Balancing Business and Babies

Nobody has to tell you that being a mom is a full-time job – but what about when you own a business…or rather a business owns you? Most days I set out with the best of intentions: a to do list, a mission and appropriate boundaries.balancing business and babies

Songbird Juice Co.

So what happens when business and babies collide?

I graduated from Business School in 2007. While I have a great deal of gratitude for the knowledge that I’ll be paying off until I’m retired,  I have to be honest, I could have used some “real life” advice or teachings from professors about what it looked like to balance family and career. I mean, they weren’t just professors. Most had partners, families and outside interests.

Why was this never discussed?

Early into my business, I felt overwhelmed. Opening a new business with baby on the way and a toddler underfoot was running me into the ground. I cried A LOT, slept VERY LITTLE, and stressed ALL OF THE TIME. I wore the best professional mask I could muster up, but behind it I was frantic to find a formula But one evening a free webinar for female professionals rolled through my Facebook feed.

Sign. Me. Up.

Here are the three most valuable ways I’ve changed the way I do full-time business as a full-time wife and mom since changing my approach:

Bliss Bouldering & Climbing Complex

#1 – Learn to Delegate

Don’t be afraid to outsource help and delegate tasks. If you do what you do well you’ll be able to empower others to do what they do well. This  changed my momentum when hiring. I had to take a step back and decide what each member of my team was contributing and how that was going to help me find balance. I needed to be able to take time if needed with my children or family, so I had to be able to trust them to steer the ship without me. In deciding what I needed to make my business thrive up front, I was able to hire and train my staff to handle every situation in my absence.

#2 – Define Your “Why”

While you can’t control every outcome, this will help you to make your business work for YOU. What this means: Find out WHY you started this business in the first place. Did you want freedom or the ability to travel more? Was it for your family? The money? Find what drives you, and decide how this business will provide that for you. For me, it was my family. I spend many of my days off with my littles, soaking up sunshine and smiles. It’s there that I feel truly rewarded for my hard work.

Hippie Business Owner#3 – Make Un-Plugging a Priority

This one is my favorite. Not only should we take days off, but we need to make it clear to employees and clients that these are sacred days when (unless a building is burning down) contacting us should be avoided. Now, I know there are exceptions, but this has worked incredibly well in preserving my sanity. Note: this will take time for conditioning, but once others catch on, you will be thankful that you were firm in your expectations.

The balance between business and babies is manageable. It will be a constant work in progress. Keep in mind that change is okay and evolution is important.

You can do this.

 

Marty Spence
Raised in Butler County, Marty is no stranger to Wichita and loves her Kansas roots. She attended Wichita State University where she majored in Business Administration and Marketing. Marty is a mom of 2 empowered little girls, Rio, age 1, and Trudy, age 3. When she's not chasing babies, she enjoys running Wichita's premier cold-pressed juicery, Songbird Juice Co.. She just celebrated her first year by opening a second location! Now you can get your health food fix in Riverside and Clifton Square! Since she rarely sits still, you can catch Marty spending any free time on random excursions with her little ones, catching dinner with her girlfriends, going on walks or enjoying a relaxing yoga class.