August 25, 2021 • 21 mins
Michelle Pontvert is a branding and website designer with 12 years of design experience, specialising in working with mother and baby businesses.
Michelle lives with her husband and adorable 2 year old in Paris, far from her native Australia or adoptive homeland America, and balances serving her clients and being a hands-on Mum.
Join us as we discuss how Michelle is committed to uplifting other women who are dedicated to supporting parents and new families when they need it most, and helping them be found by those families where they are looking for them - online.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How the glamour of Hollywood lost its appeal (01:22)
- The phobia that led to her business (03:15)
- Her one value that underpins her work (07:14)
- The importance of being a global citizen (09:12)
- The cause that’s most important to her (10:23)
- How to learn when you hated school (12:01)
- Fitting in as an expat or outsider (15:00)
“We have generations of parents out there who have the information we need.”
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Links mentioned in this episode
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Inspiring conversations with the people behind the products and services most often used, or created, by online business owners. Hear how their personal beliefs and values have influenced their business. The Angel Rated Show is for anyone who wants to know more about the integrity and impact of the online businesses they are buying from.
The Angel Rated Show is brought to you by Angel Rated; the independent directory and review site for all the products, courses and services used by online business owners. It’s the best place to find the perfect product for the next stage of your business or personal growth. Learn more and list your business free of charge at angelrated.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Angela Bryant (00:08):
Welcome, I'm Angela Bryant, and you're
listening to The Angel RatedShow, where we have inspiring
conversations with the peoplebehind the products and services
most often used by onlinebusiness owners. On the show,
you'll hear how their personalbeliefs and values have
influenced their businesses. Ifyou're an online entrepreneur
who wants to know about theintegrity and impact of the
(00:28):
businesses you're buying from,then this is the show for you.
Hello, and welcome to thisepisode of The Angel Rated Show.
I'm Angela Bryant and with metoday, I have Michelle Pontvert.
Michelle is a branding andwebsite designer with 12 years
of design experiencespecializing in working with
(00:50):
mother and baby businesses. SoMichelle lives with her husband.
And what I'm told is an adorabletwo year old in Paris, very far
from her native Australia or heradoptive homeland of America.
And she balances serving herclients and being a hands on
mom. So welcome, Michelle,
Michelle Pontvert (01:08):
Thank you so much for having me.
Angela Bryant (01:10):
No, it's great to have you here. Do you want to
just start by telling us yourstory, I guess about how you
ended up doing what you're doingnow and where you are now.
Michelle Pontvert (01:20):
Sure. So in school, I wasn't traditionally
great at the, you know, scienceand maths. But I always loved
being creative. And I reallylike problem solving. So I ended
up doing studies in film andtheater and ended up getting an
MFA a master's in film for setdesign. And I had, you know,
(01:42):
stars in my eyes, I lived inHollywood at the time, and I
worked on TV sets and film sets.
And it was really exciting. ButI had kind of a year or two in
and I had this moment of pause,where I saw all these women who
I admired with Oscars and Emmysand doing this amazing work with
lives I didn't want. And I sawthat they had broken homes or
(02:05):
you know, weren't very close totheir kids. And I just couldn't
rectify that feeling of thisbeing off in in me. So my
husband's visa was running out.
And we weren't quite marriedyet. But we met in film school,
he's French and his visa wasrunning up. And we decided to
(02:25):
just take the leap and move toFrance. This is six years ago
now. And I didn't really knowwhat I was going to do with
life. At that point, I just knewthat film, wasn't it that I
wasn't going to be able to be areally hands on parent the way I
wanted to be when kids dideventually show up. And I kind
(02:46):
of set upon this journey tofigure out what I wanted to do
with myself and what I wanted tocontribute to the world. And I
worked for a couple of smallbusinesses in Paris, which
really taught me a lot aboutcustomer service about, you
know, helping small businesseswith marketing, and ended up
working on their websites quitea lot, which I adored. And so
(03:08):
when I was let go during mymaternity leave, I had another
moment of pause. And I was sortof at this Crossroads again,
like Okay, do I go and find yetanother job? Or do I try and
make something for myself. Andso I took some time, I took a
bootcamp in user experiencedesign and started retraining
(03:29):
myself really how to makewebsites properly the way that
they need to be made to work forbusinesses. And I launched my
own little business, and Idecided to specialize in working
with parents and babybusinesses. Because I had had a
very tough time during mypregnancy and postpartum with my
son, I actually had a lifelongmedical phobia which made
(03:53):
pregnancy kind of my Everest toovercome. And I just really
couldn't find the right supportfor a long time to get through
that fear and the decision tobecome pregnant. I was like,
Okay, I need to fix this, I dideventually find some really
great support. But postpartum Ireally struggled to find people,
(04:14):
and I spent like hours a day ofnight googling who to help me
with, you know, latch issues andhis sleep problems and all sorts
of like little odds and ends.
