When my alarm goes off at 6:30 every morning, I often resist hitting the “snooze” button like many businesswomen (or Mompreneurs.) Some days it’s hard to pull my “mom-entrepreneurs-caretaker-friend” hats out of the drawer in anticipation of my ultra-hyphenated life.
So thinking about March being Women’s History Month, I remind myself how many other “hyphenated entrepreneurs” or Mompreneurs came before me. Strong, courageous, busy women like some of the ones who inspired me to become the business owner I am today.
Joanna Gaines comes to mind. If you don’t know her story – she’s worth a google. Gaines built an empire around home renovation while keeping her family the top priority in her life. That couldn’t have been easy – and I know from experience how difficult it can be. I’m sure you do too!
So, how do we do it? How do I manage to pull those “hats” out and find time for family, friends, business, AND myself all in a 24-hour span?
I can’t speak for all women, but in my experience, a good deal of delegation, people skills, and time management all play equal parts in my success.
Having a routine is definitely key!
When I opened Elite Virtual Assistants in 2015, I wasn’t new to remote work but was new to running a business, and not just running a business, doing it as a mom too! Like many first-time Mompreneurs, I made plenty of mistakes, and having no time set aside for myself was one of them. Back then, when I insisted on doing everything myself, my days started when I opened my eyes and didn’t stop – between business and family matters – until I closed them at the end of the night. I had no real boundaries for myself. I’d take meetings at any time, even when it didn’t work for my schedule, squeeze tasks around my kids’ lives and try not to think about how much stress I was putting myself under – who had the time to think, anyway?
Soon, I realized the problem was in the solution. I had to ask for help. And so I did – eventually creating an internal team of 7 who each have their own unique roles here at EVA.
Thankfully, with that change came the ability to create a morning routine I now proudly stand by.
No matter what my day looks like, how heavy my plate is, or how stressful my tasks may be, I start my day with the basics! Coffee (duh!), meditation, journaling, and a short workout to get the blood pumping.
After work, I make the time to go out in nature as much as possible, bringing along the family dog, Dakota, before cooking dinner for my family. The family meal always centers my heart on what’s truly important: family.
Wearing so many hats doesn’t feel as tiresome when I’m with them. But getting to that part of my day with gratitude would be impossible without a solid routine that I can follow, hard boundaries to protect my personal life, and support from my team.
Without a doubt, what makes me a successful woman wearing all the hats, is the support of my trusted support system. Remember, you are the company you keep!
Now I consider myself a seasoned “Mompreneur”
If you or another “hyphenated entrepreneur” are curious about how they can better support their business with a virtual assistant, share this article with them and/or click below for more information.
Want to keep reading?
- Read more about her journey here.
- Read more about how you can make more free time for yourself here.
- Read more about self-care here.
- Read more about self-care for busy moms here.
