#SheInspires Leila Stead

#SheSociety had the chance to ask Leila Stead from the blog Ever The Daring a few questions about her life as a single mum and what her biggest life lesson has been so far.

So Leila, tell us a little bit about yourself and the start of Ever The Daring. My name is Leila Stead and I am a 31 year old single mother to my daughter Ever who is nearly two-years-old. I started The Single Mum Diaries (now Ever The Daring) when I found myself suddenly single and 13 weeks pregnant, I felt that there was not enough emotional support for women who had been left pregnant and I guess I wanted to be the change I wanted to see. I now have a community of over 30,000 people and it is constantly growing from strength to strength.

And what do you envision as the real world “Wonder Woman”? I envision every woman as the real world Wonder Woman, I think every woman has empowerment, strength and fearlessness in their character, sometimes it just takes a little push and a gentle reminder to bring it out of them. That’s why I love the Warner Bros. Consumer Products range because it’s the perfect opportunity to give every mother a gentle reminder that she is a Super Hero this Mother’s Day.

Tell us about your ambassadorship with WBCP for Mother’s Day, why was it a good fit? It was a totally natural fit for me because I recognised myself in the iconic story of Wonder Woman as an empowered and strong woman and I just love the messaging behind Wonder Woman that we are a pillar of strength.

What are you most proud of? I am most proud of my blog and the way that it has helped the women of the world as I intended it to, some of the women came to me for advice during the most difficult time of their lives and there is nothing I love more than watching them rise again after growing through a hard experience.

Which person inspires you the most? The woman and mother I always dreamt of being inspires me daily – I always wanted to be helping women come into their power on a large sale and I have a very clear vision for the person I want to keep evolving into so achieving that is my biggest inspiration.

What has been a life changing moment for you? My biggest life change came about when I found myself pregnant and single – I knew I had two choices 1. I could let it take over my life and never be the same again or 2. I could use the pain as power and rebuild myself, I chose option two and I have never looked back. When everything unfolded it felt as though it was the end but with a little faith I soon realised it was only the beginning – it was just a matter of perception.

What has been the biggest lesson you have learnt (in life or in business)? The biggest lesson I have learnt in both business and life is to be DARING which is what inspired the new name of my blog which is Ever the Daring – I am in the middle of a huge rebrand which I think comes back to being daring. You have to be daring, in life, in business, in love, in motherhood in order to propel yourself forward.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given and by whom? The best piece of advice came from stumbling upon a quote when I was really struggling with being attacked by trolls and that advice was “people can only understand you from their level of perception.” That quote has helped me really understand a lot in life and I find that I am constantly reminding myself of that when I am struggling to relate with people or to understand their logic.

And finally, a quote to live by? In the spirit of Wonder Woman “I am willing to fight for those who are not able to fight themselves” I think that resonates with not only me but my blog also.