And it just kept hitting me thatthis shouldn't be that hard.
There's so many resources outthere. There's so many people
with, you know, amazing servicesand products, resources, things
out there to help and it washarder than it should be to find
(04:37):
them. So when I decided I wantedto work on websites, I was like
what is better than trying tohelp these awesome businesses,
be found by parents who arestruggling like I was and trying
to kind of help them be whereeveryone's looking these days,
which is online.
Angela Bryant (04:56):
What an amazing journey. I yeah, So that I can,
I mean, not so much for being aparent side. But the that idea
of just being in an industrythat has that glitz and glamour
associated with it. And then Ilove that phrase about taking a
pause and just having that timeto rethink and yeah, change
(05:16):
direction. And yeah, what you'vejust shared about those fears
and overcoming it is, I canimagine exactly parents going
through that and googling lateat night and desperately trying
to find the information you wantto help you.
Michelle Pontvert (05:31):
It's amazingly hard to get your head
straight, when you are tired andstressed. And you just need
help. And you're really at yourmost vulnerable, I think in
those early early days. And itit's a shame because we have
generations of parents out therewho have the information we need
and love the idea of helping itbe found more easily
Angela Bryant (05:52):
and really easy to consume. Because that thing
about user experience, then isgoing to be even more important
for people who are Yeah, tiredor stressed or
Michelle Pontvert (06:01):
Looking on the phone holding a baby half
asleep.
Angela Bryant (06:04):
Yeah absolutely.
So yeah, I mean, that reallyexplains that the background and
the why behind what you'redoing. So where do you see your
where do you see this businessheading? Is this what you want
to be doing longer term is ityou know, if you've got plans
for it five years down the line.
Michelle Pontvert (06:21):
And I think I always want to keep the focus
really clear for myself, whichis I'm building something so
that I can build the life I wantwith my son, my family. So I
always want to keep that in theforefront. And I think the
further I go, the more I'd liketo be able to focus on really
supporting those really lovelyclients who want to have that
(06:42):
same goal to have happy homehappy business. And I think just
really trying to hone in onworking only with those, like
dreamy, perfect clients would beamazing. And maybe down the line
expanding and having a couple ofother designers under my wing
would be would be lovely.
Angela Bryant (07:01):
So tell us about the sort of values in your
business, you've obviouslythey're very strong, and I'm
sure they're all going to belinked to everything you've
said, but what what underpinshow you approach business? Yeah,
Michelle Pontvert (07:14):
so I really believe in empathy as we work on
things, particularly when theyare around something so
sensitive as new parents and newchildren and family. And I think
it's a huge part of creatingsuccessful design as well, that
really taking a moment tounderstand the other people in
(07:35):
the equation and the otherpeople in our interactions can
have such a hugely beneficialimpact on the results that we
come up with. So I reallybelieve in websites being for
the consumer and not for thebusiness of my process, working
with clients really being aboutserving them the best way I can.
And just having that sense ofputting myself in other people's
(07:58):
shoes and helping my clients dothat as well.
Angela Bryant (08:02):
I love it. I love it. So what what are the Yeah,
what are your What are yourbiggest challenges at the
moment?
Michelle Pontvert (08:10):
I think because I am quite a high
achieving person being strictwith myself to not overdo the
work side. It's so exciting andcompelling to work on these
websites and it's so fun. But Ireally want to remain true to
the point of this business whichis to spend time with my family
and make sure I'm clear with myboundaries. So I think that's
(08:33):
something I will probably alwayshave to keep reminding myself
about but it is core to why thisis here. So
Angela Bryant (08:41):
and that probably rings true for people who are
your ideal clients as well. It'sgetting those that that balance
right because yeah, for anyonewho's got children and wants to
keep that focus on family aswell as on earning money and
yeah, balancing all thosedifferent things. So tell us
something about what keeps youawake at night. These days, my
(09:03):
son but apart from him from himhave passions or causes that you
care about.
Michelle Pontvert (09:11):
Yeah, I I really feel like the the world
we live in today is somethingI'm I mean Coronavirus is a
horrible experience. But I'vebeen so touched to see how much
it's opened up the world to bemore global. And I just am so
happy. I've grown up in anincredibly global way. I moved I
(09:32):
think 19 times before I lefthome and I've got four passports
like I'm, I'm so used to being amember of this global society.
And it's been incrediblyexciting to see everybody else
kind of catch on. And I justreally hope it doesn't go away
when, quote unquote life returnsto normal. I just have been so
thrilled to be able to connectwith people all over the world
(09:54):
and just see that like we're allpeople we all struggle with the
same things and we all I cankind of help each other in our
own unique ways. So I reallyhope that sticks around. I think
it's been amazing, even thoughthe circumstances that brought
it apart, less than amazing.
