The Heart of MUMentum Award 2026: Two Women, Two Journeys and the Courage to Be Yourself
Celebrating Shanela of Holistic Pincups and Rachel of Feather and Sleep, two inspiring mums in business who reminded us that true success begins with remembering who you are.
There are awards that celebrate business growth, sales, achievements and success. And then there are awards that recognise something a little deeper.
The courage to show up. The willingness to grow. The confidence to embrace who you truly are, even when that doesn't always feel easy.
That is what the Heart of MUMentum Award is all about.
At MUMentum 2026, held on 24th October, we wanted to recognise a woman who truly embraced the heart of our event. Someone who wasn't simply there to listen, but who participated, connected, reflected and genuinely believed in what we were trying to create.
What we hadn't anticipated was just how difficult that decision would become. Because although there was only meant to be one winner, two incredible women stood out for two very different reasons.
Shanela from Holistic Pincups, also known as The Womb Lady, and Rachel from Feather and Sleep. They both brought their own personalities, experiences, strengths and vulnerabilities into the room. Both embraced the experience wholeheartedly and both reminded us exactly why MUMentum exists.
Always Remember Who You Are.
What Is the Heart of MUMentum Award?
The Heart of MUMentum Award was created to celebrate the woman behind the business because being a mum in business is about so much more than building a successful company.
It's about balancing responsibilities, finding confidence, rediscovering your identity and sometimes learning how to put yourself back into a life where everyone else has come first for so long.
It's about recognising that you are still a person with dreams, ambitions, ideas and something valuable to offer.
At MUMentum, we believe that personal growth and business growth go hand in hand.
The Heart of MUMentum Award recognises women who embrace that journey. Women who get involved, ask questions, make connections and are willing to look a little deeper into themselves.
It celebrates authenticity, courage, kindness and the desire to use personal growth to make a positive difference to others.
We weren't looking for the loudest person in the room, the biggest business or the most impressive achievements.
We were looking for someone who genuinely connected with the heart of MUMentum.
What happened on the day showed us that connection can look very different from one woman to another.
Why Remembering Who You Are Matters
As mums, it can be incredibly easy to lose parts of ourselves along the way.
We become parents, partners, carers, organisers, business owners and the people everyone else relies on.
Somewhere between school runs, family responsibilities, work commitments and everything else life throws at us, our own identity can sometimes get pushed to one side.
We forget the things that once excited us. We question our abilities. We compare our journeys with other people's. We convince ourselves that perhaps we're not quite ready, confident or experienced enough.
And yet, underneath all those responsibilities, we are still there.
The woman with ideas.
The woman with dreams.
The woman with experiences, strengths and something meaningful to share.
That is why the message behind MUMentum is so important.
Always Remember Who You Are.
It's not about becoming someone completely different or trying to fit into somebody else's idea of success. It's about reconnecting with yourself, recognising your worth and having the confidence to build a business and a life that feel genuinely aligned with who you are.
That is something we witnessed so beautifully in both Shanela and Rachel.
Two Women, Two Journeys: Celebrating Shanela and Rachel
What made these two women stand out wasn't simply the businesses they had created.
It was the stories behind them, the way they approached the event and the genuine commitment they showed to being part of something meaningful.
Both women have turned personal challenges into businesses that support others.
Both understand the importance of connection, compassion and personal growth.
What made them particularly special was that neither tried to be anyone other than herself.
Shanela: Holistic Pincups & The Womb Lady, Turning Personal Pain into Purpose
Shanela's journey into business is one built on resilience, determination and a deep desire to help other women.
Through her business, Holistic Pincups, she supports women navigating fertility challenges, reproductive health concerns and the emotional journey towards motherhood but her passion for this work comes from a deeply personal place.
After six years of trying to build her family and experiencing five miscarriages, Shanela knew what it felt like to face heartbreak, uncertainty and the desperate need for understanding.
Rather than allowing those experiences to define what came next, she chose to use them to help others, she became the therapist she had once needed.
Today, known affectionately as The Womb Lady, Shanela offers holistic support through approaches including abdominal massage, cupping and acupuncture, alongside emotional guidance and fertility education.
Her work is built around her philosophy of the Three B's: Belief, Body and Brain.
She understands that fertility struggles aren't simply physical. They can affect a woman's confidence, emotional wellbeing, sense of identity and relationship with herself.
That understanding is at the heart of the support she provides.
What makes Shanela's journey so inspiring is that she has taken some of her most difficult experiences and transformed them into something meaningful for other women.
It wasn't only her story or her business that stood out to us at MUMentum...
...it was the way she showed up on the day.
How Shanela Embraced the Heart of MUMentum
Throughout the event, Shanela demonstrated a genuine interest in what we were talking about.
She was asking questions that naturally aligned with our conversations around identity, self-belief, authenticity and the importance of recognising who we truly are.
You could see that she was thinking about what those conversations meant, not just for herself, but for the women she supports through her business. She wanted to understand. She wanted to be involved. She wanted to contribute. And, most importantly, she genuinely believed in what we were creating.
There was something incredibly meaningful about seeing someone connect with the purpose of the event in that way. Shanela wasn't simply there to attend another business event. She wanted to be part of the conversation and to take something valuable from the experience that could help others. She brought curiosity, passion, openness and a willingness to engage. And that is exactly what MUMentum is about.
Taking the time to understand yourself, recognising the strength in your own experiences and using what you learn to support others.
Shanela showed us that when a woman truly believes in her purpose, that belief naturally comes through in the way she connects with the world around her.
Rachel: Feather and Sleep, Finding Strength Through Kindness and Connection
Rachel, the founder of Feather and Sleep, brought something very different but equally special to the event.
Rachel's business was born from her own challenging experience of early motherhood. After welcoming her first child, she experienced feeding difficulties, hospital admissions and overwhelming sleep deprivation.
