Today I’m sharing all my “secrets” to how I manage to keep a six-figure business running, while juggling motherhood and life. Today’s theme is really transparency, because your perception of a busy entrepreneur, who is also a mom, is probably totally inaccurate. Especially if you are using social media as a measuring stick.
I am personally in a season where life has been really crazy and chaotic. Sound familiar? I know I’m not alone in this! Juggling motherhood and business is not a science. It’s a daily grind, and it isn’t glamorous. What I do on a day-to-day basis looks just like what a lot of you guys do. Trust me, you’re not alone.
Today I want to tear away the veil and give you a behind the scenes peek at what juggling motherhood and business looks like for me. And I also want you to have some tools to help during those busy seasons.
Seasons come and go.
(Note: On the podcast, I share a lot about what’s been going on in my life personally, and give so many real-life examples, so make sure you listen for the full impact of this topic!)
Sometimes when you are in the middle of an insanely busy season, it’s important to take a moment to acknowledge that this isn’t your normal pace. You will not need to sustain this pace and juggle this many balls indefinitely.
There’s a conflict between the idea of taking care of yourself and not hustling and not pushing too hard so we don’t burn out. Obviously, that’s an important message! But I also think it’s important to manage your expectations. Because here’s the truth: When you are running a business and you are raising kiddos, AND you have other things that are happening, some outside of your control, you are going to have days that feel like you are in survival mode.
Obviously, we can’t stay in those seasons forever. But they DO happen, and there is nothing necessarily wrong with your business. There’s nothing you can do in those moments to alleviate the pressure, pace, and weight of EVERYTHING. In those seasons, we just have to just push through and remember to give ourselves grace through the process.
If you are not in this season right now, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself there at some point. Now is the time to set yourself up for success! I see a lot of businesses crash and burn, or just completely vanish when the owner goes through an unexpected season of life. Whether it’s a family crisis, a health situation, or a difficult emotional season – you and your business can come out of the other side intact.
Here are a few things that I have in place to ease my load in these tough seasons. I won’t lie, without these things, I’m not sure how I could physically, mentally or emotionally run my business.
#1. Support
I have support in my life and my business, and I can’t even explain how valuable it is to me, especially during difficult seasons. Listen, I understand how unbelievably privileged I am to have this support, but I want you to know that even if you are not in a place where you can have a nanny or a house cleaner – there are little ways you can outsource. You need to prioritize that! One of the biggest reasons why things didn’t completely crumble these past two months is the support system I’ve built around me.
I’ve found that almost universally, women business owners struggle asking for help. They don’t want to rely on anyone else, because it feels like weakness. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not. And if you want your business to stand the test of time, you’re going to need to get comfortable with asking for help, hiring help, and building boundaries around those support systems.
#2. Flexibility
Listen, I love a good schedule, so this is one I’m still working on. This isn’t about throwing routine out the window, but understanding that raising a family and growing a business will sometimes collide. We have to try to keep a positive attitude and believe that we will figure it out. The hardest part for me personally (and I know I’m not alone!) is that it takes emotional energy to figure things out. It’s not that you can’t figure it out, but it takes work to figure it out. This is where there needs to be enough margin in your calendar that you can move things around.
#3. Business structure
Your business structure needs to be set up in a way that if you can not market the way you want and need to, your business still makes money, and will not crash and burn. There will inevitably be times where you simply can not keep all the “balls in the air”. We aren’t meant to. Sometimes the ball that needs to drop is the marketing ball. If you have a solid business structure, it will be okay.
I don’t think a perfect balance exists. There’s always going to be a juggle, and it’s always going to feel somewhat uneven from one day to the next. The trick is simply to identify which balls are glass and which balls are plastic. We want to make sure that we have our business set up in a way so that most, if not ALL the balls are plastic. That means having offers that support a business structure that won’t fall apart if you need to take an unexpected day or two off.
Wrapping it up
Juggling motherhood and business doesn’t need to be the end of your life or your business. First, get yourself some reliable support! Work on becoming more flexible in your schedule and your mindset. Gotta build that margin into your calendar! Last, but certainly not least, get your business structure set up in a way where you can live this crazy human experience with as much freedom as possible.
This means you need to create systems in your business. You need to create a product suite that can sustain you during busy times. You need to recruit a team and a support system. By doing these things, you are creating a safety net.
Quick reminder: GROW Business and Marketing Academy is the perfect program to help you set yourself up for these tough seasons. This is the program that really focuses on business structure and systems so that you can grow your business sustainably and simply.
I followed the same framework in my business and it has served me really, really well. It’s served my clients well. Want to know if it’s a good fit for you? DM me and let’s chat about your business!
