Welcome back to this week’s podcast! We’re talking about something that’s come up in a lot of DMs from a few of you. Today, we’re going to chat about balancing running a business as a mom with really young babies. I want to preface this by saying that I don’t feel qualified to talk about this, because I’m not perfect – at all. I’m still very much in the midst of figuring things out and finding a good rhythm. Despite that, we’re having our best year yet and I’m not working a lot – so, I thought now was a good time to do this episode. Not because I’ve figured it all out, but because I’m in the middle of it all – like you might be!

My Work Days

So, before we get too far into things let’s talk about what my work week looks like. Michael does work a 9-5 job, and until recently, he was working fully from home. Now, he’s going to the office 2 days a week. Typically, I work about 10 hours a week. About half of that is me actually at my desk doing work. I also have a monthly call with my team member Maggie. She’s incredible (and we’ll talk more about her later!). The other half of that is on-the-go work, from my phone or wherever I am working. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Michael is going into the office and isn’t home during the day.

The other days, he’s working from home. While he’s home, he’s a huge help to me – and I think that’s the reason I don’t feel as overwhelmed with things. When he’s not home, I spend those days taking care of myself and the babies, working on personal projects, and just giving myself grace on those days. If I don’t get anything else done but take care of myself and the babies, that’s okay. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are the days I try to get more done on the business. I do most of my work during naptimes!

My Business Admin Coordinator, Maggie

On Tuesdays, I have meetings with Maggie. Maggie is our admin coordinator. She does a lot to keep the brand running for me and has been absolutely incredible. Our weekly meeting includes what’s going on, what does she need, questions she has, and that type of thing. It really helps me to know where to focus and make sure she has what she needs. I work around that call and the other days of the week, mostly on light work. Those are short tasks, easy to do in small bursts or can be interrupted. Right now, deep work is a struggle. Sitting down to really focus for an hour or two is just not happening. I think I get distracted hanging with the babies because I genuinely enjoy being a mom so much. But, I also genuinely enjoy what I do, too.

What Has Helped in This Season…

So, that’s a peek into my work day. Next, I wanted to share some things that have helped me in this season of having young babies and trying to get work done. I guess I should also say that we don’t have a lot of outside help. I never really planned to outsource childcare. From the start, I wanted to be really involved in our babies’ lives and that just means not working a ton. I’ve never been someone who worked full-time, anyway. But, the first thing that has really helped has been having a lot of grace with myself. I just remind myself is that this season is just a season – and it won’t last forever. Honestly, I think it can be easy to compare time before you had babies to now, but I’m just not going to be able to do things the same way as I did before… and that’s okay. It’s also a choice I’m making: I would rather have more time to spend with the twins than focus 100% on my business right now.

Letting Go of Things in My Business

This has also taught me how to let go of things in my business. I’m very willing to hand things off to my team. I don’t have to do everything. I’ve also learned how to integrate things – like I want to pump some extra milk each day and I spend that extra 15 minutes on social media. Or now I do that at my desk. Set everything up, pump for those 15 minutes and answer emails or answer messages from Maggie. I’m able to make better use of my time instead of doing two-15 minute tasks throughout the day at separate times.

Another example is breakfast. I let the girls lay on their playmat while I make breakfast. They can hang with me and I can keep an eye on them. Instead of trying to cram it in before they’re up or something else, that works. There’s lots of ways to integrate tasks in your life! Our life coach, Joe, talks about this all the time. So, now I just try to think about different ways I can integrate tasks and make better use of my time! It helps give me back time each day – even just the pumping and answering emails has given me back a half hour each day!

Deciding What I Can Do in This Season

Another thing to consider is what kind of projects, promotions, or ideas I can realistically do in this season. I already talked about what this season looks like – being the primary caregiver for two young babies without a lot of outside help. So, as I think about what to do with or for my business, I must think about what my team can do with minimal work from me. For example, right now it wouldn’t be ideal to try and film a new course. But, we just launched our new Reels Membership instead. This is something I know my team can help me with each month – the research, the promotions, etc.  I also want to just acknowledge that I wouldn’t be able to do this without Maggie. Having her on, knowing the brand as well as she does, being able to trust her with everything I need has been a game changer. I’m also sticking to smaller things, like a new Reels Masterclass! 

Outsourcing Other Parts of Our Life

One other thing that has helped in this season has been outsourcing other areas of our life. Right now, because Michael is working and I’m working, we outsource parts of our personal life. We outsource groceries with Instacart. It’s been amazing to have everything delivered. We’ve also been doing a subscription to the Farm Fed box, which provides us meat. It’s incredible. These two things have allowed me to still eat well and not have to worry about grocery shopping. And when Michael’s home, he can just be with us and enjoy the time together.

Another thing we’ve outsourced is cleaning! They come once a month for a deep clean and it’s been amazing. We also use a dog grooming/doggy day care for our pups. It was great when the girls were first born to make sure that they were getting the attention they needed – as well as getting their energy out, and being groomed well. It saved us so much time! We’re also really lucky that we have some amazing friends who have been around to help and support us as we’ve made this transition, too!

Final thoughts….

To wrap up, I want to just end with a few different things. First, I try to always remember that my babies won’t be babies forever. I have truly enjoyed motherhood so much already and I just want to soak in as much of it as I can. Even when it feels crazy or I can’t get that deep work done, I want to remember that this is just a season and it won’t last forever. Next, I also want to say that when it comes to outsourcing things in my business, becoming a mom has helped me realize how important that truly is. I want to encourage you to think about the tasks that you really do love in your business. Anything else, you can outsource. I hope that my experience of balancing running a business as a mom inspires you and remind you that you CAN do this!

If you’re listening and you have ideas about what to talk about next, please send in your requests! I really do want to know what you want to hear about in future episodes. Email me at [email protected] with your questions!! I can’t wait to hear from you!