On Sunday, November 1 local businesswoman Serena Ryan will achieve her 12 year old goal to run in the New York marathon.
The 42.195 kilometres of the classic endurance road race in the Big Apple will be the exclamation mark of the journey so far of this south west Sydney mumpreneur.
In 2003 Serena, who was living and working in Thredbo at the time, set herself the goal to run the New York marathon – the world’s biggest.
But it wasn’t until 2013 when, back in Macarthur and pregnant with her second son, that Serena decided that 2015 would be the year.
“I am very excited about finally achieving my dream to take part in the New York marathon,’’ says Serena, who runs the very successful DIY digital marketing company serena dot ryan from her office in Oran Park.
She started the business 12 months ago partly to help her achieve her New York marathon goal.
“I just couldn’t see how I could prepare myself for the marathon while commuting to the city for work,’’ says Serena.
Armed with more than two decades experience in professional and customer service roles, 12 years of those in digital marketing, Serena did what many women of her generation are doing across Macarthur and Liverpool.
She became a mumpreneur – a young mother running her own business from home.
“I want to mention the support of Alex Hawkins at the South West Sydney Business Enterprise Centre,’’ says Serena of how Serena Dot Ryan was created.
The Dot, by the way, is her middle name, Dorothy.
Serena’s business was so successful – number one on Google and workshops booked out 12 weeks in advance – she moved it out of her home and into an office in Oran Park after just six months.
And why are you so successful?
“They key to it is that everything I teach my customers is what I do myself in my business.
“With digital marketing these days, I help my customers understand that they should work smarter, not harder,’’ says Serena, who graduated from the University of Western Sydney.
“I teach them about all the digital tools on offer these days, such as social media and email marketing.
“I empower them to feel confident to do a lot of it themselves and not to hand it over to other people.
“I really love it when you get those light bulb moments and the clients sees how possible it all is. How it’s not as hard as they thought it was.
“Technology is there for everybody, regardless of their age.’’
Of course Serena still needs to juggle running her own business and having a family, which includes two young children.
So how do mumpreneurs like her manage to cope with the massive demand on their time?
“To enable yourself to do this is a constant balancing act,’’ says Serena.
“It does help when you can get access to child care, have a supportive husband and grandparents as well.
“You do need those supportive structures but otherwise it is an incredibly fulfilling approach, achieving goals, being a mum, having a full life.’’
Right now making the New York dream reality is top of the priorities pecking order for Serena Ryan, who has already run three other marathons.
So mornings she’s been up at the crack of dawn to go for a run before the kids wake up.
“It’s fun – I am excited about running the New York marathon,’’ says Serena, who will be accompanied by her husband when she flies out to the USA.
“I am not thinking about where I will finish – my aim is to just finish the New York marathon.’’
Enquiries: Phone Serena Ryan on 0437 016 395, email her at hello@serenadotryan.com.au or visit her website.
