Q&A: The Early Hour founder Annie Ridout

Annie Ridout had been working as a freelance copywriter before she fell pregnant, and suddenly found herself with an automatically-terminated contract 40 weeks into her pregnancy. Overcoming any sense of fear, Annie embraced the sudden liberation. Founding The Early Hour - a digital culture and lifestyle magazine for nocturnal parents - shortly after the birth of her child, she immediately recognised the potential of strategically-timed online content being used to connect the vast network of sleep-deprived mums and dads up at silly hours of the night tending to their children.

Having read about Annie’s journey in an article for The Guardian’s Women in Leadership, we wanted to ask the inspiring journalist, editor and mother a few questions of our own. 

 I was working as a copywriter and journalist before having kids but my bread and butter contract - writing for a film company - was terminated when I had my daughter Joni. It was a bit of a shock, but I went with it and enjoyed eight months of maternity leave before seeking new roles.

 

It then dawned on me that I didn't want to return to full-time work, outside of the home. I'd always liked the idea of starting my own business (I'm from a family of entrepreneurs/freelancers) so I decided to launch an online culture and lifestyle magazine. 

 

At the time, I was up early in the morning, feeding my baby, and constantly searching for good articles to read. There was no single site that offered fresh content, daily, at the crack of dawn. So I decided to set one up. I wanted it to fill those early morning hours for other new mums and dads, and to make them feel connected to all the other early risers. 

 

 

Being featured in The Sunday Times (three times) was exciting, also - writing about my journey for the Guardian. Low points come if traffic drops lower than the previous day. But it's momentary - and then I focus on increasing it. There are days when a post reaches tens of thousands of people, and that's always rather thrilling.

 

Another low: being tricked by a journalist who twisted my words for a Daily Mail article. I felt like an idiot for trusting her. BUT it led to me speaking live on radio, more traffic and I made some new connections through it. I'm a die-hard optimist and believe there's always a silver lining.

 

 My hope is that they find the content uplifting, enlightening, thought-provoking, or that it awakens something in them. I want them to feel moved in some way, and as if they've learned something. I'm working on building a brand that people trust and respect, and a supportive online community of parents. So I hope that's what people see/feel when they visit the site.