TV Presenter EMMA MULLINGS on Motherhood, Beauty and having a Heart for Humanity
As a an accomplished TV presenter and Radio announcer, Actor, Musician, Writer and Mother of two, you soon discover there is not much Emma Mullings can't do. She is a voice to Sydney listeners every day and adorns our TV with her presence. She has a beauty that goes deeper than skin and a heart for humanity that rests on her belief that we must all use our platform in some way to raise awareness for those less fortunate than us. Her beginings to life wasn't ideal and yet you sense a real determination and divine purpose on her life. Wife to Terrence, mother to Hosannah and Jeremiah this is Emma Mullings and this is her story.
When I was a little girl I.....
Played in the dirt, drank water out of the hose, and had many bike accidents, even managed to get hit by a car (whilst on my bike)!! I don't ride now at all just for the record, and that is probably a good thing. I grew up in country Queensland and loved it. My mum passed away when I was 4, my sister is severely brain damaged, but we shared a room growing up, and I always felt like we would have silent conversations for hours on end, even though she has never been able to talk. My childhood involved many life experiences I was far too young to know how to handle, but by the grace of God here I am! That being said, I do also have lots of wonderful memories of my childhood.
Growing up without my mum was….
HARD. There is no way to sugar coat it. As a young girl I would often have dreams that it was all a mix up and she was going to walk in the door at any moment. My imagination would run wild and create different scenarios that she was actually overseas, or had been kidnapped and was coming back to me soon.
The bond between a mother and daughter is wondrous. There is really nothing quite like it. It's significant and pure, and at the age of four, it embodies security. When that nurturing connection is amputated prematurely, as it was with me when my mum died, something was always missing and left me pretty broken. Only God could heal a wound that deep. It took me until the age of 23 to find that healing.
I was also lucky enough to have a beautiful step-mum who stepped in, loves my Dad to bits and took on 4 kids. Shout out to all the Step mums out there who are doing their best!
My career in radio and TV started….
When so many people kept telling me I should pursue TV, and I just decided to go for it. I had studied music, which didn't help much at all! So really, my career in radio and TV began by me doing a lot of volunteering, and working for free in production companies. After my second child was born (Jeremiah), I went back to study journalism via correspondence, which has really come in handy. I discovered that if someone says ‘no’, just ask them if you can come in and work for free, you will learn so much, and they might just offer you a job down the track.
The most challenging parts of my job are.....
Getting up early! I've never been an early bird! Even my kids sleep late. I have had to find the discipline and get up early before every one else, to get organised, have a little walk, make kids’ lunches and still be out the door by 7am and off to work. I wake my kids up as I'm leaving with a kiss goodbye, it's the best part of my mornings.
The most rewarding parts of the job are.....
I get to speak to Sydney every day and that is awesome. I love chatting to my listeners on the radio, giving them a laugh and some joy in their day. I love giving them a different perspective. Our world is not always a beautiful place but we can find the beauty if we look hard enough, and I like to help others find the beauty in the brokenness.
Travel highlights?
I LOVE to travel. My most favourite trip is definitely Uganda. I met some amazing kids there, and met my sponsored child, and her 3 week old sister who was yet to be named, at the time. Her parents were so grateful for the gifts I gave them they named their daughter EMMA after me! I tried to talk them out of it because in Uganda Emma is actually a boy’s name! I also travelled up to Northern Uganda and met amazing women who had come back pregnant after being stolen as teens and taken as "war brides" and were now rebuilding their life. After coming back to their villages (which were often completely wiped out), the few friends/family that were left rejected them, because they had been raped and their children were "rebels’ babies”. I had been very involved with raising funds for a Women’s Home there, that enabled them to live with their kids and also do their schooling at the same time. On that same trip I was very disturbed to see some kids tied up out the front of their huts. I found out they were suffering from what is called ‘Nodding Syndrome’. While I was there I interviewed the Kitgum Regional Health Development Officer and also went to a Nodding Syndrome clinic and took some footage. After that trip I was able to produce a story for the Network Ten news and raise some awareness, I was also able to partner with C3 church and raise some significant funds for the children in the area. For so many reasons that trip changed my life forever in the absolute best way possible. For those who may be interested, there’s more info here -
http://emmamullings.com/nodding-syndrome-northern-uganda/
When I became a mother for the first time I ......
I had no idea what I was doing! It was the greatest joy and also the GREATEST challenge. We have no family here in Sydney so that was challenging, but I fumbled my way through, with a very supportive husband, both sleep-deprived and high on love.
Hosannah seems to be following in your footsteps .....
When Hosannah was in my womb I really felt that she was a dancer, which seemed a little unusual because I have never been a dancer (though I always wanted to do dancing when I was a kid but we couldn't afford dance classes). I have never pushed her that way at all, I thought I would just stand back and see what happened - and amazingly, as soon as she could talk, she was asking for dance classes! She has rhythm in her blood, she feels the music, she pulls moves better than Beyonce (big call I know!). She also loves to sing and act and has already told me she is going to travel the world performing on stages, and that she would like to be a mummy, have three babies, and would I help her look after her babies. Of course I said YES! I am already the travelling nanny booked 20 years in advance.
Tell us about Jeremiah....
Jeremiah is my little prince, he has no fear! He has an adventurous spirit which is scary at times! He is the one that keeps me on my toes. Yet, he is also a sensitive soul who gives the biggest cuddles and showers me every day with the purest laughter.
Is the balancing act of motherhood and career real?
Ha ha - well there are so many facets to it. I think I have found as much of a balance as is possible. Though the balancing act comes and goes in waves. I have always said 'The flexible aren't easily snapped' so I always try to do just that, stay flexible. By nature I work well with to-do lists and schedules which has really lent itself to managing work and family life. I get up extra early and work hard so I can pull up right on 3pm most days for school pick up. I make a point of not taking work calls between 3pm and 7pm. (I'm working hard on trying to stay off social media during those times too). I always want to be engaged and active with my children and then once they are in bed for the night I can return calls and catch up on anything I've missed earlier in the day. I think as mums who work, we actually end up delivering more. We have high work ethic and our capacity is big. I like to do more in less time so I get the prize, which is quality time with my babes.
What do you want your daughter and son to always know?
They are divinely different! Celebrate their differences and celebrate the differences in others. I want them to find their part in HIS story (our Creator). Because we were all created for a purpose, and true life starts when you discover that purpose. I want them to know Life is not about what you can GET, it's all about what you can GIVE.
What advice would you give to women who are mothers working in the creative industry?
Enjoy the seasons. I believe women actually journey through so many more seasons in life than men do. A big part of that is because we grow and nurture human beings as well as all of the other things we do. All seasons have a purpose and there is gold to be found in every season. Some seasons we have to work harder to find the gold than others but it is there. Sometimes "winter" seasons are a blessing in disguise because we can actually have a rest. Go for it! Create, paint, invent, think outside the box! Don't let what has been done before be the boundary within which you live - think bigger and stretch further. QUESTION ‘WHY?’, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Just have a go and if it all falls over just start again the next day.
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