Angela Bryant (10:12):
I mean, that says a lot about your sort of
worldview and how you how youapproach things and how you see
things. Are there any causesthat you've feel particularly
strongly about?
Michelle Pontvert (10:23):
I do have a very soft spot for trying to be
conscious of our environment ofthinking sustainably, and to try
and think planet first, becauseobviously, I am also thinking of
the planet, I'm leaving my sonand his children and his
children's children. And I thinkit's our responsibility to not
(10:44):
leave it worse than we got it.
So any efforts we can makethere? It's always something I
try and do in my home. But Ialso love to help bring others
along with me if I can
Angela Bryant (10:58):
Yeah, no really important. Definitely. And any
other, I guess, principles orbeliefs or things that you live
your life by that you'd like toshare?
Michelle Pontvert (11:09):
Yeah, I think it probably goes along with the
empathy thing. But I think beingcompassionate to other people's
situations, you know, we can geta little locked in in our
worldviews. And I've been asguilty of that as others. And
I've really tried to practicejust being open minded about
where other people are comingfrom and their experiences and
their struggles. And you know,that there's, I think, good in
(11:32):
everyone. So even if we don'tagree, I think we can still get
along. And that's something Ireally try and keep at the
forefront of how I operate inthis world.
Angela Bryant (11:43):
And including in your business is very much so.
Very good. So tell us somethingabout how you, I mean, you
talked about looking at userexperience, design and those
sort of things. So tell us abouthow you keep learning in your
business.
Michelle Pontvert (12:00):
Oh, my gosh, I am addicted to learning. I
think that it's something thatcan never end. And it's so
funny, I really hatedtraditional school. And I only
started to love learning once Igot into higher education, and
it is just exploded. Since then.
I think maybe it's the fact likethe I was about to say a French
word, the way that the way thatwe learn is it's so much more
(12:22):
immersive and things like Ihated French in school. But
actually being here and learningit in the environment in the
context has been much easier andmuch more enjoyable. And I think
so much of the way I learn isexperiential, and being able to
just be in something and get myhands messy and you know, really
(12:44):
dig into it do it myself hasbeen great. And I think figuring
out how you learn can reallyunlock how to make it exciting
and work for you and something Ihope to be able to pass on to my
son because I really did hateschool. And now it's like my
favorite thing to learn. I thinkno one's past that point of no
(13:05):
redemption, we can all lovelearning if you just find the
way that works for you. Becauseour brains are all different.
And we need to just learn how tofeed them the way they want to
be fed.
Angela Bryant (13:18):
Absolutely. And I think that that comes with
websites with online courses andeverything people teach in so
many different ways. And youreally need to understand your
own learning style to know whatstyle is going to work for you
to gather that informationthat's going to work.
Michelle Pontvert (13:33):
Yeah, and that makes sense to with the way
that we structure our websites,when we're looking at certain
types of audiences, we want tomake sure it's in the way that
they can consume what you haveto offer best. So it's really
again about empathy andcompassion and like
understanding who this is forand what they need you to be
able to provide for them toreally get the most out of it.
Angela Bryant (13:55):
Is there something you wish you'd known
when you were first starting outin business that you could
share.
Michelle Pontvert (14:02):
I think marketing is always something
that's bigger than you think itwill be. And I'm learning to
find the parts of it that I likebest. And I think it's always
going to be a process. But I wasa bit surprised by how much of
my energy goes into marketingand finding that right fit of
how to put my business out intothe world. I don't think I'd do
(14:26):
anything differently. But Ithink it would have been less of
a shock to realize it is justlike a lot of the work we do as
small businesses.
Angela Bryant (14:35):
Yeah, it's a it's a massive amount is just is is
sharing and talking about whatyou're doing and I don't think
appreciate quite how much goesinto it from that point of view.
Yeah, so you talked a bit aboutyour your this sort of view
about being a global citizen andthe fact you've moved around a
lot. Tell us a bit about yourlife as an expat where you've
(14:55):
been where you've lived, howthese different countries
compare.
