One thing is for sure, when Brackenhurst’s Louisa Duarttee puts her mind to something, she is ready to take the bull by the horns and turn things around, not only for herself, but for the benefit of others as well.
Catching up with Louisa, one of the first things she admits is that she was born to be a mum. She made it clear to her hubby that once they have children, she will not be a working mum – well, not one working away from home.
And it was with this same passion and conviction that she started Momtrepreneurs.
‘I came to a stage, after our children were born, where I wanted to do something meaningful. That is when I decided to start something that would help other mums running small businesses to make ends meet. And so Momtrepreneurs was born.
‘The concept was to launch a Facebook page where mums, and take note, only mums running small businesses are allowed to advertise their business for free, because I’ve decided to not ever work for a boss because my children are my all. I was convinced there were other mothers like that, who maybe did not have the means to get the word about their businesses out there.’
Today Momtrepreneurs has 25 000 members and it has grown to such an extent that they host a ladies’ get-together once a year in Cape Town.
‘It has been so successful and I am nothing but blessed. I, the introvert, have also grown into somebody who can address a hundred women.’
And needless to say, there has since been more growth to Momtrepreneurs as Louisa is starting ‘Come live with me’.
‘It boils down to the mums sending me their products and then we unpack it live on video and tell people more about the product.
‘But let’s face it, this is not always without a downfall. Some say I get all these things for free, however, they seem to lose sight of the fact that I do this for free and that it takes time to get this done.
‘I do this because I want women to succeed and I am always there to support and motivate them. Together, we as women are much stronger than one woman standing alone.’
In a nutshell, Momtrepreneurs has a community of 60 000 women which, rightfully so, makes Louisa an influencer, brand ambassador, as well as a product and destination reviewer.
Local is lekker
Speaking of destinations, new experiences and making amazing memories are something the Duarttee family holds close to heart. Together with her hubby and two daughters, they often take little day trips, locally and a bit further – even when on holiday where they visit places like coffee shops and nature reserves – in short, tourist destinations.
‘It is extremely important to me that we support local and that local people should support local entrepreneurs. And this is where the part of the destination reviewer comes in.
‘When we visit these places, we will assess them, take photographs and post about our experiences – all of this is also free of charge. And let me tell you, if I did not like something that much, I will say it in the nicest way possible, but a review will always be an honest one. We can only learn from each other. We can spread hope by spreading messages about good places to visit.’
This is where Louisa chats about accessibility for children, the food and their experience in general.
‘It costs us a bit but I feel it is important that people get to know about places unknown to them and also try these out. We are all about local aren’t we,’ she said with a smile.
If you are looking for a place to visit, pop over to Louisa’s page Unwrapped with Louisa Duarttee.
Unpacking Louisa
There is more to Louisa than meets the eye and even though she calls herself an introvert, the fact that she likes to share her experiences soon makes you realise this is one woman with many sides to her.
In 2021 she wrote two children’s books in conjunction with Finesse (Carpe Diem Media). One in which she talks about God and children and another named ‘Oulike mammas maak ook foute’ (Cute mothers also make mistakes).
She has a passion for flying and skydiving and has free-falling ticked off her bucket list. On her bucket list is to get a pilot’s license, write and publish more books and be a television presenter or something along that line.
With her family being her all, their favourite family outings are somewhere in nature. Whether they are cycling or hiking and they are big on coastal holidays.
‘Children don’t need tech all the time. They learn so much while experiencing nature and it brings us as a family closer together.’
She is also involved in a fundraising effort to buy a much-needed wheelchair for a young boy with cerebral palsy and is involved in a sandwich project for children who don’t have the luxury of a lunchbox coming from home.
‘One day, I will also run my own NGO with many outreach programmes to those so vulnerable,’ she said and again, you could hear the determination in her voice.
‘To that, you can also add they I’d love to run my own coffee shop one day, even if it is small.’
As we touch on Easter, her face lights up and she explained that as with Christmas she goes all out to make it a special occasion – complete with chocolate treats, homemade of course, where everyone chips in.
Wrapping it up
With so many ideas coming from her, one has to end an interview at some stage and we wrap it up with a few off-the-cuff questions.
She is an outdoor girl who loves the sunshine.
‘I most certainly am a foodie and love to travel … but I am not really into art.’
When asked what she always has with her, except for her cell phone, she laughs, ‘My children of course, that is when they are not at school. Oh and my handbag,’ and then with a small guilty smile she admits, ‘and a chocolate of course’.
Tights and ‘small’ dresses are among her wardrobe must-haves and she lives by the motto that you simply have to be authentically you. ‘I do dislike people who cannot be sincere and true to themselves.’
A last question to Louisa was if she could change one thing in the world, what would that be the answer came without hesitation, ‘Every child must have enough food and must be loved. It breaks my heart that we have so many children who have to go without these basics.’
I do this because I want women to succeed.
Together we are so much stronger than one woman standing alone
Text: CARINA VAN DER WALT. Photo: ALLURE SENSATIONAL. Make-up: THE NEW MAKEUP MASTERCLASS BY ALICIA SCHUTTE
