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"Who can I talk to?"
Hello. I’m David Kelnar, Greatvine’s founder. I wanted to describe how Greatvine came about and what we stand for.
When my eldest sister, Clare, first became a mum she had lots of questions. I remember it being a really exciting but quite difficult time for her. Information available online was too general – she wanted help for her own situation. And well-meaning advice from other mums wasn’t enough to give her peace of mind when it came to Hannah, her new daughter.
I suggested she just pop online and find an expert. The internet’s amazing at bringing people together – surely, in the 21st century, she could speak to a trusted parenting, health or other expert whenever she needed?
It quickly became clear that service didn’t exist, so in 2007 I left my previous job in finance and started Greatvine. Now we help thousands of people every year, in subjects ranging from breastfeeding and baby sleep, to anxiety and depression, diet and nutrition, creative writing and even starting a business. It’s amazing to be changing people’s lives for the better every day.
From a personal perspective, a special time was when my other sister (I have two!) recently became a mum as well. Rachel had difficulty breastfeeding and felt quite distressed in the first few weeks. With the help of Greatvine experts, her problems were sorted within 24 hours. It made a huge difference to her life, and it excites me that this sort of help is now available to people across the UK.
I believe passionately in the value of individual advice. While the amount of information online is a wonderful thing, for real-life problems it’s just too general and often can’t be trusted. A phone call with, or email from, an expert offers so much more. The expert will be able to understand your own specific situation and can offer the best solution for your needs and circumstances. With Greatvine, you can be confident that the person who's helping you is a knowledgeable expert who will guide you through any situation.
Trust: The quality of Greatvine experts means everything to us. We have a great team whose sole focus is finding the best experts – so you don’t have to. Beyond great qualifications, extensive professional experience and a friendly, approachable manner, we look for that ‘extra something’. In my case, I think ‘is this someone I’d feel confident recommending to my sisters?’
We’re on your side: We know what it’s like to talk to people who don’t really care about how you feel, or don’t realise that you have other, more important, things to do. We’re a small company that does things differently. If you email us with a problem or concern, there’s a good chance you’ll hear back from me personally.
Honesty: A lot of companies put their own profits ahead of your happiness, and respond to problems by fobbing you off. At Greatvine, we don’t do that. Our focus is on making your life better. If we’ve done something wrong we’ll fix it straight away, and work with you until you’re delighted again.