Chloe’s Journey From Uncertainty to Empowerment​

At just 21 years old, Chloe was navigating life as a single mum with no significant work history and little belief that her future held anything more than low-paid, short-term jobs. Having been on Universal Credit for over six months, she was referred to the Restart Scheme with low confidence and few expectations—convinced that roles in retail or hospitality were her only options. But everything started to shift after her first conversation with her Employment Adviser, Leigh. When Chloe shyly shared her love of reading and a secret ambition to one day review books professionally, rather than dismissing the idea, Leigh encouraged Chloe to explore it and suggested a plan that balanced passion with practicality: start a book review blog while training to become a self-employed childminder. It would give Chloe a flexible, sustainable career that would fit around her young child, while also giving her the chance to pursue something she truly loved. Chloe embraced the idea.

With support from Leigh and The Restart Scheme, she launched her blog ‘Confessions of a Serial Reader’ a playful nod to her book obsession, and began posting regular reviews. She created Instagram and Facebook pages to connect with fellow book lovers, building a small but growing online presence. At the same time, she enrolled in a childminding training course, which was fully funded through the Restart Scheme. After starting this, Chloe was then referred to Momentic for self-employment guidance. Momentic not only helped with the childminding side but also supported her efforts to grow the blog into something more. They were able to support her on the compliance side of business, from helping her register as self employed, training on bookkeeping and more.

Speaking to Chloe on her progress, she said: “I walked into the Fedcap building with very low expectations, expecting to end up with a retail job at Sainsbury’s or becoming a barista at Costa, but I’m glad to say I was wrong. I expressed my love of all things books. I had never felt so excited and passionate about something that I’d never realised was possible for me. You may be thinking ‘But that’s not a job, and the Restart Scheme is to help you with employment’ and I get that, which is why I’m also working on becoming a self-employed childminder. Not too bad, right? A 21-year-old self-employed childminder/blogger in the making. Without the Restart Scheme, Leigh and Martin at Momentic, I would never have been able to make my dream a reality or have the confidence to be self-employed. I have not only grown professionally but also personally. My mood is lifted, I’m more assertive, and I’m finding joy in the work I’m doing — which is something I never thought I’d do. 

Chloe’s website: https://chloeann231103.wixsite.com/confessions-of-a-s-1