Kim Palmer on launching her hypnotherapy app Clementine, aimed at helping women
Q Tell us about how you came to build a hypnotherapy app like Clementine…
A Well it’s a bit of a long story. But here’s the short and snappy version. I am a recovering perfectionist, people pleaser, and workaholic, with massively high ambitions for what I should be achieving in life. I used to take all of my sense of self-worth from work, which is incredibly unhealthy. I spent my whole working career climbing the corporate ladder and never once being really pleased with what I had achieved. I was obsessed with work.
It caught up with me five years ago when I had a panic attack at work, in front of my colleagues. This traumatised me. Then my confidence started to unravel. I developed acute anxiety and panic attacks and basically stopped doing normal things like talking in front of friends and family. Hypnotherapy was part of my journey to recovery. It made me feel lighter and helped me disconnect from the trauma of my first panic attack. When I decided that it was time to start a business (I’d been thinking about it since I was very small), it became clear very quickly that I wanted to help women with their everyday struggles with sleep, anxiety, confidence, and stress. And that is how Clementine started.
Q How does the Clementine work and what makes it so great for mums in particular?
A It’s super simple which is why it’s so great for mums. Clementine has a range of hypnotherapy sessions designed to help women when they have a specific need. So for example: when you can’t get to sleep, or you can’t get back to sleep, or you need a nap, or you’re really nervous before meeting some new people, or you’ve had a tough day with the kids and you need to reset. The sessions are different lengths so they can fit with whatever you can squeeze in. We strongly believe that hypnotherapy works better for mums because when you are tired, stressed, or feeling a bit low, it’s easy to listen to, relax and get a boost of energy, reassurance, or some calm.
Q How long did it take you to get Clementine up and running? And what were the biggest challenges?
A I decided to start a business in December 2016. I gave myself three months to decide on the idea and then I launched the app in November 2017. The biggest challenge whilst launching was trying to get everything done and learn all these new skills that I had no idea I needed to know. It was a bit overwhelming at times. I just had to chunk out the work in tasks so that I could cope.
Q How did your motherhood journey play into your decision to change career paths?
A This played a massive role. My husband and I have a family vision – part of this is that I can spend the school holidays with him and my two boys, as he is a teacher. I knew that a traditional 9am – 5pm job was not going to fit with this vision. Plus I wanted to be financially independent. I also wanted to create multiple income streams. And I just wasn’t interested in climbing the corporate ladder anymore.
Q What’s it like working in the fem and health tech industries?
A I’ve only really just started involving myself with the fem tech and health tech community and I’m so inspired and feel very supported. It’s amazing to see so many female entrepreneurs owning this space. Which they should. The downside is that investment is still very difficult to secure. The VC world is a man’s world. They fundamentally do not understand the female opportunity and what innovation looks like in this space.
Q Do you have any exciting plans coming up for the business?
A I am working solely on securing investment. For us to create a viable business model and to reach millions of women we need a huge wad of cash. So that’s my focus. If we get the money then we can evolve the product – I have some really great plans for how to help women more. And we can finally spend money on marketing.
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