Michelle Pontvert (15:00):
Yes, so I was born in Australia. And I say I'm
Australian, because that's whereI'm born. But I've never felt
that connected to any oneparticular culture. My dad is
British, he moved as a teenagerto Australia. And I think my
parents just have like thetravel bug. So we moved a ton
growing up for them toexperience the world, we lived
(15:21):
in Africa for a little bit, wemoved to England, for my mom to
give birth because we, Africawhen she was pregnant, we moved
to California back to Australiaand sort of hopped around. And I
think the sort of main anchorsfor me culturally have been
Australia and America. And thoseare the places that I think have
formed most of who I am. But Ido have a strong cultural ties
(15:44):
to England. And that experience,because I have so much family
over there, and my dad isBritish. And I think they're
also similar, and they're alsodifferent. And I think it's,
it's been such a strangeexperience now being quote,
unquote, truly an outsider inFrance, you know, I don't speak
the language. I am not fromhere. But every time I've lived
(16:05):
in one of these other cultureswhere I speak English, and I
should integrate, I've oddlyfelt even more foreign than I do
here. Because you're meant tofit in, like, as an Australian
with the accent I have moving toAmerica, I was meant to be fine,
because we're used to that. Andwe speak English. And everything
is, you know, familiar ish. Andyet, that was so much more of a
(16:26):
jarring experience to get usedto then here, I was expecting to
be different. And I wasexpecting people to trip up on
my accent. And, oddly, that waslike, a really lovely experience
to be like, Oh, they recognizeour foreign that's great.
Angela Bryant (16:41):
It's really it's very much about managing
expectations, isn't it and theexpectation versus reality and
not quite lining up. So how areyou finding it in France?
Michelle Pontvert (16:52):
I love it here. I I, I don't think there's
any way perfect. But I do thinkthere is something to be said
about the lifestyle here thatthere is a cultural respect for
lifestyle. And I really resonatewith that, that there is time
for family and that that isrespected. And that taking time
to slow down is important. Andgrowing up in these slightly
(17:14):
more Americanized ways. It'sit's been something to shake
off. But I've been really happyto, to make that kind of effort
and try and enjoy life a littlebit more. And I mean, I can't
say anything about the food.
It's amazing. I won't complainabout that either.
Angela Bryant (17:33):
No, definitely not. So if you picked up any new
hobbies or anything else over inFrance,
Michelle Pontvert (17:39):
I have it's got nothing to do with France.
But I became an avid knittersince I moved here. I love
creating and doing things withmy hands. And I think it was my
mom who just suggested that whenwe first moved in, I didn't know
anyone that didn't speak anyFrench yet. And I have knitted
like 20 sweaters and I just loveit. It's so kinetic and
(18:00):
creative. So oddly enough, beingin France is really associated
with knitting.
Angela Bryant (18:05):
And I think it's one of those hobbies that so
many people took up duringlocked. I know I did during
lockdown. It was like, I need todo something where I'm not
staring at my screen where I'mdoing, you know, I'm sharing my
screen all day, every day forsocial events for everything I
need to a hobby where I'm notlooking at screens, I think
Michelle Pontvert (18:22):
And you can see your progress, which is
really rewarding.
Angela Bryant (18:25):
Yeah, fantastic.
So is there anything else you'dlike to share with listeners
about who you are your beliefs,your values, anything else about
your business?
Michelle Pontvert (18:33):
I mean, I think we covered a lot of it, I
really do. I value being able toengage with people who are open
to engaging and really sharingand I come into this world of
business very open. And I reallyrespect other people who do
that, too. And it can be a bitscary to be open in the online
world. But I'm, I'm going intoall of this with faith that you
(18:56):
know, being open and hopefullyas considerate and kind as I can
be, I'll be met with that inreturn. And I want to encourage
anyone else who's feeling a bitnervous about putting themselves
out there to also just, youknow, trust that most people
have good intentions and, andwant the best.
Angela Bryant (19:12):
Absolutely. I've definitely found the online
world to be full of very loving,caring supportive people in the
main absolutley.
Michelle Pontvert (19:20):
It has. Yeah, it's been really, really lovely
to see and especially someonewho's a bit nervous about it.
It's really nice to see.
Angela Bryant (19:27):
Fantastic. So how can people follow you get hold
of you. Tell us a bit more aboutyour business?
Michelle Pontvert (19:33):
Well, obviously my website is my
favorite place for people tocome and hang out with me. So
it's MichellePontvert.comPontvert P O N T V E R T and
that's always tricky for people.
And I'm on Facebook andInstagram, same Michelle
Pontvert and I do have a littlefree gift if anyone is with
their website and feeling alittle bit lost or what to do
(19:58):
with it. So I've put togetherthis DIY website guide to help
you have a look at your websiteand do kind of an audit of it
and figure out what's notworking for it and fix it. So
I've got a really easy to workthrough guide and a video
walkthrough for those people whoprefer a more visual
walkthrough, different styles oflearning to just help you kind
(20:20):
of take a look at your site,figure out these top things to
help it work a bit harder foryou and get those going. So
yeah, and that's at my website.
So Michelle Pontvert dot com slah DIY dash website dash audit.
Angela Bryant (20:38):
Fantastic. We will add those links to the show
notes so everyone can find them.
Because Yeah, that definitelysounds like something that would
be incredibly useful for people.
Well, thank you ever so much forjoining us, Michelle. It's been
lovely getting to know you andfinding out a bit more about
your your life and your businessand what drives you. And yeah,
just getting to know a bit moreabout you.
