How I ran my business when I became a mother

If you’re anything like me, I started my entrepreneurial journey before I became a mother. I never really gave much thought to what my business would look like when I did start a family. (Let’s be honest, my business was like my child and I wasn’t going to give it up.)

But motherhood didn’t escape me and when everything changed, I wasn’t going to abandon what I had worked so hard for. I just needed to pivot. 

I adjusted my work hours and my expectations. I gave myself grace while changing my baby’s diaper. I learned that my measure of success wasn’t dependent upon the number of hours I had spent on the computer or with my clients but oftentimes, the number of hours I slept or remembered to eat. 

Running a business and raising a family can be done and done successfully. I haven’t figured out my entire entrepreneurial career but I want to give you a few of my secrets to help make running a business and a household more enjoyable for you and your family.

1. Write out the things you NEED to do for your business. Not what you want to do but what you need to do. Are you the one in charge of editing photos from a photoshoot or submitting a graphic to the ads team? What is needed of you personally? Write that down.
2. My guess is that you probably put more things on that list of needs than is actually necessary. Next up is writing out what you can hire out or delegate. If you can only hire two people in your business to start, hire a CPA and Virtual Assistant. These two will help cut down the time you are spending behind the scenes on things you don’t really need to be present for. 
3. Set boundaries. For me, that meant office hours. (And stick to them!) This was one of my biggest hang-ups for years. I felt like if I didn’t respond to an email or inquiry right away, I would lose that client. I felt like I had to be “on” all the time which was silly because no one felt that way except me. When you create work hours you are telling yourself and your clients when you’re available. If someone contacts you after your work hours you can respond the next business day. Create an autoresponder if you that makes you feel better (but it’s not necessary).
4. Plan out meals ahead of time. This was a lifesaver for me. I knew how to shop and what was being made for dinner.
5. When you can, hire a nanny. This was really, really hard for me to do but it’s one of the best things I could have done for my business and family. I know that my kids are being taken care of when I’m working and then I can give them 100% of my attention when I’m not working. (See that work hours are helpful here, too.) 

There are so many ways you can make your business and your family priorities. You just need to set your expectations realistically. I’m sure there are real-life Pinterest moms who do it all, but I would say that 99% of us aren’t that. And if we try to live up to that standard, we will fail. 

Expectations, grace, boundaries, and help have been keys for me.

 

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