Folks We Love with Lucy Cornes, digital entrepreneur
Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you’ve come to arrive here.
Born in 1982. Grew up on South Australian beaches with my two parents, older sister and younger brother. I met my husband, Kane, in high school when I was 16…and he was 15 (big news at the time). We have been inseparable ever since. We were married on New Year’s Eve 2005 in 42 degree heat and have three sons Ed, Raph and Sonny. I studied marketing at university and have founded two companies. I’m a dog, coffee and Yoga lover. My greatest life challenge has been watching my younger brother fight brain cancer.
Who’s in your family? Ages? Names?
Kane (34), Eddy (10), Raphael (8) Sonny (7), Mavis Georgina (6 in human years), Roman Geoffrey Jnr (11 months in human years).
How did you choose your kids names?
Eddy was named after my dad. Ed was born with critical health issues so for #2 I called on the healing powers of Archangel Raphael and so Raph was born! For Sonny, Kane and I just both loved the name and it suits his demeanour perfectly!
Location?
Seacliff, South Australia.
Occupation?
Digital entrepreneur. Founder of SheShopped.com.au and co-founder of CornesandSloane.co
What’s on your manifest board?
My healthy family, my happy marriage, my regular Bikram yoga practice, my renovated home and our family holidays.
Tell us some of your most loved ways to spend the day with your clan?
We are into the simple life. Time spent at the beach with our dogs or a Sunday afternoon spent at home would rate as my favourite. We also love to go to the movies together as a family, eat out and travel. A little tradition we have is having a camp out – where we drag all the mattresses into our bedroom and have a sleepover – five humans and two dogs!
What are some silly/fun things that the kids do or say?
Raph especially is very spiritual and has lots of big questions about life and death and heaven and earth. His observations are thought provoking and funny! Ed is the cynic amongst us and will often roll his eyes at Raph’s narrative. Sonny is very inquisitive and is currently very interested in learning exactly how babies make their way into their mum’s tummy. We try and answer honestly.
When you were a teenager what did you dream of? Do things look different?
I think I have been a powerful manifester for as long as I can remember – the life I am living now is mostly how I envisioned it. I find it interesting that as a young child I would often imagine myself completing what could be considered mundane tasks – like driving my children to school. In hindsight I was manifesting my life with my three boys. The home we live in has quite unique windows and I remember picturing them from a young age. I also imagined the man I am married to today.
What are some things you really believe in?
I most definitely believe that a divine entity lives in us all and we are given many lifetimes to explore that. I believe in recognising my own divine being and the same divinity in all those that I meet. The more I grow, the more I see my image and likeness in others. I strongly believe we are all in this together as one. When I lapse and am critical of others, it’s grounding to remember this.
Where do your passions lie?
My family, my dogs, yoga, coffee and creating flexible work from home opportunities for women.
Has your relationship with your other half changed since having kids?
We’ve definitely grown together. We sometimes look back at laugh at the times when our greatest decision was what movie we should see. Witnessing Kane as a father has added profound depth to our relationship. I think with age and responsibility an enormous appreciation for his love, loyalty, work ethic and humour has added greater dimensions to our relationship.
What are some of your favorite life lessons you’ve grown to love? (even if learning them at the time was hard)
Our eldest son was born with Congenital Heart Disease and spent much of his first year in hospital. That period was harrowing but taught me important lessons in time, most significantly ‘what’s the time, the time is now?’Techniques in mindfulness helped me to manage the fear and uncertainty and I still use it ten years on. I also learnt a lot about being a parent – most significantly it’s a gift not a given. My parenting style thanks to Ed is not to sweat the small stuff and to pick our parenting battles. Without question Ed has been my greatest teacher.
What do you wish you could’ve told yourself when you were a teenager?
I love you Lucy. Your popularity status in high school does not define you and life will turn out as you imagined!
What do you find most challenging about being somebody’s parent?
Letting go I guess. I’d love to keep them under my wings forever, but I have to remember this is their lifetime to live not mine to live it for them. They are approaching that age where they want to start exploring their boundaries.
What do you want your kids to learn about the world?
That despite all the evidence that it’s not – it’s a safe and loving place. Sometimes you just have to look past the chaos to see the people helping one another. There is good in every situation if you look for it and you’re in control of that, because you can always be the good.
What are 4 things you can’t live without as a parent?
Coffee, yoga, my husband as a sounding board…and my kids.