This is my first time sharing something personal on the blog and I thought why not start with something I’m so passionate about!! Today, I am excited to dive into my personal journey of balancing motherhood and running a business. So, grab your favorite drink and let’s get into it!

Finding the harmony between being a mom and owning a small business can be quite the challenge. We often worry about how we can ensure our children receive the attention and education they deserve while also simultaneously excelling in our business endeavors? As much as I wish it was, unfortunately the answer isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” magic trick, but rather a journey of discovering what is unique to each of us, our families and our businesses. So while I won’t be giving you the magic answer, instead I’m going to share with you how I personally have navigated the last four years of motherhood while running a successful 6-figure business.

FINDING A CREATIVE SPARK

From the very beginning of my journey with High Peaks Studios, I’ve been deeply passionate about my work. Crafting products that bring joy, excitement and inspiration to our customers–whether it’s for a child’s special occasion or a baby shower–has always been a labor of love for me.

Before becoming a mother, I could dedicate unlimited time to my business, and I did!! I found myself often working 12+ hours a day in my first couple years. However, even though I wasn’t a mom then, I soon realized the importance of setting boundaries to maintain my creative drive. It’s the same now as a mom, preserving this drive is crucial in mastering the dual roles of motherhood and business ownership.

EMBRACING FLEXIBILITY

How do you embrace flexibility? Do you just wake up and say “something has to change!”? The short answer is yes, that is kind of what needs to happen. At least that is what happened to me. You have to visualize and understand that what you are doing now is not working at the moment and make a plan to adjust and adapt. 

When my son was born, it was a huge change! I work for myself so I had no maternity leave and, as a family, we depend on my business income. Of course I did as much preparing and prepping as I could beforehand to allow me to be less hands on for a couple months, but I did still have to get through customer emails which wasn’t an easy task (those can add up quick after just a couple days off). Looking back, I wish I would have hired someone to help. I can just imagine how big of a relief that would have been! On top of the regular stress of work, let’s throw in the emotional rollercoaster you are on as a brand new mom! Simply put, the first few months are hard for anyone. 

When my son was a few months old, we tried an in-home nanny for about 3 months. That allowed me to spend a few hours a day working from a local coffee shop while our nanny took care of our son. After a few months trying it out, we personally decided that wasn’t the best solution for our family so I went back to waking up early in the mornings to work a couple of hours before my son woke up and working during nap times as well.

At the beginning, it never seemed like enough time to get everything done. I created work for myself that really could only be done on a full-time work schedule. After time, I realized that I still had a full-time business owner mindset and I hadn’t changed my mind to accommodate the new stage of life I was in. Once I understood what I was doing and changed my work practices to fit the time I had to work, the workflow was fast, effective and a whole lot more productive.

“Mastering adaptation and action in your business will open up unknown possibilities.”

For three straight years of adapting and taking action I managed to increase my revenue by 22-24% each year. 

TIPS & TRICKS

• MAP OUT YOUR WORK HOURS: Utilize those small breaks in the day when you have time to work. Don’t try to do things like laundry, the dishes, etc. Instead, save those tasks for while the kids are awake. Plus, it’s great for them to see the importance of home keeping! Prioritize keeping your work hours as work hours. For me, that meant waking up a couple hours early before my family, working during his naps and working a couple of hours after our son went to bed. 

• MOM MODE: During non-work hours, concentrate on being there in full “mom mode!” Enjoy the uninterrupted time with your kid(s), shut off notifications for emails, sales, etc. ensuring you have no distractions. Don’t get me wrong, this is hard at first, but setting that boundary is important and gets easier with time.

• USE TIME BLOCKING: Write down business tasks for the week then set times you are going to work on those tasks. Schedule time slots where you only answer emails, then only work on new projects, then only write blog posts, etc. and stick to it!! Here is a great article to learn more about time blocking.

• PRIORITIZE TIME FOR YOURSELF: Honesty, I still struggle with this one. It is hard for me to have open time that isn’t for my business or my family. For the first 3 years of my son’s life I never did anything for myself and it ultimately started affecting my mental and physical health. I was attached to my son and thought taking time to myself was affecting him when, in fact, it might have actually been creating more problems. Since taking the time to make myself a priority too, I can see that I have become a much better mother and in return, it’s helped my son too. Now I find myself getting excited to play and have more energy for him. Everyday, I try my best to do something small, even if it is just taking a hot bath before bed or watching my favorite tv show. Little things really do help in big ways!

• SET BOUNDARIES IN YOUR BUSINESS: Setting boundaries for yourself and your customers is important to help preserve your energy and manage customer relationships. I used to be that girl that would try and answer every email as quickly as I could at all times of the day (literally it wasn’t uncommon to get an email response from me in the middle of the night!). This was not healthy and not sustainable. I became drained, burned out and started resenting the task altogether. Your customers are the most important part of your business, take the time to map out a schedule that works for you to answer emails. This will help ensure that you are committed to providing top-notch customer service at all times. Utilize auto-reply messages to give your clients a time they can expect a message back. And if it’s not emails that’s the hardest (or most mundane) task for you, figure out what is and see if there’s a way to automate it or set boundaries with it… there is always a better way!!

“Being a mompreneur trying to balance motherhood and owning a business is a lot, but It’s also a powerful gift.” 

DELEGATE & OUTSOURCE

Recognizing when you need support and delegating tasks or outsourcing tasks and/or projects can help ensure a smoother business operation.

If your business is generating a lot of business and you are to a point where you can’t keep up on everything, look for help. Trust me when I say, we can’t do it all!

• For smaller projects or large one-time projects, companies such as Fiverr and Upwork might be a great fit. With companies like that, freelancers set up a profile with the services they offer and excel at and you can find anything from social media to website building help.

• If you need more long term help, look into hiring a Virtual Assistant. In 2022, I hired a VA through “Rock Solid Virtual Assistants”, and it has been a wonderful experience. Rock Solid is incredible for taking their time to pair you with a VA that they passionately believe is the best fit for your business. If you want to learn more about them, click here.

• Consider hiring a babysitter for a few hours a week. Even if that is just time for you and your partner to get out of the house and enjoy alone time without your littles. There is nothing wrong with outsourcing “personal” tasks too!!

BEING A ROLE MODEL

As a mompreneur, you’re not just running a business… you’re also setting an example for your children. Being present for them while pursuing your business goals shows them the value of hard work and balance. 

I played sports all through my school years. Through that, I recognized the younger children and could see that they thought of me as a role model. Even then that was something I always took seriously, and genuinely tried to be the best role model I could be for them at that time. 

That position has changed, but my seriousness for it hasn’t. I am now a role model for my son and step-daughter. My step-daughter is now 12 years old and sometimes I’ll find her checking out my website and even reading reviews from time-to-time… she’s even asked me how she can help. Talk about motivation!! I passionately want our children to see me working hard, but I also want them to see a mom that has their interests and time in mind too. 

Embracing flexibility as a mom and business owner involves acknowledging the need for change, mastering adaptation, prioritizing self-care, and setting a positive example for your children. By finding the right balance, you can thrive both personally and professionally. No matter what season you’re in right now, if you haven’t heard it in a while, let me just remind you that: You’re doing amazing mama, keep up the hard work! It is so worth it.