Becoming a Mom Boss
Here’s the deal. There’s a stigma associated with being a work from home mom.
We’d be lying if we said running a successful business from home and raising a family is easy. I can tell you, that it is often like walking a tightrope while juggling a baby on one hip, and keeping the older ones from setting the house on fire. Throw a dog or two in the mix and you’ve got a full-on circus at times. And truthfully, this is…. what we all wanted.
From Renee: “When I had my first son, all I wanted was to be a stay at home mom. I wanted to combine my love for photography with being able to work from home. As many as there were supportive people in my life telling me it is possible, there are plenty that gave the side-eye saying that you can’t really do it all. Not to mention, when I finally did take the plunge (with two children), the expectation of what people think happens with a work from home mom versus the actual reality is quite different. Friends were shocked that I was so busy being that I was home all day.
“What are you so busy doing???” They would ask. It caught me off guard because secretly I thought I would have all this extra time too.
And I get it. I thought that I would have all of this time to go to PTA meetings and cook and have a perfectly tidy home…but I don’t. And that’s ok. Instead I pour a lot of my waking hours into running this business– and it is a joy. Seriously. With a lot of grace and balance, we have learned that we can have it all. Here are a few ways we have learned how to make it happen:
Organize your life:
Set working hours:. Over here at Love Letters Co., we are both working #boymoms ranging in ages of 9 month to 6 years old. Trying to manage a few quiet hours during the day between households is pretty near impossible, however, we’ve narrowed it down to ONE POWERHOUR and (2) 30 minute segments of time to chat in the am and pm. This schedule came after a few weeks of pretty imperfect time management but we figured it out, and you will too!
What works for us and what works for your empire/household will probably look pretty different, but it will leave you feeling less pressure and frustration. Part of the reason one can get overwhelmed is feeling pulled in too many directions. By setting limits with both yourself personally and your work schedule, you can overcome the craziness and feel more successful as both a mom and a mom-boss.
Setting Boundaries: According an article by Parents.com about being a Mom Boss:
If you don’t learn to keep your roles as mom and businesswoman separate, giving each your full concentration for a set amount of time, you’ll never feel like you’re doing either well.
This is a very real and quite overwhelming feeling for most of us. As Renee calls it, the “Mom guilt” is so real! We know our clients need something right away but also, little man just bumped his head and needs mommy all the same. This mom guilt cycle leads us right into our next tip and topic: Grace.
Give yourself Grace:
You can have it all but you’re going to have to give and take. In this business there is always an ebb and flow. With good communication with your partner (albeit, business, relationship, or otherwise) you realize what is most important to your family dynamic and how the business works within that life. Just the other day we were discussing taking days off– and then laughed because as an entrepreneur we never are totally off. But we do need time to recharge, relax and re-engage with what fills us most. It makes us more creative and less likely to burn out. It makes us better partners, better moms and better business woman.
The only limits we have are the ones we place there.
So go get em’ Mom Boss!
You’re amazing!
With all this, you know we’re here for you. Even if you ever want to reach out and chat about weddings, photography or just being a MOM BOSS feel free to email or DM us anytime.