Michelle Pontvert (20:59):
It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so
much for having me
Angela Bryant (21:02):
No, You're very elcome. So you can read the
how notes from this episodehere at Angel rated.com forward
lash podcast. If you enjoyedhis episode, I'd obviously love
ou to subscribe to the show,nd to leave a review on your
avorite podcast platform. Andon't forget to share this
pisode with all your onlineusiness friends. The Angel
ated Show is brought to you byngel Rated independent
(21:25):
irectory and review site forll the products courses and
ervices used by online businesswners. It's the best place to
ind the perfect product for theext stage of your business or
ersonal growth. Learn more andist your business free of
harge at Angel rated.com
Welcome, I'm Angela Bryant, and you're
listening to The Angel RatedShow, where we have inspiring
conversations with the peoplebehind the products and services
most often used by onlinebusiness owners. On the show,
you'll hear how their personalbeliefs and values have
influenced their businesses. Ifyou're an online entrepreneur
who wants to know about theintegrity and impact of the
(00:28):
businesses you're buying from,then this is the show for you.
Hello, and welcome to thisepisode of The Angel Rated Show.
I'm Angela Bryant and with metoday, I have Michelle Pontvert.
Michelle is a branding andwebsite designer with 12 years
of design experiencespecializing in working with
(00:50):
mother and baby businesses. SoMichelle lives with her husband.
And what I'm told is an adorabletwo year old in Paris, very far
from her native Australia or heradoptive homeland of America.
And she balances serving herclients and being a hands on
mom. So welcome, Michelle,
Michelle Pontvert (01:08):
Thank you so much for having me.
Angela Bryant (01:10):
No, it's great to have you here. Do you want to
just start by telling us yourstory, I guess about how you
ended up doing what you're doingnow and where you are now.
Michelle Pontvert (01:20):
Sure. So in school, I wasn't traditionally
great at the, you know, scienceand maths. But I always loved
being creative. And I reallylike problem solving. So I ended
up doing studies in film andtheater and ended up getting an
MFA a master's in film for setdesign. And I had, you know,
(01:42):
stars in my eyes, I lived inHollywood at the time, and I
worked on TV sets and film sets.
And it was really exciting. ButI had kind of a year or two in
and I had this moment of pause,where I saw all these women who
I admired with Oscars and Emmysand doing this amazing work with
lives I didn't want. And I sawthat they had broken homes or
(02:05):
you know, weren't very close totheir kids. And I just couldn't
rectify that feeling of thisbeing off in in me. So my
husband's visa was running out.
And we weren't quite marriedyet. But we met in film school,
he's French and his visa wasrunning up. And we decided to
(02:25):
just take the leap and move toFrance. This is six years ago
now. And I didn't really knowwhat I was going to do with
life. At that point, I just knewthat film, wasn't it that I
wasn't going to be able to be areally hands on parent the way I
wanted to be when kids dideventually show up. And I kind
(02:46):
of set upon this journey tofigure out what I wanted to do
with myself and what I wanted tocontribute to the world. And I
worked for a couple of smallbusinesses in Paris, which
really taught me a lot aboutcustomer service about, you
know, helping small businesseswith marketing, and ended up
working on their websites quitea lot, which I adored. And so
(03:08):
when I was let go during mymaternity leave, I had another
moment of pause. And I was sortof at this Crossroads again,
like Okay, do I go and find yetanother job? Or do I try and
make something for myself. Andso I took some time, I took a
bootcamp in user experiencedesign and started retraining
(03:29):
myself really how to makewebsites properly the way that
they need to be made to work forbusinesses. And I launched my
own little business, and Idecided to specialize in working
with parents and babybusinesses. Because I had had a
very tough time during mypregnancy and postpartum with my
son, I actually had a lifelongmedical phobia which made
(03:53):
pregnancy kind of my Everest toovercome. And I just really
couldn't find the right supportfor a long time to get through
that fear and the decision tobecome pregnant. I was like,
Okay, I need to fix this, I dideventually find some really
great support. But postpartum Ireally struggled to find people,
(04:14):
and I spent like hours a day ofnight googling who to help me
with, you know, latch issues andhis sleep problems and all sorts
of like little odds and ends.
And it just kept hitting me thatthis shouldn't be that hard.
There's so many resources outthere. There's so many people
with, you know, amazing servicesand products, resources, things
out there to help and it washarder than it should be to find
(04:37):
them. So when I decided I wantedto work on websites, I was like
what is better than trying tohelp these awesome businesses,
be found by parents who arestruggling like I was and trying
to kind of help them be whereeveryone's looking these days,
which is online.