Those early months were incredibly difficult, and they gave her a deep understanding of just how exhausting and isolating life with a new baby can sometimes feel. With more than 20 years of experience as a primary school teacher, Rachel already had a strong foundation in supporting children and families.
But her experiences as a mum inspired her to take that care and understanding in a new direction.
In 2026, she launched Feather and Sleep, offering gentle, responsive sleep support to families who are struggling with their little ones' sleep.
Her approach focuses on reassurance, patience and helping families find routines that work for them without losing the nurturing connection between parent and child. For Rachel, it's about more than sleep, it's about helping exhausted parents feel supported, regain their confidence and find a little more peace in their everyday lives.
When you meet Rachel, you can see why this work means so much to her, she is a genuinely kind, caring and sweet individual. There is a softness about her, but there is also determination, compassion and a real desire to make a difference and that was something we witnessed throughout MUMentum.
How Rachel Found Connection and Confidence at MUMentum
Rachel approached the event with such a lovely openness, she genuinely wanted to connect, not only with other like-minded women but also with herself and with the business she was building.
She wanted to learn, to grow and to understand how she could bring more of her authentic self into her work.
And that is exactly what she did.
Rachel gave the experience everything she had, she participated, embraced the opportunities in front of her and allowed herself to be part of the connections and conversations taking place.
What was so special was that she did all of this in her own way.
Rachel wasn't trying to be the best person in the room, she wasn't trying to become someone else or force herself into a particular version of what a successful businesswoman should look like, she was simply being Rachel. Kind, Gentle, Genuine, Thoughtful, And willing to grow, And there is so much strength in that.
We often associate courage with confidence, bold decisions and big personalities, but sometimes courage is quieter, sometimes it looks like walking into a room, allowing yourself to be seen, making new connections and trusting that you belong there.
Rachel reminded us that you don't have to change who you are to become a confident and successful woman in business.
Sometimes the greatest growth happens when you begin to recognise the strength in the qualities you already have.
When One Award Became an Impossible Decision
There was only ever meant to be one winner of the Heart of MUMentum Award, that was the plan but as the day unfolded and we reflected on the women who had truly embraced the event, we found ourselves facing an incredibly difficult decision.
How could we choose between Shanela and Rachel?
Not because they were the same but because they were so wonderfully different.
Shanela brought her curiosity, passion, belief and determination to make a difference. She connected deeply with the message of the event and wanted to explore how she could take that learning forward to help others.
Rachel brought her gentleness, warmth, openness and desire for genuine connection. She embraced the opportunity to grow, learn about herself and build meaningful relationships.
Both women gave it their all, both showed courage, both demonstrated authenticity and both reflected the heart of MUMentum in their own unique ways, It became clear that choosing one over the other would mean overlooking something equally important because there isn't just one way to be courageous, there isn't just one type of woman who makes an inspiring business owner, and there certainly isn't one way to show up as your authentic self.
One award had been planned, but two women had made an unforgettable impact.
And that is why we chose to recognise them both (it's a good job Sophie is organised enough for the what if's).
Not because we couldn't make a decision, but because they had each shown us something different and equally valuable about what the Heart of MUMentum Award represents.
The Power of Women Supporting Women
What made the Heart of MUMentum Award particularly meaningful was the way it reflected the wider purpose of the event.
MUMentum isn't simply about bringing women together to talk about business, It's about creating an environment where mums feel comfortable being themselves.
Where they can ask questions without feeling judged.
Where they can share experiences, learn from one another and recognise that they don't have to navigate everything alone.
It's about creating the kind of connection that reminds women of their own strength.
And sometimes, that starts with something as simple as a conversation, a question that makes you think differently, a story that reminds you that someone else has experienced something similar, or meeting another woman who gives you the confidence to take your next step.
Shanela and Rachel both embraced that opportunity.
They reminded us that women supporting women isn't just about offering advice or encouragement,
It's about being genuinely present, listening, connecting and making space for each other to grow, and those connections can continue to make a difference long after an event has ended.
Redefining Success for Mums in Business
So often, business success is measured in numbers, in revenue, growth, followers, clients and sales, and while those achievements absolutely deserve recognition, they don't tell the whole story.
They don't always show the mum who has rebuilt her confidence after years of putting herself last, they don't show the woman who has overcome self-doubt to launch a business she truly believes in, they don't show the courage it takes to walk into an unfamiliar room, introduce yourself or share your story, and they don't always reflect the personal growth that happens quietly behind the scenes.
At MUMentum, we believe those moments matter too:
Because success can also mean finding your voice.
It can mean becoming more comfortable in your own skin.
It can mean recognising that your experiences have value.
It can mean building a business that supports your family without losing yourself in the process.
And sometimes, it can simply mean having the courage to show up and give something your all.
That is the kind of success the Heart of MUMentum Award was created to celebrate.
A Message to Every Mum Building Something of Her Own
If there is one thing we hope women take away from Shanela and Rachel's stories, it's this:
You do not have to become somebody else to be worthy of success.
You don't have to be the most confident person in the room, you don't have to have everything figured out, or a life plan, you don't have to follow the same path as anybody else.
Your experiences matter.
Your personality matters.
Your values, your dreams and the things that make you different all have a place in the business you are building.
And sometimes, the very things you have struggled with become the experiences that allow you to connect most deeply with someone else.
Shanela and Rachel are beautiful examples of that.
Two women with different businesses, different personalities and different journeys, yet both showed up at MUMentum with openness, authenticity and a genuine desire to grow and help others.
And both left a lasting impression.
Congratulations to Our Heart of MUMentum Award Winners 2026
To Shanela from Holistic Pincups and The Womb Lady, and Rachel from Feather and Sleep
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