Now that Remington is “talking,” hearing the world through her sweet little voice is life changing. It’s been beautiful to see what she values and how in just 2 years she has picked up SO many cues. She says “I love you” all day long, which just warms my heart. She’ll say things like “mama work” or “mama phone” when I have a phone conference, or my favorite “mama work allll gone” (meaning all done). I love that I’ve taught her that yes I work, but I also put my work aside and focus on her. 

I’m not going to sugar coat it, being a mom is HARD work, in fact I’ll argue that it’s harder than any other job out there. And I can’t say that I’ve been a perfect mom, let alone perfectly balanced working full time and motherhood.

But, I do love that Remington watches me everyday show up, educate, inspire and influence people. I love that she watches me grow a business that I love and watches me pursue my passions. I love that to her ‘mama’ encompasses my role as a wife, mother and business woman. If anything, I hope I teach her that her dreams and aspirations will take both hard work and faithfulness.

While I’ve made plenty of mistakes and cried plenty of tears, I wanted to share a bit of what has helped me ‘balance’ work and motherhood!

6 Ways I Balance Work & Being a Mom

1. Get really clear on your priorities + release the rest

As a Type 1 enneagram—I like to have control, but I’ve realized that releasing the ‘control’ and focusing on what I am good at has grown by business more than ever! 

Start here —> if you haven’t yet created your ‘Yes and No List,’ you have to start there! Figuring out what you can/want to say yes or no to will help you determine your true priorities.

2. Saying NO allows you to say your best possible YES.

Time is our greatest asset and one we can’t get more of—our sweet little ones grow and change far too quickly for us to miss out on their lives! I know that I won’t ever regret more time with my daughter!

Getting really clear with my roles and tasks as a business owner—what I do, what I need to outsource, what can I delegate to someone else is so important not only in growing our businesses but also staying present with our families.

For example, I am a content creator through and through—that is my gift and I know that in my heart, but also many people have told me that. So that is what I focus on, I do what I know I can do best and how I can move the needle forward in my business. I’ve surrounded myself with amazing women that help fill the gaps and shine where they shine BEST. 

3. Set boundaries

My family is a TOP priority but that is because I intentionally make it so. As someone who used to always be available, I’ve learned to set boundaries and you know what, people respect you for that! My team knows that I normally won’t respond to business things (unless an emergency) between Friday and Sunday. I guard that time as sacred. But when I show up, I give 101%—I’m all in when I show up.

I try my best to have off limits time and times of the day that my phone is not in sight. This allows me to be present for my family without any distractions. For me I guard a few times as sacred throughout the day—my early morning quiet time + work time, the first hour when Remington wakes, meal times, the first hour after nap time and bath/bed time. You’ll also rarely see me on my phone on the weekends. I usually leave it on the charger or on airplane mode!

As a small business owner, there is no such thing as true “time off” and honestly I’m ok with that because I view my business as an extension of my life! But it quickly can become all consuming because the to-do list is never done. Setting boundaries for myself has actually made me more productive and ‘successful’ big picture!

4. Create systems that provide clarity and productivity

Okayyy this is a gold mine. Mom or not, you NEED systems. Systems don’t have to be scary, robotic or tech overwhelming. Systems mean that you find ways to help your business and life run smoothly! I’ve learned a lot about ‘systems’ these past few years, especially since becoming a mom and let’s just say they are a game changer!

The most important thing is to find what works for you, but do NOT put this off—it’s so easy as a creative entrepreneur to just create, and then often the organization and systems get put on the back burner. That was me for YEARS and I wasted so much time. 

When I started implementing systems that worked for me, my personality and my family, I was able to work less hours, stress less and even bring in more income.

My motto is… “Stop being busy, start being effective!”

A few systems I rely on in business:

• Asana: task management and how I mostly communicate with my team
• Planoly: plan out Instagram and schedule stories or post
• Email marketing: we are able to automate and educate SO much this way
• Google docs: for anything collaborative or keeping track of Beautycounter mailings
• Batch working: grouping tasks together by days to avoid task switching and wasting time
• Golden coil planner: I love this totally personalized planner and have areas to ‘brain dump’ my big ideas too!

5. Guard your rituals + sleep

I work hard, but I also LOVE and need to rest. As someone with 2 autoimmune diseases, I need rest. I know that rest doesn’t subtract from my time, rather it adds to my time. Rest allows me to be more present with my daughter, to be more patient, playful and loving with her, and it also allows me to be more focused and productive with my business. I’ve learned not to push myself when my to-do list is calling, but rather to take an extra hour in the morning if she needs me or to spend Friday together resting and playing.

One ritual I guard is my weekend rest—I don’t care if the laundry has piled up, the house is a mess and someone needs me. I pause and I rest. I guard this time as sacred. I’ve made it gracefully clear to my family that that is what I need in order to show up the rest of the week. My sweet hubby knows that every Friday and Saturday afternoon I’ll be in my bed resting—as soon as Remington goes to nap, my weekend rest time has begun. Nothing gets in the way of this. It’s not selfish, it’s life giving!

How does this relate to business? When you are well rested you will show up better in all aspects of your life—both work and motherhood. Motherhood is exhausting enough, but when you guard your rest and take care of yourself, you will be that much more productive, patient and impactful!

6. Know that you can’t have it all, all the time

Gregg Renfrew, the founder of Beautycounter, told us once “You can have it all, but you can’t have it all, all the time.” 

That really stuck with me—some days may be more “mom heavy” and others, I might have a lot going on with work and need a little more help, a little more grace and a little more Winnie the Pooh watching. That’s ok. 

If I have a big product or course launch, I might need a bit more support. Maybe that means a conversation with my husband saying, this week is really busy for ____ reason and I’m going to need a bit more help and grace. That might mean turning on a show for an hour for your little one so you can focus on what you need to do. That might even mean letting laundry pile up during ‘launch week.’ Never feel guilty for that—know that everything comes in seasons!

Once I realized that I could be BOTH a mom and a business owner but I couldn’t always give 100% equally to each task, it was so freeing.

It freed me from the “mom guilt” and allowed me to pursue what was in front of me for that day, whatever that looks like. It also freed me from the “to-do list guilt” and freed me to have days or hours when I totally abandon my work and spend quality time with my sweet daughter. 

It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it can be BOTH, you just might have to get creative with your time!

Whether you’re a mama or not, balancing life and work can be a challenge. I hope this gave you some insight to guide you through it! If you’re just starting a business or navigating the messy middle, I’ve created some resources just for you! Let’s free up your time so you have more time with your sweet family! Check out the new resources HERE –>