because I kept hoping that my neurologist and I would finally hit a combination of treatments that worked and partly because my work was and is an integral part of my identity. As a result of this I damaged a lot of my professional relationships as I became increasingly more unreliable.
There has been much anger and sadness. I only reached a level of acceptance about a year ago. After being out of work for some time and becoming increasingly depressed I came to the realisation that I was going to have to find a new way of working that fits my life as it is. I decided I was not going to wait "until I got better". I had to assume that I’m not getting better (yet continuing to hope for a cure) and that I needed to do something now that I could sustain.
What would you say to your ‘first-diagnosed’ self, or someone else who has just been diagnosed with a chronic illness?
Your illness is not your identity. Sometimes it feels like all you do is talk about it and explain yourself to people and it can become consuming. You are so much more than your illness.
Join some support groups and talk to other people who understand where you are coming from. Facebook is great for this. Personally I've found Migraine Australia (migraine.org.au) to be life saver.
Are you on any treatments? What modalities are in your wellness team?
I take the Emgality injections once per month and Candesarten as preventatives. They have helped somewhat, especially with the severity of symptoms but haven't made me "well" again. I use Aspalgin and Tramadol to manage pain. I also self medicate with alcohol more than I should!
I know it’s unhealthy in the long term but if I have a social situation that I need to attend while I have symptoms a few drinks actually really help to manage the pain and get me through. Go ahead and judge me, I don't care!
What is a ‘bad day’ for you? How do you look after yourself on a ‘bad day’ or a day that is particularly stressful?
A bad day is pain, nausea and fatigue so severe that I have to lay and rest in a dark room. This can typically last 24-72 hours.. Sometimes the pain is so severe I place ice packs around my head. I'm fortunate that I can tolerate looking at a screen during my attacks - many people can't - so I can while away the time on the internet.
Attacks like this have a lot of knock on effects. The worst one for me is disrupted sleep. It's very important in managing my condition to maintain a regular sleep schedule. However, taking heavy painkillers and sleeping it off is one of the best treatments for an attack so I have to try to not sleep so much that I can't sleep properly at night when the attack has passed.
I usually listen to audiobooks and play stupid games like Candy Crush to stay awake.
How did the path of entrepreneurship come to you?
My career has been in Project Management and Business Process Improvement. I had always been interested in working for myself as a consultant but was never confident with the financial risk.
When I stopped work I fortunately had income protection insurance so the bills were getting paid - and I own my home.
I had an “aha!” moment when I realised that instead of being depressed about not being able to work I actually had a golden opportunity to start my own business without financial risk. I had a secure income for the following 4 years so I had all that time to make it work.
What does a typical day in business look like for you? How does your chronic illness influence what your typical day looks like? Is your day-to-day routine pretty consistent or does it change?
Routines are challenging for me. I'm a very systematic person so having good routines is critical for me to be effective. However, a few bad days can throw out my groove and it's difficult to find it again.
On a good, or even just tolerable day I start with meditation, yoga and writing in my 5 minute journal app. It took a long time to give myself permission to take as long as I want with these activities. I still feel guilty sometimes if I have slept late and am tempted to skip some of them but I'm working on that. My day starts when it starts.
Once I'm up and moving I use a 52-17 Pomodoro technique to structure my day. 52 minutes of work and then 17 minutes of light housework for a stretch and mental break. The day's activities involve responding to messages, participating in webinars, networking events as well as creating and scheduling social media content. I don't have any clients booked at the moment but when I do those things are paused.
What have you learnt about yourself through your entrepreneurship journey? How have you changed, if at all in your relationships, decisions, what you value/your life philosophy?
I'm working hard on being kinder to myself. I had always been very career-driven and focused, so having that taken away from me has been challenging. I've had to redefine what success looks like. I have to accept that some days just having a shower is an achievement to be proud of.
What has been your most memorable moment in business from the last 2-3 years?
Working with the Australian Association for Quality in various committee roles. I helped to curate content for the 2021 Asia Pacific Qualcon Conference and I've recently had a book review published in Quality Business Magazine. I'm having a great time and meeting lots of amazing and like-minded people.
Best & worst bits of being A Chronic Entrepreneur?
The best bit is the freedom to work my own hours! I'm at my most productive from midday until 9:00-10:00 at night. Although I had always loved my job, the 8.30a.m starts really sucked!
The worst bit is the chronic part. It's a constant battle to gain traction with my work. I'll have a few super productive days and do some really good work and then I'll be wiped out for three days. After every attack I have to pick myself up, reset my mind, and start building my routines almost from scratch. It's very challenging to make any sort of consistent habits.
Are you a 5-year planner or are you winging it?
Total 5 year planner!
What are you looking forward to in the next 6 months-1 year?
My social media seems to be hitting a critical mass and I'm starting to have some opportunities to monetise. I'm looking forward to some sweet, sweet passive income.
Who are your back up dancers?
My sons, my sisters and my mum. Also 16 awesome nieces and nephews. We are a very close family and there is always someone available to help out in times of need.
Who are your ultimate dinner party guests, (dead or alive), and who would you seat on either side of you?
This is a tough question: I'm going to go with Tim Ferris and Stephen King to sit next to. Then I'd also like to invite the comedic duo Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, as well as Anne Boleyn, Brene Brown and Douglas Adams.
What are you looking forward to in the next 6 months-1 year?
There are a number of new medications going through PBS approval at the moment. I'm hopeful of some new treatment options that might improve my condition.
Also a large, noisy, drunken, Irish family Christmas.
Where can people find you online?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happenconsultingperth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happenconsulting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/happenconsulti1
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAlbE5o2XMhcfaGVuI-VXw
Let us know what you think of this story, and share your story with us on Instagram by tagging @achronicentrepreneur and using the hashtag #achronicentrepreneur.
Sign up to our newsletter to be notified when we post new stories here.