The truth about being a Mom Boss

If you see me on social media, you see I take moments throughout the day to capture my lifestyle as a Mom Boss and living HIPP.  These posts are the authentic me and are in my heart, gratitude posts to some degree, because I am grateful to be able to be self employed, self empowered and from the time I became a Mom, I craved this flexibility.  

Being a Mom Boss has truly changed my life, I am convinced I am a better Mom, Wife, Leader and Friend.   While it is more work, it is also more empowerment to design a life that fits your story, that fits your soul.  

It is not all Instagram or FB posts of yoga, and coffee and the beach.  

I have been at this now for 15 years (one and a half decades), and I can assure you it has not been easy, and also it has not been a ton of free time and autonomy.   When my kids were babies and I started my own business, it was really hard, there were not many free moments for me time—I literally would leave dishes in the sink, peanut butter and jelly left over scraps from lunch on the counter, and run my business while the kids were napping and get up early and go to bed late to move my business forward.  For many years I had a struggle with the juggle—but with that challenge and hard work, I was able to create a business that would support my family.  After 8 years of a crazy work schedule (I literally focused on business and family)—I grabbed ownership of my life, and decided to carve out time for me, and to explore my role in the world, while taking better care of myself.  This truly allowed me to explore, learn, practice and grow.   So, my hard work upfront paid off, and because I worked consistently and hard, I was able to be rewarded down the road which was very much needed, as I knew I had more inside of me that needed to be discovered.  

Two years ago I decided to start a new business which I love, but in starting anything new (and over) that same intensity of work came back.  I threw myself in 100%, but the balance that I had created and craved went out the window (all my own doing).  As I resurface from a hard year personally, I am reframing my work/life balance, and defining what works for me in this stage of life.   Fortunately, my life is in a place where I have much more time than I have ever had, with 3 teens at home. I have more time freedoms at this stage and a different set of worries from when they were littles.  Those of you with little ones, that struggle with the juggle, don’t worry. There is light at the end of the tunnel.  You’ve got to put your time in, you’ve got to realize it is just the stage of life you are at, and before you know it, they will be teens and you will have more time for you, for your business and the time with family will become even more precious and fleeting, and you will be able to hold on to it and be present with it.

It is ironic as most of us become a Mom Boss so that we can have more time with family, or flexibility—which we get the flexibility and family time.  However, it is not all that easy and it is not without sacrifice and commitment.  I missed many games, milestones and moments over the years because I was growing my business and leading a large team.  I choose not to focus on that and to focus on all the gifts it has given me.  Today, I am beyond grateful to have a business that fuels my HIPP life and that allows me the ability to truly work my schedule as I choose.  It is not all beach moments though. The truth is we work hard, we work early morning or at night, we work over the weekend—we do what it takes to make it work.

I know my first decade as a Mom Boss was mostly hard work, sacrifice and I let a few things go, including myself.  The beauty is that this next decade does not have to be that way. As we grow, we gain more clarity around what is really important.  When our kids grow, our demands become less but our worries become more.  I am able to give myself the space to be there, as I know these moments go by in the blink of an eye.  Just like that.

If you are a Mom Boss reading this, especially those of you new to this or with little ones, give yourself time, be willing to do the hard work, while your neighbor is sleeping you are building your business, while she is out gardening, you are in your office working—I know, I was that girl, all the lights were out except the light in my office (and the one in my heart).  It is not easy and you don’t have to “do it all”.   You have your moments, the mess, we all have it.  The exhaustion, the stress, the overwhelm, the to do list, the chasing your tail, yup, let's be real, we all have those moments.  

Be grateful in the moments you get.  Be willing to work hard to put time in to build it.  
Imagine what it is you want in your life and build a business which supports just that.

What ever you do, be the Boss of you.  

Take care of you and own the pen in your story.

XO