I am the daughter of Roslyn Milne who was born in Dunedin New Zealand. I am Nikki Louise Taylor (nee Milne) Found of Becoming Her and Co-Director of LME Coaching
When I talk about women, menopause, careers, reinvention, entrepreneurship and having the courage to create a different life, I realise so much of it leads me back to one extraordinary woman.
MY MUM.
Oh, what a woman she was!
Funny, outspoken, incredibly creative, strong-willed and someone who knew exactly what she wanted.
She loved clothes, styling her home and art. Just like me! Oh she loved to cook and bake too.
She was a born entrepreneur, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that if she were alive today, she’d STILL be in business!
But her life was far from easy.
She survived sexual abuse as a child. She grew up believing the woman raising her was her mother, only to discover that she was actually her grandmother.
And almost 50 + years ago, she underwent a hysterectomy without the informed consent and choices women should have over their own bodies.
Then came menopause.
TEN HELLISH YEARS.
And I mean HELLISH.
The hot sweats were horrendous. I remember her hair being absolutely soaking.
I remember the medications. The doctors. The constant adjustments and more medication.
Mum wanted to explore natural approaches, but she felt her options were controlled by the medical system.
And through all of this?
SHE KEPT WORKING.
Running her business. Looking after her clients. Supporting everyone else.
Pushing herself to be the brilliant salon owner she was, even when she was struggling.
There was no menopause awareness training.
No workplace conversations about how women were coping.
No one asking, “What do you need to help you through this?”
Women just got on with it.
And Mum certainly did.
But I want to tell you about the woman BEHIND all of that.
Because she was extraordinary.
The Entrepreneur
Mum worked in the corporate world until she was 40.
Then one day she decided she wanted to become a hairdresser.
There was just one problem.
Nobody wanted to employ a 40-year-old apprentice!
So what did she do?
SHE BOUGHT HER OWN SALON!
And then employed a qualified hairdresser to train HER!
I absolutely LOVE that story.
That was my mum.
If the door wasn’t opening, she’d find another way in!
One salon became three.
Her final salon was called Class named after her first five grandchildren.
Claire. Luke. Adam. Sam. Scott.
Her clients adored her.
She had this wonderful ability to make people feel energised, inspired and welcome.
She wasn’t just doing their hair.
She was making them feel GOOD about themselves.
And looking back, isn’t that what so much of life is about?
How we make people feel.
My Memories of Mum
I remember being a schoolgirl and catching TWO buses just to meet Mum at work.
I’d arrive for the last hour of her working day and hang out with Jean, the tea lady, until Mum finished.
Then we’d drive home together.
Such a simple memory.
But one I treasure.
I watched how hard she worked.
I saw her determination, her creativity and her drive.
And years later, I found myself working in one of her salons, managing the business’s with her.
I even had my first son while I was working there.
So much of my own life was intertwined with hers.
She was a brilliant businesswoman, although I always felt she could have achieved even more with greater freedom to follow her ambitions.
She was never someone who wanted to sit still.
She wanted to CREATE.
To BUILD.
To DO.
And my goodness, I recognise that feeling!
And Then We Lost Her.
At just 67 years old, my beautiful mum left this earth.
Far too young.
There was still so much she could have done.
So many ideas she could have brought to life.
So many more chapters she deserved to experience.
And the older I get, the more I understand just how remarkable she was.
Her strength.
Her humour.
Her creativity.
Her determination.
Her entrepreneurial spirit.
And her ability to keep going, even when life was incredibly difficult.
And Now, Becoming Her.
I often wonder what Mum would think if she could see me today.
Still building businesses.
Still coaching.
Still encouraging women to reinvent themselves at 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
And now, through Becoming Her, advocating for menopause awareness in workplaces across Australia and New Zealand.
Oh my goodness, she would LOVE IT!
She would absolutely love that I’m having conversations with employers about supporting women through menopause.
Helping organisations understand what women may be experiencing.
Encouraging better conversations, more compassion and practical support.
Helping women remain confident, valued and thriving in their careers.
Because my mum lived through ten horrendous years of menopause while running her businesses.
And I wonder how different those years might have been if she’d had more understanding, more options and more support.
Maybe Becoming Her didn’t really begin with me.
Maybe the seeds were planted by my mum all those years ago.
When I speak about women having choices, I think of her.
When I encourage women to start a business or reinvent their careers later in life, I think of her.
When I talk about women being supported through menopause, I think of her.
And when I remind women that their age does NOT determine their possibilities…
Oh, I DEFINITELY think of her!
Mum, you were one HELL of a woman.
You taught me more than you probably ever realised.
And I wish you were here to see what we’re building.
I think you’d be right beside me, making plenty of noise about it too!
So here’s my question…
Tell me about YOUR mum.
Was she an entrepreneur? A fighter? A creative? A woman who quietly carried more than anyone ever knew?
Did she navigate menopause in silence?
Did she inspire the woman you’ve become?
I would genuinely LOVE to hear her story.
Because I think it’s time we celebrated the women who came before us.
The women who didn’t always have choices, but somehow helped create more choices for us.