Balancing the Business Mom Life !

Hey All ! It's been way to long since I have got to talk to all of you! Hope your holidays were fantastic and you are all staying healthy !

Today I am gonna try to get back onto this Blog train!! Obviously my caboose de-railed but gonna try to get back on!! I decided to switch it up a bit! In my first blog post introducing myself I had told you all not only would I be blogging about my business but also my life in general ! Today we are talking about how I TRY to balance mom life and work/ business life. Let me tell you this balance is something I’m always working on and striving to do better at. It sure is no easy task! With redoing furniture plus working a full time job as a Medical Assistant for a very BUSY doctor and being a mom in a single parent household ... it is so hard to distinguish when I can clock out. It feels like I could always be doing more to better my business or start the next project or question myself about being the best mom I can be etc. I always have these ideas in my head of going bigger and wanting to grow and do live videos and chats , hold classes , having a store front ... I dream BIG! HAHA I honestly am at the point now I could work at this "job" alone 24/7 .. Here are a few things that have helped me find a better balance cause when I first start , my lanta , I was ALL over the place!

Flexibillity and Commitment

Most know I am a mom of a 10 year old (My JR junker! ) ... and let me tell you she is a beautiful , smart but VERY busy little girl!! Between school ( which as we all know is CRAZY right now ) , sports , friends and just being a 10 year old girl that dreams big like her momma .. it can get pretty crazy trying to balance all of that , a full time job and a now booming business. Now mind you i still struggle with it time to time , I get frustrated , moody overwelled and sometimes have to put myself in check to step back a breath! It is also important to understand the balancing of life in general is an on-going process and change ! Some months or days or weeks maybe harder/easier than others . Sports change in and out of seasons , school will be done for the summer , or maybe I only have two dressers i need to do this week , or maybe I have a six i need to get done! Flexibility and understanding is key! Its not always gonna to be the same everyday but maybe you can come up with a balance or solution that will work best with the life you have at that moment . Try planning ahead... this allows you to see the big picture and commitment will allow you to be consistent with it .

Be Upfront and Honest !

I personally make sure I am upfront and honest with all my clients and customers that ask for custom pieces! I have many people that contact me about pieces they are looking for to have redone or even ones they already own that they would like me to liven up for them . After I talk with them about it all and we come up with a price and game plan I make sure to let them know this is my side business ... and how many orders I have at that time or in-front of them ... Again their maybe times I am not busy and I can get ALOT of pieces done in a day or weekend but then there are times when there is so much going on it takes me a little longer! Like the holidays for example ! We all know that's a crazy time of year! So it's just important to be open with you clients and let them know around about time frame you are comfortable with and make sure they are too!

Organization!

My oh my ORGANIZATION ! This isn't always my strongest suite but I am getting better at it! Now Shane ( my junk hunk ) He is good at it ! When it comes to keeping a schedule , i'm all over it ! I know what's going on when it's goin on and what I need to get done , when I need to get it done ! (of course using flexibility cause life happens) I personally write EVERYTHING DOWN , I am a pencil and paper kinda girl but recently I have been using the notes and appointment section on my FB business page to keep things in line also . I have a planner I write all my dates down in whether it be for for sports , school , doctor appointments ... or for Rustic but Refined , which would include pick up dates or drop offs for orders , or when a clients would like it done by !I also have papers on all my pieces for custom orders that have the names of the clientS, the color /finish they are wanting , the price and if paid or unpaid ... I do have to admit this was Shanes ideas but boy it helps , no more scrolling through a million messages to find out what price or color we talked about!! Now Shane is good at organizing items which he just helped with a HUGE overhaul for me in my "shop" . Don't get me wrong I sure try to do this ... He is just much better at it than I am ! We were able to organize my things in order of what needs done first to last ... what needs done first was at the top of the shop where I redo my pieces and so on down the line ! I was able to get many bins or organize all my tools , screws , power tools , knobs and much more ! I got a smaller cabinet to hold all my paints , stains really anything I would need for upcycling my item! Last was the shelf for my props ! Photos sell! So for me staging is HUGE! Now all my items I use to stage my pieces for phots are in one location and area in the shop ... All this makes it so easy and makes for a smooth process to know where things are . Life in general can be hectic but balancing the mom life and building a business can make it a bit more hectic than normal , so keeping your life and things around you as organized as possible will be a HUGE weight off your shoulders! Cause trust me anything will help!

Making time to be A Mom !

This is a very important one for balancing your life ... I myself am so busy with my business like I said I truly could do it non stop . But lets be honest that isn't healthy . Not healthy for me , for my daughter or for a relationship . You need to take time for yourself and for your life . Again it may not always be the same day of the week but I try to take time out each day for Maddie and I and a day during the weekend for family time or date nights . Now that maybe us sitting down having dinner together and talking about our day or finishing homework .. It maybe watching a movie or making a craft , I will say I hit lucky in this department cause Maddie loves doing what I do just as much as me so sometimes our down time is checking out the local thrift shops or antique stores . She is actually coming up with her only little spin off from Rustic and Refined and gonna be selling upcycled clothing so make sure you keep you eye open for that( she is thinking Refined and Redesigned apperal) ! I also make sure (not weekly) but we dedicate a Maddie day . Most of the time I'll let her choose what we do but sometimes I will throw out there some ideas ! Kids are only little once so even though it is always easy to get caught up in the excitement of your business you need to make sure to take the time for yourself , your life and your kids too! I could work my booty off day in and day out and make money out the wazoo ... I could buy her anything she wanted under the sun but money don't buy memories ... When she gets older she won't remember what I got her when she was 5 OR 7 OR 15 but she will remember the things we have done together and to me that is what's important!

Take a break!

As much as you love your kids / family and are passionate about your small business, sometimes you need to take a break from both. Taking time for yourself will allow you to be more attentive mother and productive business owner. One of the most important tips for working moms is to make sure you don’t get burnt out! If you find yourself getting over-worked, unplug, and take some time to relax. Your family and clients will thank you when you come back refreshed!

If you follow these tips for a business owing mom, you’ll be able to manage the responsibilities of being a mom and entrepreneur at the same time! Just these few tips will help you ensure you’re able to succeed at both roles . Don't forget , you need to find the balance that works for you and your family! It will be a rollercoaster of trial and error but once it find the the perfect combo you'll flourish is all aspects of your life!!

Thank you all for taking the time to read today's Blog! Till next time Y'all!