Laurna Hislop, Coorie in with Love
It is no surprise that Laurna Hislop’s caring and supportive business is called Coorie in with Love. Coorie is a Scottish word which means to hold close or cuddle and listening to Laurna talk about her work is as close to a hug as you can get at the moment! She has taken her love of learning and created a way she can share it so that she can help others. Whether you are a new Mum struggling with a baby who won’t be put down or a business owner who needs training on how to use social media effectively, Laurna has time for you all.
Laurna is a warm and intuitive person, the sort of parent who always has time for her children as a quick burst of breastfeeding during our interview demonstrates. Laurna is a mother of two children and another baby – her business, Coorie in with Love which she set up in 2016. It offers sling library services, consultations, training and social media management within the babywearing industry. When I laugh and say is that all, she also remembers that she creates training videos for other businesses and runs sling walks. She finds time for everybody and it all started from finding a love of carrying her first child and the desire to help others who might be struggling with parenthood.
Laurna describes what she does as ‘a career by accident but exactly what I want to be doing’. Hearing about the joy it brings and her enthusiasm for helping others is quite infectious and I want to hear more. Like many new parents finding the right sling for her took a little bit of trial and error, starting out with a cheap one from ebay which after just one go she dropped into the depths of a cupboard, it was so uncomfortable! Her next try was more successful with a stretchy wrap which she absolutely loved. She felt it really helped with what was a tricky start to parenting and she found that holding her baby close had a really positive impact on her mental health.
During the early days of motherhood Laurna decided to train as a breastfeeding peer supporter and it was through this that she was introduced to babywearing as more than just a word for using a sling. She took the opportunity to attend a one day School of Babywearing course which left her wanting to know much more. She describes finding out that something she was enjoying so much could be made into a career as an amazing moment. Learning about how to take control of carrying her baby changed how she felt about being a parent and consequently the path her future would take. From these small steps into learning Laurna went on to set up a local sling library, train as a consultant and then run her own studio.
Where does being a social media manager fit in? Surely that means she’s holed up in front of a screen rather than helping people. Laurna tells me that she’s a shy person and pushes herself to be out talking to people or making training videos. She loved being absorbed in so many courses about how to use the socials and make the most of them for her business, it seemed obvious to her to then share that learning. She now ably trains other babywearing professionals on how to develop their skills in this this key area of marketing for business. How lovely that she is able to support her peers as well as parents, it is of no surprise when I read reviews like this:
“Laurna is so friendly, helpful and welcoming but also professional.”
This encapsulates what is at the heart of Laurna’s business – her desire to look after others. She describes babywearing as her ‘happy place’ and it seems this accidental career of hers is enabling others to find it too.
Angeline Braidwood 
Thank you for sharing!
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