Business and Babies

By Tiffany Powers

In my coaching sessions with successful women, one of the most common life decisions that we discuss is balancing family and work. High-powered women are either struggling with balancing their careers and families, or debating whether they SHOULD start a family while trying to navigate a successful career.

 

I give guidance to successful entrepreneurs every day. One of the things I want all of my clients to understand is that I truly practice what I preach – my husband and I just welcomed a baby in April. He is our fifth child and our first child together in our blended family (Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d have five kids.)  

Five boys are no walk in the park. A lot of people say boys are easier, but it’s totally a lie! 

 

I was able to work throughout my pregnancy, and am back at it already, working on the four companies my husband and I own between us. 

 

Raising five rowdy boys, running four businesses – how is it even possible? 

 

It is TOTALLY possible to not only survive managing a family and a successful business but to thrive. Here are some of the tips I give my clients regarding managing our BUSINESSES and BABIES.

 

Support

 

Raising children really does take a village. Cultivate a support network of friends, family, colleagues, and other like-minded women and moms.

 

Communicate with your partner directly, and often, about what you need from him/her in terms of support. 

 

Most importantly, don’t feel like you need to do it all yourself. Never feel guilty about hiring other professionals. There are tons of qualified nannies, house cleaners, dog walkers, landscapers, and professional organizers out there.  Apps like Instacart and TaskRabbit are there to help. Use them, and don’t feel guilty about it! Don’t be afraid to outsource. 

 

Schedule

 

I see a lot of entrepreneurs who are out of balance. They tend to overwork and leave not enough time for their families. Written or online schedules can help with that.

 

Whether you use a scheduling app or a planner, schedule EVERYTHING – showers, time with family, and blocks of working time. Make a schedule that works for you and includes your priorities. If you find you can’t get to something, reschedule it, just like you would an important work meeting.

 

Systems

 

Come up with systems for things like ordering groceries, laundry, household tasks, sorting mail, etc. Again, there are apps for almost everything. If you haven’t already, check out apps like Trello, Wunderlist, TaskRabbit, Tody, Clean My House – there truly is one for everything!

 

Also, try to clearly outline who in your house is responsible for what each week. Work smarter, not harder.

 

Self-Care

 

It is critical that you take time for self-care. My choice for relaxing comes in the form of a bath every day – I take 30 minutes to myself with no kids. 

 

To avoid burnout, get plenty of sleep, try to exercise a little bit every day, eat well, and make time to do the things you enjoy. Busy mothers tend to feel guilty of putting themselves first, but it really does benefit your family and your business in the long run.

 

Having Support, a solid Schedule, helpful Systems, and practicing Self-Care can help you thrive as an Entrepreneur Mom. 

 

I want to use my experience to prove to my clients and readers that it’s totally doable to have a family and achieve your business dreams. We are adaptable and strong. We figure things out as we go. High-powered women should not be afraid to start a family – the very skills that make them successfulI want to use my experience to prove to my clients and readers that it’s totally doable to have a family and achieve your business dreams. We are adaptable and strong. We figure things out as we go. High-powered women should not be afraid to start a family – the very skills that make them successful entrepreneurs will help them balance the workload of family and business.  entrepreneurs will help them balance the workload of family and business.