Angela Bryant (04:56):
What an amazing journey. I yeah, So that I can,
I mean, not so much for being aparent side. But the that idea
of just being in an industrythat has that glitz and glamour
associated with it. And then Ilove that phrase about taking a
pause and just having that timeto rethink and yeah, change
(05:16):
direction. And yeah, what you'vejust shared about those fears
and overcoming it is, I canimagine exactly parents going
through that and googling lateat night and desperately trying
to find the information you wantto help you.
Michelle Pontvert (05:31):
It's amazingly hard to get your head
straight, when you are tired andstressed. And you just need
help. And you're really at yourmost vulnerable, I think in
those early early days. And itit's a shame because we have
generations of parents out therewho have the information we need
and love the idea of helping itbe found more easily
Angela Bryant (05:52):
and really easy to consume. Because that thing
about user experience, then isgoing to be even more important
for people who are Yeah, tiredor stressed or
Michelle Pontvert (06:01):
Looking on the phone holding a baby half
asleep.
Angela Bryant (06:04):
Yeah absolutely.
So yeah, I mean, that reallyexplains that the background and
the why behind what you'redoing. So where do you see your
where do you see this businessheading? Is this what you want
to be doing longer term is ityou know, if you've got plans
for it five years down the line.
Michelle Pontvert (06:21):
And I think I always want to keep the focus
really clear for myself, whichis I'm building something so
that I can build the life I wantwith my son, my family. So I
always want to keep that in theforefront. And I think the
further I go, the more I'd liketo be able to focus on really
supporting those really lovelyclients who want to have that
(06:42):
same goal to have happy homehappy business. And I think just
really trying to hone in onworking only with those, like
dreamy, perfect clients would beamazing. And maybe down the line
expanding and having a couple ofother designers under my wing
would be would be lovely.
Angela Bryant (07:01):
So tell us about the sort of values in your
business, you've obviouslythey're very strong, and I'm
sure they're all going to belinked to everything you've
said, but what what underpinshow you approach business? Yeah,
Michelle Pontvert (07:14):
so I really believe in empathy as we work on
things, particularly when theyare around something so
sensitive as new parents and newchildren and family. And I think
it's a huge part of creatingsuccessful design as well, that
really taking a moment tounderstand the other people in
(07:35):
the equation and the otherpeople in our interactions can
have such a hugely beneficialimpact on the results that we
come up with. So I reallybelieve in websites being for
the consumer and not for thebusiness of my process, working
with clients really being aboutserving them the best way I can.
And just having that sense ofputting myself in other people's
(07:58):
shoes and helping my clients dothat as well.
Angela Bryant (08:02):
I love it. I love it. So what what are the Yeah,
what are your What are yourbiggest challenges at the
moment?
Michelle Pontvert (08:10):
I think because I am quite a high
achieving person being strictwith myself to not overdo the
work side. It's so exciting andcompelling to work on these
websites and it's so fun. But Ireally want to remain true to
the point of this business whichis to spend time with my family
and make sure I'm clear with myboundaries. So I think that's
(08:33):
something I will probably alwayshave to keep reminding myself
about but it is core to why thisis here. So
Angela Bryant (08:41):
and that probably rings true for people who are
your ideal clients as well. It'sgetting those that that balance
right because yeah, for anyonewho's got children and wants to
keep that focus on family aswell as on earning money and
yeah, balancing all thosedifferent things. So tell us
something about what keeps youawake at night. These days, my
(09:03):
son but apart from him from himhave passions or causes that you
care about.
Michelle Pontvert (09:11):
Yeah, I I really feel like the the world
we live in today is somethingI'm I mean Coronavirus is a
horrible experience. But I'vebeen so touched to see how much
it's opened up the world to bemore global. And I just am so
happy. I've grown up in anincredibly global way. I moved I
(09:32):
think 19 times before I lefthome and I've got four passports
like I'm, I'm so used to being amember of this global society.
And it's been incrediblyexciting to see everybody else
kind of catch on. And I justreally hope it doesn't go away
when, quote unquote life returnsto normal. I just have been so
thrilled to be able to connectwith people all over the world
(09:54):
and just see that like we're allpeople we all struggle with the
same things and we all I cankind of help each other in our
own unique ways. So I reallyhope that sticks around. I think
it's been amazing, even thoughthe circumstances that brought
it apart, less than amazing.
Angela Bryant (10:12):
I mean, that says a lot about your sort of
worldview and how you how youapproach things and how you see
things. Are there any causesthat you've feel particularly
strongly about?
Michelle Pontvert (10:23):
I do have a very soft spot for trying to be
conscious of our environment ofthinking sustainably, and to try
and think planet first, becauseobviously, I am also thinking of
the planet, I'm leaving my sonand his children and his
children's children. And I thinkit's our responsibility to not
(10:44):
leave it worse than we got it.
