Mum to one gorgeous girl Arabella, Boss Woman of one successful website Who Loves That and Lifestyle Director at Yellowglen – not to mention proud wife to one of our biggest AFL talents! Emma Hawkins is clever and funny and we were thrilled to chat with her recently.

 

TBB: You’re a hard working career woman, with a flair for events and
interiors/styling – obviously this is something you’ll instil into
Arabella. Where did you get your work ethos from?

EH: I hope I will instil my work ethic into Arabella, I’m sure Tom will as well. My work ethos comes from my Dad, girlfriends and husband. I surround myself with people who inspire and motivate me. I saw how hard my dad has worked to give us (my siblings and I) the most amazing opportunities and so I learnt at a young age that nothing comes for free and if you want certain things in life you have to work hard for them. My husband Tom has an incredible work ethic, he never complains about work ever, he just get’s up everyday and does it, it’s very inspiring. Another big factor is the women I surround myself with. I have been fortunate that I had an amazing group of girlfriends at school, and we are all still really close. We are all so different – think musicians, lawyers, fashion designers, accountants, social workers.. We cover it all. One thing we have always all had in common from a young age is supporting each other and working hard. I feel so blessed to have the girlfriends that I have.

TBB: You’ve spoken about having bad morning sickness until almost half way
through your pregnancy and the hindsight of ‘pulling back’ and listening to
your body – how important do you think it is the just unplug sometimes?

EH: Oh my goodness, so important! During your pregnancy and after it, it is so
important to listen to your body. Life gets so busy and I always found it
hard to say no. These days, I have no problem with saying no. Since having
Arabella my priorities have shifted. I have made it a habit to open my
diary and write in dates in advance that say “Me Time” No matter what comes
up I am strict with this, and always allow myself (even if it’s once a
fortnight to solely have me time).

TBB: Who Loves That looks to be hugely successful – how are you finding working
for yourself now that you have a baby at home too?

I’m getting things done a lot quicker haha. No time to waste anymore. Once
my laptop is open I’m all systems go. I want to get everything done quickly
so I can go back and play with her. I also have no issues calling on help.
I have nanny that comes in once a week so I can do my work.

TBB: What do you think the biggest surprise has been since having Arabella –
something you didn’t expect?

EH: As crazy as this sounds, I didn’t expect I would love being a mum so much. I
hate being pregnant so much that I started getting nervous about
motherhood. Also, everything always tells you the worst stuff about babies,
so I was like “what have I got myself into”. No one told me how bloody
amazing it is. I love being a mum more than I could ever have imagined.

TBB: Can we hear a little about your birth story?

It was fabulous! I never had a birth plan, I went in and said to the
doctors “You are the professionals, do what you need to do to get my baby
out – anyway you have to I don’t mind!” I was able to deliver naturally and
had an epi and it was heaven!

TBB: Arabella is going to be so lucky having the farm to grow up on – do you
want her to have a similar upbringing to you and Tom?

EH: Absolutely, Tom and I had very similar upbringings in the country and are
big advocates for giving children space, animals and the responsibilities
that come with animals. Hopefully we will be able to stay at the farm in
the future. But you can never predict what will happen after football.

TBB: OK – If you could invite 5 people to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

EH:

Rafa Nadal – Because he is so gorgeous

Meryl Streep – her elegance and intelligence is beyond inspiring

Nanna and Grandpa – Because I miss them

Bethanny Frankel – I am a tragic Real Housewives Fan

Nene Leaks – again, I’m a tragic Real Housewives Fan