Balancing Act: Owning Your Business and Motherhood
Over the years, many things have changed for the working mom. When I joined the workforce myself, society was entering an era where women were just beginning to unlock the secrets of work-life balance. There was a time when women were expected to stay home to care for the children and to keep a tidy house. If a woman wanted to work, she was forced to choose: motherhood or a career. Now, many women are taking matters into their own hands and actively seeking a perfect work-life balance by opening their own business. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, in 46% of households both parents work full-time. In the same study, households were asked whose career takes priority, and 62% agreed both careers were important.
But with so many women’s working careers equally important as their spouses, what does it mean to have a “work-life balance?”
Set your priorities and goals
Realize exactly what you want from life. Do you want to be a mother to two children while also owning your own business? Go for it. As Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, points out in her book Lean In, women need to take a “lean in” approach to their goals rather than pulling back. As Sandberg goes on to say, many women stop reaching for opportunities. Instead of pulling back, take that leap of faith and open your own bakery or take that extra week of maternity leave. Whatever you want from life, set goals for both aspects of your life: the mommy side of you and the business side and stick to them. Realize that it’s okay to want it all and have it all.
Realize you don’t operate on a 9-5 schedule
Moms who are also business owners don’t have the luxury of a 9-5 work day. We still have to make sure we have a divide between work and family, though. Many working moms have the opportunity to walk away from their desk at five and focus the rest of the night on their kids and families. For most business owners like myself, this isn't the case as work follows us everywhere. The key is planning and actually following through with putting your phone on silent, shutting down the computer and making sure that the people you're working so hard for have the attention they deserve on a daily basis. This may mean waking up early to check emails or staying up late to prepare for a sale the next day so we can spend time with our children while they are awake.
Take advantage of the flexible schedule
In the estate sales business, a majority of our sales happen over the weekend, meaning most of the week can be spent focusing on our kids with a little bit of work mixed in as well. One of our franchisees homeschools her children and then in the afternoons is out preparing for sales. Entrepreneur once pointed out that successful “mompreneurs” schedule a “mommy day.” Whether the mommy day is spent solely focused on your kids or on work, having a day of the week devoted to one task can make all the difference for the rest of the week.
Incorporate the two areas of your life whenever possible
Merging work and family doesn’t have to be a difficult process. It can be as simple taking your child to work with you one day to setting up a “kid office” in your home complete with paper and crayons so they can “work” too. Even if it’s something small like putting stamps on envelopes or helping to sort paperwork, integrating the two areas of your life can be beneficial to the kids as well as yourself. Many of Blue Moon’s moms have the opportunity to bring their children to each sale they host (given their client approves). Many of our mompreneurs’ children help set up by sorting household items or host lemonade stands during the estate sale. From a young age, your children can learn behind-the-scenes aspects of your jobs and have an understanding of business ownership that many of their peers don't have. And who knows – maybe your child will take over your business one day!
Make time for yourself
Advice that is so simple and stressed so much, I know, yet it’s something we rarely do. Take time away from both your kids and work, even if it’s just for an hour a day. Or more realistically, an hour a week. Take that Zumba class you’ve been meaning to go to, hike nearby trails, or explore your city (without the kids!). Go on a date night with your significant other, finish that book you’ve been reading for months, or schedule a girl’s day with your closest friends. Or do something as simple as take a relaxing bubble bath. You are just as important as your children and your business. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t expect other things to get taken care of, too. At the end of the day, there will always be a million and one things to do, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the things you need to do for yourself. Working moms are heroes among us who wear many hats. Whether they answer to “mommy” or “boss,” they are constantly on the go. But working moms take pride in what they do, knowing that each day the portions of their lives are fulfilled makes their careers and motherhood even more meaningful and easier to do. Balance is something we all strive for, and sometimes while it seems hard to find, at the end of the day, the ability to look back and think, “I wouldn’t have changed my life for a second” makes everything worth it.