So any efforts we can makethere? It's always something I
try and do in my home. But Ialso love to help bring others
along with me if I can
Angela Bryant (10:58):
Yeah, no really important. Definitely. And any
other, I guess, principles orbeliefs or things that you live
your life by that you'd like toshare?
Michelle Pontvert (11:09):
Yeah, I think it probably goes along with the
empathy thing. But I think beingcompassionate to other people's
situations, you know, we can geta little locked in in our
worldviews. And I've been asguilty of that as others. And
I've really tried to practicejust being open minded about
where other people are comingfrom and their experiences and
their struggles. And you know,that there's, I think, good in
(11:32):
everyone. So even if we don'tagree, I think we can still get
along. And that's something Ireally try and keep at the
forefront of how I operate inthis world.
Angela Bryant (11:43):
And including in your business is very much so.
Very good. So tell us somethingabout how you, I mean, you
talked about looking at userexperience, design and those
sort of things. So tell us abouthow you keep learning in your
business.
Michelle Pontvert (12:00):
Oh, my gosh, I am addicted to learning. I
think that it's something thatcan never end. And it's so
funny, I really hatedtraditional school. And I only
started to love learning once Igot into higher education, and
it is just exploded. Since then.
I think maybe it's the fact likethe I was about to say a French
word, the way that the way thatwe learn is it's so much more
(12:22):
immersive and things like Ihated French in school. But
actually being here and learningit in the environment in the
context has been much easier andmuch more enjoyable. And I think
so much of the way I learn isexperiential, and being able to
just be in something and get myhands messy and you know, really
(12:44):
dig into it do it myself hasbeen great. And I think figuring
out how you learn can reallyunlock how to make it exciting
and work for you and something Ihope to be able to pass on to my
son because I really did hateschool. And now it's like my
favorite thing to learn. I thinkno one's past that point of no
(13:05):
redemption, we can all lovelearning if you just find the
way that works for you. Becauseour brains are all different.
And we need to just learn how tofeed them the way they want to
be fed.
Angela Bryant (13:18):
Absolutely. And I think that that comes with
websites with online courses andeverything people teach in so
many different ways. And youreally need to understand your
own learning style to know whatstyle is going to work for you
to gather that informationthat's going to work.
Michelle Pontvert (13:33):
Yeah, and that makes sense to with the way
that we structure our websites,when we're looking at certain
types of audiences, we want tomake sure it's in the way that
they can consume what you haveto offer best. So it's really
again about empathy andcompassion and like
understanding who this is forand what they need you to be
able to provide for them toreally get the most out of it.
Angela Bryant (13:55):
Is there something you wish you'd known
when you were first starting outin business that you could
share.
Michelle Pontvert (14:02):
I think marketing is always something
that's bigger than you think itwill be. And I'm learning to
find the parts of it that I likebest. And I think it's always
going to be a process. But I wasa bit surprised by how much of
my energy goes into marketingand finding that right fit of
how to put my business out intothe world. I don't think I'd do
(14:26):
anything differently. But Ithink it would have been less of
a shock to realize it is justlike a lot of the work we do as
small businesses.
Angela Bryant (14:35):
Yeah, it's a it's a massive amount is just is is
sharing and talking about whatyou're doing and I don't think
appreciate quite how much goesinto it from that point of view.
Yeah, so you talked a bit aboutyour your this sort of view
about being a global citizen andthe fact you've moved around a
lot. Tell us a bit about yourlife as an expat where you've
(14:55):
been where you've lived, howthese different countries
compare.
Michelle Pontvert (15:00):
Yes, so I was born in Australia. And I say I'm
Australian, because that's whereI'm born. But I've never felt
that connected to any oneparticular culture. My dad is
British, he moved as a teenagerto Australia. And I think my
parents just have like thetravel bug. So we moved a ton
growing up for them toexperience the world, we lived
(15:21):
in Africa for a little bit, wemoved to England, for my mom to
give birth because we, Africawhen she was pregnant, we moved
to California back to Australiaand sort of hopped around. And I
think the sort of main anchorsfor me culturally have been
Australia and America. And thoseare the places that I think have
formed most of who I am. But Ido have a strong cultural ties
(15:44):
to England. And that experience,because I have so much family
over there, and my dad isBritish. And I think they're
also similar, and they're alsodifferent. And I think it's,
it's been such a strangeexperience now being quote,
unquote, truly an outsider inFrance, you know, I don't speak
the language. I am not fromhere. But every time I've lived
(16:05):
in one of these other cultureswhere I speak English, and I
should integrate, I've oddlyfelt even more foreign than I do
here. Because you're meant tofit in, like, as an Australian
with the accent I have moving toAmerica, I was meant to be fine,
because we're used to that. Andwe speak English. And everything
is, you know, familiar ish. Andyet, that was so much more of a
(16:26):
jarring experience to get usedto then here, I was expecting to
be different. And I wasexpecting people to trip up on
my accent. And, oddly, that waslike, a really lovely experience
to be like, Oh, they recognizeour foreign that's great.
