I can see where you are coming from Bazza, and I think it is naivety on that person's behalf, that all you have to do is produce a few pretty pictures, it's a business, and like any business you have to be up to speed on the business side, or you will come unstuck.
However, I also admire, someone, who will say, I love this, and this is what I want to do. I am definitely in the better to have tired and failed camp, rather than, the don't do it brigade.
I do find it strange that some think it's okay to let the clients be their guinea pigs, while they learn and practice. That's not good, there are plenty of models out there, and workshops,clubs, societies for people to practice on before charging. Why should a client pay for your learning. Weddings especially, having been on the receiving end of BAD wedding photos,to this day I have no idea whose wedding portfolio we were shown, but it certainly wasn't the photographer who took ours. I've done soon to be 10 weddings as a second, and will probably do another 10 yet, each time I am better and more confident, to be truthful, I love it. It also takes time to find good vendors, who will deliver quality products, that you'd want to receive as a client.
Everybody has different standards, and there will always be a market for maybe not so good, but cheaper products, at the same time you also get high end prices, with not too clever photography too
At the end of the day nothing will replace hard work and practising , there's a big difference between saying I can play the piano, and I am a pianist.
As for having kids an advantage, sure it can be, but it is also very rare that you have any alone "photography,just me" time, if I go anywhere there are usually the kids, and a lot of time the dogs with me too. I'm not sure if women trust women more, I don't, but then I don't view male photographers as potential paedophile's either
I worked in a very male environment, and learned to prove myself as good or better than the men, so if being female gives me an advantage now, I'll take it