– Audrey Morel, LearnyKids Partner
From redundancy to entrepreneurship: how Audrey Morel built two complementary businesses around her passion for children and families.
At 44, Audrey Morel decided to turn redundancy into an opportunity for a fresh start.
As a mother of two, she had long dreamed of opening a family leisure centre. But with premises to find, funding to secure and numerous administrative challenges to overcome, turning that dream into reality would take time.
Discovering LearnyKids gave her the opportunity to start her entrepreneurial journey much sooner, while continuing to develop her leisure centre project.
Nearly three years later, Audrey reflects on her career change, the challenges she faced and how two complementary businesses have become part of her entrepreneurial journey.
At 44, following redundancy, I decided to see it as an opportunity to change direction and pursue something I had always been passionate about: working in the world of children and families.
As a mother of two, I had dreamed of opening a family leisure centre for many years. However, finding the right premises, securing funding and dealing with all the necessary paperwork meant that the project would take time to get off the ground.
When I discovered LearnyKids, I realised I could start my own business much sooner while continuing to work towards my bigger ambition.
Nearly three years later, both businesses are now part of my entrepreneurial journey, and they complement each other naturally.
Before joining LearnyKids, I was employed in a completely different sector. I had no professional experience working with children, but it was an area I had always felt drawn to.
Redundancy was the catalyst.
Rather than seeing it purely as a setback, I decided to use it as an opportunity to change careers and finally pursue my ambition of building a business centred around children and families.
Opening my leisure centre required significant investment, suitable premises, funding and a considerable amount of planning.
I didn’t want to spend months waiting before I could take my first steps into entrepreneurship.
LearnyKids offered me the opportunity to get started much more quickly, with an established brand, ready-to-sell products, business tools, training and ongoing support already in place.
It meant I could start building a business while continuing to develop my longer-term project.
My main concern was whether I would be able to attract customers and successfully make the transition from employment to running my own business.
LearnyKids allowed me to make that transition gradually.
I was able to develop my customer base, gain practical business experience and build my confidence before my leisure centre had even opened.
I think organisation, consistency and enjoying working with people are particularly important.
You need to be comfortable connecting with families, building relationships and promoting what you offer.
You also have to be willing to learn new skills and step outside your comfort zone, particularly when it comes to marketing, communication and business development.
Several things attracted me to LearnyKids.
First, the whole concept was closely aligned with the direction I wanted to take: children, families, learning through play and creativity.
The flexibility of the business model and the ability to get started relatively quickly were also major factors.
LearnyKids was a natural fit with my plans for a family leisure centre and the audience I wanted to reach.
I benefited from the training, marketing tools and ongoing support provided by the network.
Getting my leisure centre up and running was a real uphill battle, with plenty of challenges along the way.
LearnyKids gave me a real breath of fresh air – more flexibility, creativity and enjoyment in my everyday life.
It also gave me something incredibly valuable: my first real experience of running a business.
I gradually built a customer base, developed my local reputation and, most importantly, gained confidence in my own abilities.
Having an established business already operating also strengthened my credibility when approaching potential lenders and securing funding for my leisure centre.
Today, I run two businesses that work very well alongside each other.
The leisure centre is naturally busiest at weekends and during school holidays.
During quieter periods in the week, I can devote more time to developing my LearnyKids business.
Both businesses serve families with children, so there is a natural connection between them.
They also create opportunities to increase visibility, reach new customers and support each other’s growth.
When I first joined LearnyKids, I thought it would mainly be a way to start my entrepreneurial journey while preparing to open my leisure centre.
What I hadn’t anticipated was just how well the two activities would work together.
Nearly three years later, I’m still developing both businesses because I’ve discovered how complementary they really are.
What started as a stepping stone has become an important part of my business journey.
My advice would be simple: don’t wait for everything to be perfect before taking the first step.
LearnyKids helped me move from thinking about starting a business to actually doing it.
It allowed me to gain experience, develop my confidence and gradually build a customer base.
The network provides the tools, training and support, but ultimately, you also need to be consistent, proactive and willing to connect with potential customers.
You have to make the most of the opportunities that come your way.
And sometimes, taking that first step opens doors you hadn’t even imagined.
This partner story has been translated and adapted into English from an interview originally published by Toute la Franchise, an independent French business publication.