Angela Bryant (16:41):
It's really it's very much about managing
expectations, isn't it and theexpectation versus reality and
not quite lining up. So how areyou finding it in France?
Michelle Pontvert (16:52):
I love it here. I I, I don't think there's
any way perfect. But I do thinkthere is something to be said
about the lifestyle here thatthere is a cultural respect for
lifestyle. And I really resonatewith that, that there is time
for family and that that isrespected. And that taking time
to slow down is important. Andgrowing up in these slightly
(17:14):
more Americanized ways. It'sit's been something to shake
off. But I've been really happyto, to make that kind of effort
and try and enjoy life a littlebit more. And I mean, I can't
say anything about the food.
It's amazing. I won't complainabout that either.
Angela Bryant (17:33):
No, definitely not. So if you picked up any new
hobbies or anything else over inFrance,
Michelle Pontvert (17:39):
I have it's got nothing to do with France.
But I became an avid knittersince I moved here. I love
creating and doing things withmy hands. And I think it was my
mom who just suggested that whenwe first moved in, I didn't know
anyone that didn't speak anyFrench yet. And I have knitted
like 20 sweaters and I just loveit. It's so kinetic and
(18:00):
creative. So oddly enough, beingin France is really associated
with knitting.
Angela Bryant (18:05):
And I think it's one of those hobbies that so
many people took up duringlocked. I know I did during
lockdown. It was like, I need todo something where I'm not
staring at my screen where I'mdoing, you know, I'm sharing my
screen all day, every day forsocial events for everything I
need to a hobby where I'm notlooking at screens, I think
Michelle Pontvert (18:22):
And you can see your progress, which is
really rewarding.
Angela Bryant (18:25):
Yeah, fantastic.
So is there anything else you'dlike to share with listeners
about who you are your beliefs,your values, anything else about
your business?
Michelle Pontvert (18:33):
I mean, I think we covered a lot of it, I
really do. I value being able toengage with people who are open
to engaging and really sharingand I come into this world of
business very open. And I reallyrespect other people who do
that, too. And it can be a bitscary to be open in the online
world. But I'm, I'm going intoall of this with faith that you
(18:56):
know, being open and hopefullyas considerate and kind as I can
be, I'll be met with that inreturn. And I want to encourage
anyone else who's feeling a bitnervous about putting themselves
out there to also just, youknow, trust that most people
have good intentions and, andwant the best.
Angela Bryant (19:12):
Absolutely. I've definitely found the online
world to be full of very loving,caring supportive people in the
main absolutley.
Michelle Pontvert (19:20):
It has. Yeah, it's been really, really lovely
to see and especially someonewho's a bit nervous about it.
It's really nice to see.
Angela Bryant (19:27):
Fantastic. So how can people follow you get hold
of you. Tell us a bit more aboutyour business?
Michelle Pontvert (19:33):
Well, obviously my website is my
favorite place for people tocome and hang out with me. So
it's MichellePontvert.comPontvert P O N T V E R T and
that's always tricky for people.
And I'm on Facebook andInstagram, same Michelle
Pontvert and I do have a littlefree gift if anyone is with
their website and feeling alittle bit lost or what to do
(19:58):
with it. So I've put togetherthis DIY website guide to help
you have a look at your websiteand do kind of an audit of it
and figure out what's notworking for it and fix it. So
I've got a really easy to workthrough guide and a video
walkthrough for those people whoprefer a more visual
walkthrough, different styles oflearning to just help you kind
(20:20):
of take a look at your site,figure out these top things to
help it work a bit harder foryou and get those going. So
yeah, and that's at my website.
So Michelle Pontvert dot com slah DIY dash website dash audit.
Angela Bryant (20:38):
Fantastic. We will add those links to the show
notes so everyone can find them.
Because Yeah, that definitelysounds like something that would
be incredibly useful for people.
Well, thank you ever so much forjoining us, Michelle. It's been
lovely getting to know you andfinding out a bit more about
your your life and your businessand what drives you. And yeah,
just getting to know a bit moreabout you.
Michelle Pontvert (20:59):
It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so
much for having me
Angela Bryant (21:02):
No, You're very elcome. So you can read the
how notes from this episodehere at Angel rated.com forward
lash podcast. If you enjoyedhis episode, I'd obviously love
ou to subscribe to the show,nd to leave a review on your
avorite podcast platform. Andon't forget to share this
pisode with all your onlineusiness friends. The Angel
ated Show is brought to you byngel Rated independent
(21:25):
irectory and review site forll the products courses and
ervices used by online businesswners. It's the best place to
ind the perfect product for theext stage of your business or
ersonal growth. Learn more andist your business free of
harge at Angel rated.com
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